The Martyred President

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Many consider Abraham Lincoln to be America’s greatest president. It’s easy to understand why: he had the most unenviable task of preserving our country through four years of a bloody civil war. And, while he succeeded, he never lived to enjoy the reunification of North and South. Four days after General Lee signed the surrender at Appomattox Court House Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. The conspiracy theories surrounding his death were — and still are — plentiful. We do know there was a conspiracy, because Secretary of State William Seward was attacked at his home at approximately the same time. There were plans to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson, but the man in charge of attacking him got drunk and forgot about his plan. (Yes, that sounds hilarious, but it’s the truth.) Lincoln managed to live overnight after being shot in the back of the head, dying the next morning at approximately 6:30 AM. His remains were returned to Illinois, where he lived the majority of his life, for burial. His tomb is a beautiful, respectful monument to the president’s life and legacy. It is located at Oak Ridge Cemetery in the capital city of Springfield. The upper left photo is his marker. Surrounding it are the flags of the U.S., Kentucky (where he was born), Indiana (where he lived as a child), Illinois (his “home state”), and the Flag of the President of the United States to the right; and flags of Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts (where Lincoln’s ancestors were from) to the left. The other upper photo is the tomb where Lincoln's body was interred originally, from his funeral on May 4, 1865 until the current vault was completed in December 1865. (Lincoln’s Tomb is currently undergoing renovation, so the statues of Lincoln and the soldiers atop the building were covered.) The lower photos are a replica of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, and Mary Todd Lincoln’s marker. Three of their four children are buried here, with Robert Todd Lincoln interred at Arlington National Cemetery. He was our first assassinated president and the only one (to date) martyred for his service. May that ever remain the case. PHOTO COLLAGE: (Top left) Lincoln’s grave marker (Top right) The crypt where Lincoln was first buried (Bottom left) One of several replicas of statues of Lincoln inside the tomb (Bottom right) Mary Todd Lincoln’s marker