The emotions of the citizens had reached a fever pitch. It was the last night of the funeral train journey and Lincoln was finally nearing home. Banners lined the tracks inscribed with heartfelt messages such as “Illinois clasps to her bosom her slain but glorified son. Come Home.” (Swanson 271) The atmosphere in Springfield, Lincoln’s home, was electric, the residents were ready to receive their fallen brother. The love for Lincoln burned religiously in the face of every person in Springfield. Lincoln’s travels and worries were over, here he would be laid to rest, given eternal peace. After traveling 1,645 miles from Washington D.C to Springfield, Illinois, the train had competed its duty marvelously. It never broke down, suffered an accident or was significantly late. Many saw it as a miracle sent by God to bless the memory of the late Lincoln.
There may have been love for Davis in the South, but if he were to have shown his face in any major Northern city, the passionate …show more content…
Davis made plans to leave Varinia and the children early the morning of May 10th and continue on his, now frantic, escape. This aspect of his plan never came to fruition and Davis was captured by the Wisconsin units sent out to capture him. This capture could’ve easily been avoided if Davis had chosen not to dally so long in Abbesville or Washington.
I chose chapter nine, “Coffin That Slowly Passes,” as the second of the three chapters that best proved the authors intent. Chapter nine is arguably the most important chapter in the entire book, Lincoln’s funeral journey drew to a significant close and Davis’s escape attempt broke into full force and was foiled. The authors main intent was to compare the fanfare that followed Lincoln’s funeral with Davis’s escape attempt, and this is clearly done in chapter nine. James Swanson also successfully imparted upon the reader the long lasting effects of the memorial pageant for