Abraham Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. John Wilkes Booth, a famous stage actor, was the assassin. Lincoln died the next day.

Millions of Americans were deeply distraught at the news, including John Casper’s father, Karl Jacob Casper. In the opening scene from The Patriarch, Karl and his wife Elizabeth load their children into their schooner and make the long journey to the railroad tracks that would be used for Lincoln’s funeral train. By the time the train rolls by, hundreds of other Hoosiers join Karl Jacob and his older children as they stand near the rails to honor the slain leader.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train left Washington DC for Springfield, Illinois on April 21, 1865. By the time the train reached Indianapolis on the morning of April 30th, it had already passed through Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, and Columbus.

After spending the day on display in Indianapolis, Lincoln’s coffin was placed back onto the funeral car. The train left Indianapolis for Chicago just before midnight on the 30th and used the Lafayette and Michigan (L&M) Railroad line.

Train itinerary, Indianapolis to Chicago

Lincoln spent much of his youth in Indiana from 1816 to 1830 (when he was age 7 to 21). Hoosiers were determined to pay their respects as the funeral train passed through the state.

Karl and Elizabeth Kasper’s farm was 25 miles east of the L & M Railroad line. By slow wagon over dirt roads, the Kaspers would have taken 6-7 hours to reach the track between Medaryville and San Pierre, Indiana.

Military railway officials determined that the train would not exceed 20 miles per hour for safety reasons. They said that families, small community groups, and many children had lined up near the tracks the entire procession from Washington DC. Going any faster risked injury to those waiting to pay their respects.

During the 209 miles between Indianapolis and Chicago, the train slowed and sometimes paused at the places noted in the schedule. The Kasper family very likely watched the train as it traveled north between Medaryville (at 5:50 AM) and San Pierre (6:15 AM) on the morning of May 1, 1865.

In John Casper’s words (from The Patriarch), “I started to nod off when a train whistle in the distance to our left shook me awake. Dawn was breaking behind us and I could see a bright light above the track in the distance. The locomotive’s enormous funnel smokestack widened toward the top like outstretched hands lifted to heaven. It belched dark black smoke. As the engine rolled slowly toward us, white steam hissed outward from near its front wheels. American flags encircled a large portrait of a man displayed at the face of the engine. As the engine passed, I noticed that the next cars were draped in heavy black bunting, broken up here and there by white rosettes and silver tassels. Then, I saw amber light glowing from the large windows of the middle car. As it passed, I saw the top of what looked like a coffin…”

The train arrived at the Park Place stop in Chicago at 10:50 AM that morning. The train completed its travel to Springfield, Illinois on May 3rd where President Lincoln was buried.

To learn more:

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/president-lincolns-funeral-train

Several excellent books, often with photos, are available on this subject.