Full Title

Memorial Address: Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln
By George Bancroft

Description

American historian and statesman, George Bancroft, was chosen by Congress to deliver a special eulogy for President Lincoln on February 12, 1866. Bancroft addressed both Houses and spoke about the "Life and Character" of the President.
This booklet includes a transcription of Bancroft's speech as well as an appendix of Congressional meetings and letters generated after the first news of the President's death in 1865.

Transcription

A full scan of this pamphlet is available through the Internet Archive, www.archive.org.

Source

The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of The Union League of Philadelphia (Object ID: XI.2.009)

Rights

Use of this item for research, teaching and private study is permitted with proper citation and attribution, as “Courtesy of The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of The Union League of Philadelphia.” Reproduction of this item for publication, broadcast or commercial use requires written permission. For permission, please contact The Abraham Lincoln Foundation.

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Cite this Item

George Bancroft . "Memorial Address: Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln
By George Bancroft". Government Printing Office . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/1015

Creator

George Bancroft

Publisher

Government Printing Office

Date

February 12, 1866

Material

Ink and Paper

Full Title

Fragment of Abraham Lincoln's Shirt from the Night of His Assassination

Description

On April 15, 1865, a detail of six Union soldiers transported the body of Abraham Lincoln from the Petersen House to the White House, where a Union surgeon performed an autopsy. In recognition of the extraordinary task performed by these soldiers, their commander, General Daniel Rucker, cut six pieces of President Lincoln’s undershirt and gave a piece to each soldier. One of these soldiers was John C. Weaver from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, who was assigned to the Quartermasters Corps at the time of President Lincoln's assassination. Weaver's piece of Lincoln's undershirt was given to his granddaughter, Ellen Millen, who complied a collage that incorporated the cloth fragment, printed documentation about Weaver, photographs and annotations.

Source

The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of The Union League of Philadelphia (Object ID: 2007.1.1)

Rights

Use of this item for research, teaching and private study is permitted with proper citation and attribution, as “Courtesy of The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of The Union League of Philadelphia.” Reproduction of this item for publication, broadcast or commercial use requires written permission. For permission, please contact The Abraham Lincoln Foundation.

Tags

Cite this Item

Unknown. "Fragment of Abraham Lincoln's Shirt from the Night of His Assassination". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/1000

Creator

Unknown

Date

April 15, 1865

Material

Cotton

Dimensions

4.625 x 9.625

Full Title

Clara Barton's Diary

Description

Clara Barton, who in 1865 was directing the Missing Soldiers Office answering families' pleas for information on their loved ones, responded with few words to the Lincoln assassination. The Missing Soldiers Office was located three blocks east of Ford's Theatre. In few words, she described the confusion that Washingtonians felt after the event and the anguish that she felt, both over the death of the president as well as the death of her nephew the previous week–sometimes conflating the two.

Transcription

Friday, April 14, 1865

Assassination of President

Lincoln

Was returning from a call at

Mr. Upperman’s when it was

Rumored on the street.



Saturday, April 15, 1865

President Lincoln died at

7- o clock this morning

the whole city in gloom

no one knows what to do



Dr. Sidney came

Vice President Johnson

Inaugurated President



Sunday, April 16, 1865

Assassins not detected.

Known to be J. Wilks Booth,

The attempted murder of Mr.

Seward + family was sup-

posed to be by one Surrat-

I was quiet all day.



Monday, April 17, 1865

Attempted to offer some help

Went to Surg Genl office

Could get no one.

The President embalmed in

Preparation to be laid in state

Tomorrow,

Mailed 100 letters



Tuesday, April 18, 1865

President Lincoln laid in

State—dept went in bodies

To see him. Resolutaions passed

at the Mars rooms in

Honor of the President and

Commemoration of poor Irving

Fannie not returned –

Heard this evening that

The assassination of Mr. Seward[?]

Had been arrested at –

2 o clock this morning

- dressed as a laborer, on HE st –

Borrowed some tables to write on



Wednesday, April 19, 1865

Funeral of President Lincoln

I remained in doors all day.



Thursday, April 20, 1865

President lain in state

At the capital

Sally + Fannie + Vester

Return from Mas.

Poor Bubby is at rest –



Friday, April 21, 1865

President Lincoln remains

taken on to Baltimore

great search for Booth -



[Transcription provided by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum.]

Source

Library of Congress, Clara Barton papers, MSS11973

Rights

This item is in the public domain.

Tags

Cite this Item

Clara Barton. "Clara Barton's Diary". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/997

Creator

Clara Barton

Date

April 15, 1865

Full Title

Letter from William H. White to his sister, May 11, 1865

Description

Letter written by William H. White from Camp of the Old Grand, Washington, D.C, to his sister in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, describing the reaction of the soldiers to the assassination of President Lincoln.

Transcription

[Page 1]

Camp of the Old Grand
Washington DC
May 11th 1865

{P.S. This is a perfectly lovely, warm, May day, and the gorse[?] hangs about- 16 ft- high at this writing}

Dear Sister

If I should follow suit, your letter would not be answered for a thousand years hence but as I am not inclined to take pattern from your negligent style in relation to answering letters, perhaps yours dated Apr. 18th & mailed May 8th stands a slim chance to be answered sometime during the present year. Although the job is commenced at this early date, it may not be completed before the year 1901. . . Well I perceive that you & J.G. are into it big as ever, (Dont [sic] know as you are ever out of it) By the way you spoke about J. T. K. & M. L. K.

[Page 2]

now I cant [sic] believe that M. L. K. was married to the one armed Jack, if she married him, ‘tis quite evident that she has got him to support for I very well know that J. T. K. cannot support a fly. However, if she is satisfied, it is all right, it is nothing to me who she marries. Reckon I can find something shaped like a feminine [sic] (or at least something that wears crinolines) in course of time! I dare not venture a letter to charming M. C.— think it would be running too much risk, I have no less than 20 lady correspondents in New England –most of them however are total strangers, cant [sic] tell but what some of them are blacker than the Ace of Hades. I dont [sic] intend to correspond with so many hereafter, 2 or 3 right pretty ones is enough for me.

[Page 3]

The Rebellion is supposed to be (if not quite) played out. Suppose some of the volunteers will be discharged soon, I havet [sic] think that Hancocks rect’s [recruits] will stand much show to get out of the service before their year expires. I have something less than 8 months yet to serve to complete my year. My Reg D left Winchester VA last week Thursday, & marched to Washington via Thoroughfare Gap---(distance 100 miles— took us 5 days to make the trip.—Expect to be to the Grand Reaiew Review which is expected to come off one of these days. . .

Our President has been assassinated yes, & the Nation mouurns the loss of it’s [sic] greatest Statesman & Ruler & the people both North & South mourns loss of their Truest, best friend. President Lincoln was like

[Page 4]

a Father & Brother to us all, & the Nation mournings is sincere, & heartfelt, Booth has been is caught, & has paid with his life, for the foul deed. The South have lost their best friend. They will be likely to find in Johnson a hard master to deal with . . . . Our Country is safe. Freedom shall live in America.

I must now begin to taper off a little else get another sheet—the latter will not pay for I havent much of anything more to pawn this time. You must try & answer this right off. Remember now, right off. Let me know about family affairs, etc. etc.

Address as before

Co. B 1st N.J. Nat.-Vol. Inf
Hancocks Corps
Washington D.C.

Yours in great haste

W. H. White

P.S. Regards to all inquiring friends.

Source

Samuel White Papers, 1862-1865. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives Department

Rights

This item is in the public domain. As a service to other researchers, we request that users credit the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries as the source.

Tags

Cite this Item

White, William. "Letter from William H. White to his sister, May 11, 1865". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/937

Creator

White, William

Date

May 11, 1865

Full Title

The James Tanner Manuscript

Description

In 1865 Corporal James Tanner was a disabled Civil War veteran working as a clerk in the Ordnance Bureau of the War Department and living in an apartment next to the Petersen House in Washington, D.C. On April 14th, President Abraham Lincoln was shot during a theatre performance at Ford’s Theatre. The mortally wounded President was taken to the Petersen House. Because he had stenography skills, Tanner was called into the Petersen House. While Lincoln lay dying in the bedroom, Tanner sat in the parlor and recorded eyewitness testimony as given to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and David Kellogg Cartter, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. The interrogation of the witnesses took place between midnight and 1:30 A.M. "In fifteen minutes I had testimony enough to hang Wilkes Booth, the assassin, higher than ever Haman hung" noted Tanner. While still in the parlor, Tanner transcribed his shorthand notes into longhand, finishing his task at 6:45 A.M. Tanner returned to his apartment and, dissatisfied with the quality of the first transcription, began a second copy which he left with an aide of Stanton's at his office in the War Department. Tanner retained the original testimony. The copy deposited at the War Department was lost. In 1905, Tanner’s son took his father’s first transcription and mounted each sheet on linen and bound them. In November 1917, as the Union League prepared to celebrate its 55th anniversary and dedicate the Lincoln Memorial Room, Corporal James Tanner wrote to UL President John Gribbell to offer his bound volume of testimony to the League’s collection: "believing that they are of considerable interest to the general public owing to the circumstances surrounding their creation and believing they will become more so as the years pass, I write to say that if you care to give the volume a place among the treasures you may now possess or may naturally gather in the future regarding President Lincoln, I shall be glad to present them to you in perpetuity, limited only to the life of the Union League." Digitization courtesy of the Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image, University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

Transcription

Scroll down to "Related Resources" for a downloadable transcription with page breaks that match the original manuscript.

Source

The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of The Union League of Philadelphia (Object ID: XI.2.1917.2)

Rights

Use of this item for research, teaching and private study is permitted with proper citation and attribution, as “Courtesy of The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of The Union League of Philadelphia.” Reproduction of this item for publication, broadcast or commercial use requires written permission. For permission, please contact The Abraham Lincoln Foundation.

Tags

Cite this Item

James Tanner. "The James Tanner Manuscript". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/892

Creator

James Tanner

Date

April 15, 1865

Material

Paper, board, cloth

Dimensions

11" H x 9.5" W

Full Title

Handwritten Letter to John Yarick from his brother, Reuben Yarick, April 23, 1865

Description

Handwritten letter from Reuben Yarick, at Washington, D.C., to his brother, John Yarick, in Suffield, Portage County, Ohio. The letter describes Reuben's fears and feelings about the assassination of President Lincoln and visiting his body in the White House. This letter is part of Papers of John Yarick, 1854-1864. Reuben enlisted in Company G, 1st Michigan Infantry as a Sergeant on July 2, 1861 at Jackson (Mich.) age 25. He was wounded in action in 1864 and hospitalized at the U.S. Hospital, Hampton, Virginia. He was discharged from Company B, 24th VRC at Washington, D.C., on July 28, 1865. (This information is from Reuben's service record.)

Transcription

Page One
Washington, D. C., Aprl 23, 1865
Ever Dear Brother
Yours of the 16th is before
me and I am happy indeed to hear that
you are getting well again and your
family is recovering from its affliction
John I wrote a letter to you I think [inserted: two weeks ago]
that you have received it before this
time but I will write you a short
letter this evening yes John President
Lincoln is dead and you and [crossed out illegible words]
his remains are on it[sic] way to its last
resting place in the far west Springfield
Illinois they left here at eight -oclock
this [crossed out] yesterday morning I seen his
boddy [sic] at the White House last tuesday
or Wedensday [sic] it was conveyed to the
Capital the crowd of People was great the
procession was large and on thurday [sic]
his boddy [sic] lay in State at the Capital [sic]
and an emence [sic] swarm of People was
Page Two
their [sic] all day to get a last glimpse
of the once famous ruler of these
United States and our unhappy country
I went on Guard yesterday morning
at the old capital Prison and came
off this morning in the Prison nothing
but Rebel Prisoners of war are
confined and mostley [sic] all Rebell [sic]
officers from Second Lieutenant
to Generals and what little
opportunity that I had to speak to
them they all felt sorry and sayed [sic]
that to their opinion that the best
man for peace had gone and
did not think that the so called
Confederate Government had eneything [sic]
to do with the assassination and
was afraid that we would use them
pretty ruff [sic] we have allays [sic] used
prisoners of war well and I thing [sic]
that we allways [sic] will as long as they
will behave themselves two hundred
of these was sent off this morning
Page Three
for Johnson Island Ohio one Gen
was with the lot Gen Payn was
his name those two hundred was
all Officers.
Well John I don't know that i have
much more to write this time
their [sic] is a rumor now that the
V.R.C. will be mustard [sic] out soon
and if they do I will get out of the
Service but if the war continues
I will get in the Cavlrey [sic] if I can
I have one good arm yet and I can
fight it out had thought to quit
when I got out but this last cowardly
murder is enough to arouse evrey [sic]
Patriot's heart and fight as long as
he can raise an arm
Hoping that this will finde [sic] you
all well as it leaves me I will close
for this time my health is good at
present Remain as ever your
Devoted Brother
Sergt. Reuben Yarick

Source

Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, John Yarick Papers, 1854-1864

Rights

This item may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.

Tags

Cite this Item

Yarick, Reuben. "Handwritten Letter to John Yarick from his brother, Reuben Yarick, April 23, 1865". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/847

Creator

Yarick, Reuben

Date

1865

Material

Letter

Dimensions

8x10 inches

Full Title

The Lesson of the hour. Justice as well as mercy.

Description

A discourse preached on the sabbath following the assassination of the President, in the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C., by the Pastor, Rev. John Chester. 300 copies of this eulogy were distributed. The author intended it as an appeal to the consciences of all supporters of the Union.

Source

Springer Collection, Oakland University Special Collections

Rights

This item may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast, or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.

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John Chester. "The Lesson of the hour. Justice as well as mercy.". Washington Chronicle Print . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/815

Creator

John Chester

Publisher

Washington Chronicle Print

Date

April 17, 1865

Material

paper

Dimensions

8 3/4"h x 5 5/8"w

Full Title

The Martyr President: Our Grief and Our Duty

Description

Memorial oratory delivered by J.G. Butler, Pastor of St. Paul's Church on Easter Sunday Apr. 16, 1865.

Source

Springer Collection, Oakland University Special Collections

Rights

This item may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast, or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.

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Cite this Item

J.G. Butler. "The Martyr President: Our Grief and Our Duty". McGill&Witherow. Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/814

Creator

J.G. Butler

Publisher

McGill&Witherow

Date

April 16, 1865

Material

paper

Dimensions

8 1/2"h x 5 1/2"w

Full Title

In Memoriam of Abraham Lincoln, the Martyr President of the United States

Description

Eulogy delivered by the famous historian and statesman George Bancroft at the request of Congress in front of the House of Representatives on February 12, 1866. Originally published by the Government Printing Office, it was reprinted numerous times.

Source

Springer Collection, Oakland University Special Collections

Rights

This item may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast, or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.

Tags

Cite this Item

George Bancroft. "In Memoriam of Abraham Lincoln, the Martyr President of the United States". L. Towers. Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/813

Creator

George Bancroft

Publisher

L. Towers

Date

February 12, 1866

Material

paper

Dimensions

9 1/2"h x 6"w

Full Title

Proceedings of a called meeting of ministers of all religious denominations in the District of Columbia, in the First Baptist Church on Thirteenth Street, Monday, April 17

Description

Minutes of a meeting of ministers of various denominations in Washington, D.C. to organize a response to the assassination and burial of President Lincoln. Includes remarks by Rev. Gurley, who was a close friend of the Lincolns during his time as Chaplain of the United States Senate. He preached the funeral sermon at the White House on April 19.

Source

Springer Collection, Oakland University Special Collections

Rights

This item may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast, or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.

Tags

Cite this Item

Phineas Densmore Gurley. "Proceedings of a called meeting of ministers of all religious denominations in the District of Columbia, in the First Baptist Church on Thirteenth Street, Monday, April 17". McGill & Witherow. Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/805

Creator

Phineas Densmore Gurley

Publisher

McGill & Witherow

Date

April 17, 1865

Material

paper

Dimensions

9" h x 5 5/8" w