COLUMBUS – A flag that flew over the Ohio Statehouse at the time of the Civil War is returning as part of the 154th anniversary of the repose of Abraham Lincoln, whose body passed through Columbus on its way to Illinois for burial following his assassination.
The 36-star flag that flew over Capitol Square during Lincoln’s repose on April 29, 1865, was presented to David Nevin Murray of Portsmouth for his contributions to the war effort on behalf of the Union Army and donated by his descendants, the Van Tilburg family, to the Ohio History Connection.
The flag will be on display in the Statehouse rotunda as part of the anniversary commemoration, which will also include a replica casket, an exhibit, honor guards, Civil War reenactors and cannon firings.
The flag will be displayed until 3:00 p.m. and will return after further conservation work is completed.
The train that carried the president’s body, referred to as the “Lincoln Funeral Train,” traveled more than 1,600 miles, and during the 13-day trip, one third of the population of the United States witnessed the train pass through their community, including Columbus where an estimated 50,000 Ohioans paid their respects to the slain president.
The 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A, a group of Civil War reenactors, will provide an honor guard for the replica of Lincoln’s casket, provided by the Batesville Casket Company, which created the original 1865 casket for Lincoln
The reenacting group will hold an encampment at the Statehouse where visitors can learn what camp life was like during the Civil War, see how to fire the cannon and help the Ladies Aid Society deliver comfort to the troops. There will also be music from the Civil War era, food and demonstrations of medical practices. Cannon firings will occur periodically from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the West Plaza.