Statehouse to commemorate repose of Lincoln, host civil war encampment

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board will commemorate the 152nd anniversary of the repose of President Abraham Lincoln in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda on April 28.

The body of Lincoln was laid in repose at the statehouse on April 29, 1865, and an estimated 50,000 Ohioans paid their respects to the “Savior of the Union,” according to a news release.

The 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A, a group of Civil War re-enactors, will provide an honor guard for the replica of Lincoln’s casket from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., according to the release. The Batesville Casket Company created the 1865 casket for Lincoln, and has provided an accurate replica for the event, according to the release.

In conjunction with the repose of Lincoln, the 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A will hold the 2017 Ohio Statehouse Civil War Encampment, so visitors can learn what camp life was like during the Civil War, according to the release. Cannon firings will occur every hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the West Plaza of the Ohio Statehouse.

A free photography exhibit on the “Lincoln Funeral Train” will be on display at the Ohio Statehouse from April 25 through 28. The exhibit traces the route from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Illinois, focusing on how he was honored at each stop, according to the release. The train carried the president’s body traveled more than 1,600 miles, and during the 13day trip, one-third of the population of the United States witnessed the train pass through their community.