Truth or Legend? The Story of President Lincoln's Funeral Ghost Train

President Lincoln's Funeral TrainPhoto byPBS

SPRINGFIELD, IL (RAILFAN JOURNAL) - The funeral of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was a somber and historic event that took place in the wake of his assassination in 1865.

While the nation mourned the loss of their leader, an eerie legend emerged over the years—a tale of a ghostly train carrying Lincoln's remains, which supposedly traversed the United States. Despite its status as a cherished piece of American folklore, the legend of President Lincoln's funeral ghost train is shrouded in mystery and remains the subject of much debate among historians.

The factual account of Abraham Lincoln's funeral is well-documented. After his assassination on April 14, 1865, Lincoln's body was embalmed, and his remains were transported by train from Washington, D.C. to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois.

This somber journey, known as the Lincoln Funeral Train, occurred from April 21 to May 3, 1865, with the train making several stops along the way for public viewings and ceremonies.

However, the ghost train legend has its roots in the embellishments of folklore. The story goes that a spectral train, draped in black and adorned with funeral decorations, was seen carrying Lincoln's spirit on a never-ending journey.

Tales of the ghost train often include sightings by railway workers, who claimed to have encountered the spectral locomotive in the dead of night.

While these ghostly encounters are intriguing, they lack credible historical documentation. Most accounts of the ghost train surfaced years after the events and often relied on anecdotal evidence. It is important to remember that legends and folklore, though captivating, are not substitutes for well-documented historical facts.

The legend of President Lincoln's funeral ghost train remains a captivating and enigmatic part of American folklore.

However, when examining the historical record, it becomes clear that the real and documented journey of Lincoln's funeral train was a solemn and dignified event that marked a critical moment in American history, with no credible evidence to support the existence of a spectral counterpart.