It was on April 21, 1865, that President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train left Washington, D.C., en route to its final destination of Springfield, Illinois. According to a recent posting by the Library of Congress, the journey "took 13 days and covered 1,700 miles through seven states. The train that carried the slain president was called the 'Lincoln Special.' Also on the train was a coffin containing the body of the president’s beloved son, Willie, who had died three years earlier at the age of 11. The president’s remains were displayed in several cities along the route, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Albany, Columbus and Chicago." As a memorial to the fallen President and a remembrance of the Lincoln Special's journey 161 years ago this week, we'll hear several works inspired by our 16th President on Wednesday afternoon's Classical Music with Foley Schuler, including Ernst Bacon's symphonic depiction of the days and events leading up to the President's assassination, A Few Glimpses of Easter Week, 1865, as well as Aaron Copland's stirring and well-known Lincoln Portrait, featuring Henry Fonda as narrator.
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and stories behind the music—every weekday afternoon from 1 until 5 on Blue Lake Public Radio.
