Little Willie.

[War Horse]

I just read a book that claims Lincoln had his son Willies body exhumed twice to gaze upon him. In all that I've read on Lincoln this is the only account of this I've read. What do you say? Is this true?

 

[LoriAnn]

Wow. What a heartbreaking thought.

 

[War Horse]

Wow. What a heartbreaking thought.

No idea if it's true. I've read a lot about Lincoln and have not read this before.

 

[Private Watkins]

I seem to recall having read the same... can't remember where but will look and see what references I can find.

Heartbreaking...

 

[John Hartwell]

Willie's casket was placed in a borrowed tomb in Georgetown's Oak Hill Cemetery. "On numerous occasions, author James L. Swanson wrote, 'his ever-mourning father returned to visit him, to remember, and to weep,' even as he tried to hold the country together." No "exhumation" was necessary. After Lincoln's assassination, it was removed to Springfield and buried next to those of his father and brothers.

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...tion-of-pain/2011/09/29/gIQAv7Z7SL_story.html]

 

[War Horse]

Willie's casket was placed in a borrowed tomb in Georgetown's Oak Hill Cemetery. "On numerous occasions, author James L. Swanson wrote, 'his ever-mourning father returned to visit him, to remember, and to weep,' even as he tried to hold the country together." No "exhumation" was necessary. After Lincoln's assassination, it was removed to Springfield and buried next to those of his father and brothers.

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...tion-of-pain/2011/09/29/gIQAv7Z7SL_story.html]

That's very intersting you say that. It's Swanson's book I am referring too. Blood Crimes. Swanson states he had the body of Willie exhumed twice to gaze upon him.

 

[John Hartwell]

Well, being in a tomb, the casket was not buried -- so exhumation ("digging up") wasn't the correct term to use. Lincoln may have had the casket opened, I don't know.

Exhume = "dig up out of the earth" (hummus).

 

[War Horse]

Well, being in a tomb, the casket was not buried -- so exhumation ("digging up") wasn't the correct term to use. Lincoln may have had the casket opened, I don't know.

Exhume = "dig up out of the earth" (hummus).

I was not trying to split terms with you. Just trying to figure out if this could be accurate. Willie would not have been Wille no matter how well he was imbalmed.

 

[John Hartwell]

Willie would not have been Willie no matter how well he was imbalmed.

Very true. Willie wasn't there any more. But, so many people invest a great deal of emotion in physical remains, visiting and decorating graves regularly. When I'm gone, I tell people not to bother. Just keep me in their memory -- that's where I'll be, not in any hole in the ground.

 

[War Horse]

Very true. Willie wasn't there any more. But, a many people invest a great deal of emotion in physical remains, visiting and decorating graves regularly. When I'm gone, I tell people not to bother. Just keep me in their memory -- that's where I'll be, not in any hole in the ground.

I totally agree.

 

[5fish]

'his ever-mourning father returned to visit him, to remember, and to weep,

I was not trying to split terms with you. Just trying to figure out if this could be accurate. Willie would not have been Wille no matter how well he was embalmed.

I Was listening to a radio program that was interviewing George Saunders and his new fictional book about Lincoln and his grieving over Willie. The book was called "Lincoln in the Bardo". Here is the meaning of the word Bardo: (in Tibetan Buddhism) a state of existence between death and rebirth, varying in length according to a person's conduct in life and manner of, or age at, death.

In the interview, Mr. Saunders mention the part about Lincoln opening his son, Willie's casket. He said in the papers of that day in Washington mention Lincoln had Willie's casket open more then once.

Willie was embalmed and it was done in one of the rooms' in the White House.

 

[donna]

What a heart breaking story. I can't imagine opening the casket. May they both rest in peace together.

 

[JohnW.]

It might be true...Willie was placed in a borrowed receiving vault (above ground) at a cemetery in Georgetown. It wouldn't be like there would be any digging involved. VERY CREEPY