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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Honorable Abraham Lincoln was, prior to his
3election, a resident of Illinois; upon his election as
4President of the United States, he became Commander-in-Chief of
5the nation's armed forces, in accordance with Section 2 of
6Article II of the Constitution of the United States; and
 
7    WHEREAS, During the entire period of President Lincoln's
8terms in office, the United States was engaged in the Civil
9War; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Although President Lincoln, as
11Commander-in-Chief, was a civilian, he was closely connected
12with the armed forces of the United States during this period,
13ceaselessly visiting operating units of the armed forces as
14well as the field hospitals and other facilities set aside for
15the care and treatment of sick and wounded soldiers and
16sailors; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Five days after the surrender of General Robert E.
18Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, then being the principal
19force bearing arms in support of the Confederate States of
20America, President Lincoln was fatally wounded on April 14,
211865 by an enraged and resentful partisan of the insurgency;
22and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Upon President Lincoln's death on the morning of
2April 15, 1865, he was identified as a victim of the Civil War
3and is considered one of the final casualties of the tragic
4conflict; and
 
5    WHEREAS, President Lincoln's home state of Illinois laid
6claim, with the support of his widow Mary Todd Lincoln, to his
7mortal remains; over a 20-day period, the remains of the
8President were returned to Illinois in a scene of intense
9gratitude for his service to the nation; on May 4, 1865, the
10remains of the President, after being transported through the
11streets of Springfield, were laid to rest in Oak Ridge
12Cemetery, close to the site where they remain today; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition has taken on
14the responsibility of organizing a historically accurate
15reenactment of President Lincoln's funeral procession through
16Springfield; in so doing, the Coalition and its Board of
17Directors, participants, and volunteers have set forth as part
18of their mission statement the goals of educating reenactment
19participants, coordinating the reenactment, and promoting the
20solemn and dignified observance of the occasion; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The dates designated for the funeral reenactment
22are May 2 and May 3, 2015; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the State of Illinois
2pay honor and respect to President Lincoln by observing the
3sesquicentennial of his death and funeral; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
6SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the days of May 2,
72015, May 3, 2015, and May 4, 2015 as days of remembrance in
8honor of the 150th anniversary of the death and funeral of
9President Abraham Lincoln; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That we request the Governor to order the United
11States national flag and the State flag of Illinois to be flown
12at half-staff on the days of May 2, 2015, May 3, 2015, and May
134, 2015; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That we encourage all residents of the State to
15display the United States national flag and the State flag of
16Illinois at half-staff during these days of remembrance; and be
17it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
19presented to the Governor and to Katie Spindell, Chairman of
20the 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition.