Society to re-create Lincoln's final weekend

MILFORD — President Abraham Lincoln’s final weekend will play out in several days of programs planned by the Pike County Historical Society this spring. Society spokesman Dick Daddis earlier this month laid out tentative plans before the borough council. On Apr. 11, there will be “an evening with President Abraham Lincoln,” enacted by Darren Fouse, will be held at the Column’s Museum. On Apr. 12, Civil War Re-enactors will present a day in the life of soldiers living in a tent city. They will demonstrate the preparation and cooking of food, surgical procedures and many other presentations will be demonstrated, Also close order drilling of the troops and weapons firing demonstration will be re-enacted. A presentation will be made depicting the important contributions of women in the Civil War including their participation in active service while disguised as men. On Apr. 13, members of the American Readers Theatre will be located throughout the town and will be performing renditions of various Lincoln speeches and witticisms. Mary Todd Lincoln will also be represented by performers re-enacting some of her public appearances. Lincoln died on the morning of Apr. 15, 1865, after being shot the night before while attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington. A re-enactment of President Lincoln’s Funeral Procession, complete with a horse drawn carriage hearse and a replica of the original coffin, Union Honor Guard, and 50+ Union soldiers and drummers. The procession will begin at the Stroyan Funeral Home on Harford Street and end at the Pike County Historical Society, Columns Museum, on Broad Street where the coffin will lay in state next to the flag stained with the blood of Abraham Lincoln for a period of two weeks. Daddis said additional plans in process include a debate between nationally known Lincoln scholars on the Lincoln assassination to be held at the Column’s Museum. The week-end events will be filmed to produce a documentary.