HJ0034 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Honorable Abraham Lincoln was, prior to his election, a resident of Illinois; upon his election as President of the United States, he became Commander-in-Chief of the nation's armed forces, in accordance with Section 2 of Article II of the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, During the entire period of President Lincoln's terms in office, the United States was engaged in the Civil War; and

WHEREAS, Although President Lincoln, as Commander-in-Chief, was a civilian, he was closely connected with the armed forces of the United States during this period, ceaselessly visiting operating units of the armed forces as well as the field hospitals and other facilities set aside for the care and treatment of sick and wounded soldiers and sailors; and

WHEREAS, Five days after the surrender of General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, then being the principal force bearing arms in support of the Confederate States of America, President Lincoln was fatally wounded on April 14, 1865 by an enraged and resentful partisan of the insurgency; and

WHEREAS, Upon President Lincoln's death on the morning of April 15, 1865, he was identified as a victim of the Civil War and is considered one of the final casualties of the tragic conflict; and

WHEREAS, President Lincoln's home state of Illinois laid claim, with the support of his widow Mary Todd Lincoln, to his mortal remains; over a 20-day period, the remains of the President were returned to Illinois in a scene of intense gratitude for his service to the nation; on May 4, 1865, the remains of the President, after being transported through the streets of Springfield, were laid to rest in Oak Ridge Cemetery, close to the site where they remain today; and

WHEREAS, The 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition has taken on the responsibility of organizing a historically accurate reenactment of President Lincoln's funeral procession through Springfield; in so doing, the Coalition and its Board of Directors, participants, and volunteers have set forth as part of their mission statement the goals of educating reenactment participants, coordinating the reenactment, and promoting the solemn and dignified observance of the occasion; and

WHEREAS, The dates designated for the funeral reenactment are May 2 and May 3, 2015; and

WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the State of Illinois pay honor and respect to President Lincoln by observing the sesquicentennial of his death and funeral; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the days of May 2, 2015, May 3, 2015, and May 4, 2015 as days of remembrance in honor of the 150th anniversary of the death and funeral of President Abraham Lincoln; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we request the Governor to order the United States national flag and the State flag of Illinois to be flown at half-staff on the days of May 2, 2015, May 3, 2015, and May 4, 2015; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all residents of the State to display the United States national flag and the State flag of Illinois at half-staff during these days of remembrance; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Governor and to Katie Spindell, Chairman of the 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition.