Judge Bazzell Davis Monroe

1852 - Yes, date unknown

• Name	Bazzell Davis Monroe  [1]
  Prefix	Judge
  Born	1852  [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	Yes, date unknown
  Person ID	I8174	Munro
  Last Modified	27 May 2001

  
  

  Father	Chapman Arden Monroe,   b. Abt 1806,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Susannah Burton,   b. 20 Apr 1817, Ashe Co., North Carolina, USA ,   d. 17 Nov 1905, Louisville, Clay Co., Illinois, USA  (Age 88 years)
  Married	18 Sep 1839  [1]
  Family ID	F3113	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  The following is an article from the Clay County Republican, a newspaper in Louisville, Illinois. 11 Feb 1937: The Last Burial of the Body of Abraham Lincoln Our reporter in Springfield recently interviewed Judge B.D. Monroe in relation to the last burial of the body of Abraham Lincoln. Judge Monroe formerly lived in Louisville and practiced law in Clay County for many years and for eight years was Judge of the County Court. Afterward he moved to Springfield and served for eight years as Assistant Attorney General. He was one of the last men to view the body of Lincoln when it was placed in the new tomb in Springfield in 1901. Judge Monroe is now past 84 years of age but remembers vividly the incidents relative to rebuilding of the Lincoln monument and interrment of Lincoln's body therein. Judge Monroe said "I was a member of the special committee appointed by the Lincoln Monument Association to oversee the rebuilding of the monument in 1901. The members of the committee were Governor Richard Yates, Clinton L. Conklin, M. W. Williamson, State Treasurer James S. McCullough, State Auditor Joseph H. Freeman, State Sup't of Public Instruction Floyd K. Whittimore, Ass't State Treasurer Joseph N. Reese, Adj't General John J. Brenholt, State Senator Geo. N. Black, Col. James S. Culver and B. D. Monroe, Ass't Attorney General. Before Col. Culver began to take down the monument, it became necessary, of course, to remove the large marble sarcophagus containing the body of Lincoln and the caskets containing the bodies of Mrs. Lincoln and their two sons to a vault built for the purpose. During the summer of 1901 (when the monument was nearly completed) Robert Lincoln came to Springfield and made the request that his father's body be placed in the monument in such a manner that it would never again be disturbed. Therefore an excavation 12 feet square and 12 feet deep with steel frames on each side of the casket was made. After the casket was placed therein the excavation was filled with cement up to the level of the floor of the monument. Col. Culver notified the committee when the monument was completed and he was ready to remove the bodies from the temporary vault into the monument. Accordingly the whole committee went to the monument on the morning of Sept. 26, 1901 and caused the casket containing Lincoln's body to be brought into the main room of the monument. The committee then considered the propriety of opening the casket and in view of the fact that an attempt had been made in the first days of Nov 1876 to steal the body (which though unsuccessful, yet left doubt in the minds of some) the committee, taking into consideration that this was the last burial of the body decided that it was proper and right to open the casket and put forever to rest the whispering going around the state that the body had been stolen and carried away. Accordingly, in the presence of the committee, a piece of the leaden casket about 15 inches wide and 2 feet in length directly over the face was cut out. The committee then viewed the face. It was perfectly preserved, even the mole on the side of the face was still there. Anyone at all familiar with pictures of Lincoln would have recognized him at once. After all present had viewed him, the leaden casket was sealed then it was lowered into the excavation and the excavation was filled with cement. And thus was deposited in its final resting place the mortal body of Abraham Lincoln." Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA [2]

  
  

• Sources

  [S132] Clan Munro files - Knox, Nellie Maude, Nellie Maude Knox, Letter from Nellie Knox to Allen Alger - 2 May 1991 - p. 2 (Reliability: 3). [S132] Clan Munro files - Knox, Nellie Maude, Nellie Maude Knox, Letter from Nellie Knox to Allen Alger - 2 May 1991 - p. 5-7 (Reliability: 3).