Some Exterior Features

The tomb's exterior is of granite, with the point of the obelisk standing 117 feet high. A bronze statue portrays Lincoln holding the Emancipation Proclamation. The eagle on the plaque below holds in its beak the broken chain of human slavery. Shields below the statuary, each representing a state, ring the tomb with a solid chain symbolizing the undivided nation. Statuary groups at the corners represent the major armed services commanded by Lincoln during the Civil War: infantry, cavalry, navy, and artillery. The military groups were cast in part with metal from 65 cannon donated by the U.S. government.

Springfield, Illinois · United States