Abraham Lincoln visited Cleveland twice, once in life and once in death. His first visit came on February 15-16, 1861, while en route to his presidential inauguration. His second, more solemn visit came on April 28, 1865, when Cleveland was one of twelve cities to host a scheduled public viewing of the assassinated president’s remains. Along with local officials, Lincoln’s cortege included a military escort of current and former Union officers who were veterans of the Civil War and would form the early membership of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Cleveland was unique because the president’s body was placed in an open space within Public Square under an elaborate pagoda-style canopy with no walls or major obstructions, enabling tens of thousands of people to view the remains. At midnight, the casket was returned to the train, pulled by the locomotive "Nashville," and continued the journey, arriving in Columbus on April 29.
