• Rare Copy of LINCOLN'S FUNERAL MARCH Sheet Music by Charles Hess ©1865
  • Rare Copy of LINCOLN'S FUNERAL MARCH Sheet Music by Charles Hess ©1865
  • Rare Copy of LINCOLN'S FUNERAL MARCH Sheet Music by Charles Hess ©1865
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.C. Peters & Bro | J.L. Peters & Bro.

1865 Lincoln’s Funeral March Antique Sheet Music – Charles Hess – Civil War Era

1865 Lincoln’s Funeral March Antique Sheet Music – Charles Hess – Civil War Era

$65.00 USD
$65.00 USD
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Low stock: 1 left

AT A GLANCE

Title:
Lincoln’s Funeral March
Publisher:
A.C. Peters & Bro | J.L. Peters & Bro.
Type:
Sheet music
Subject:
Funeral March | Civil War Patriotic
Composer:
Charles Hess
Era:
Civil War Era (1861–1865)
Date:
1865
Material:
Paper
Dimensions:
10 ½" x 14"

1865 Lincoln’s Funeral March — Civil War Mourning Music from the Year of Lincoln’s Assassination

Collector’s Note

Published in 1865 following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, this funeral march by Charles Hess was associated with public mourning ceremonies during the Lincoln Funeral Train procession. An authentic Civil War–era printing, valued today for its historical and political significance.

Original 1865 sheet music for Lincoln’s Funeral March (As Played by Mentor’s Band), composed by Charles Hess and published by A.C. Peters & Bro., Cincinnati, and J.L. Peters & Bro., St. Louis.

Issued during the immediate national mourning period of 1865, this piece reflects the cultural response to Lincoln’s assassination and the memorial ceremonies held along the route of the Funeral Train. 

Condition of the oversized piece (10 ½" x 14") has age related foxing and browning, edge fraying, and two torn areas on the lower left corner of the first surviving sheet. Structurally fragile but remains historically significant. Protective sleeve included.

This example appears to be missing the original lithographic portrait cover (signed J. Gregson in documented archive copies) as well as the final page of music. The first surviving interior page begins with printed page number 3 and includes the title and composer attribution. Present pages are numbered 3 through 6. Stitching holes along the edge indicate it was originally issued as a stitched publication. Offered as an authentic 1865 printing valued for historical documentation rather than completeness.

Historical Note

Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865, the nation entered a period of profound public mourning. As Lincoln’s Funeral Train traveled nearly 1,700 miles from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois, funeral marches were performed in cities along the route. Music such as Charles Hess’s “Lincoln’s Funeral March” served as part of these solemn commemorations and reflects the immediate cultural response to one of the most significant events in American history.

Framing Appeal

The bold Civil War typography and oversized proportions make this piece compelling when displayed as a historic document. Beautiful matted in ivory or archival linen and framed in dark wood, suitable for a study, library, or Civil War collection display.

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From classical masterpieces to the spirited energy of the Jazz Age, vintage sheet music reflects how music shaped culture across generations. First editions of composers like Chopin or Gershwin are especially coveted, treasured for their historical and monetary worth. As Smithsonian Magazine notes, these artifacts provide a vivid window into America’s musical and cultural evolution.

Collectors often cherish sheet music not only for its sound but for its striking cover art. Displayed as décor, it brings warmth and character to any room. Others breathe new life into old pages through creative projects—turning them into artwork, journals, or crafts that merge nostalgia with personal style.

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