GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - The Grand Rapids Public Museum is displaying the overcoat of a Civil War surgeon who was on guard duty the night Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre.
The museum has added to its exhibit on Michigan’s role in the Civil War. The artifacts are on loan from the family of Dr. Arend Van der Veen, a surgeon who served in the 8th Michigan Infantry. The infantry was in many key battles, including Antietam and Vicksburg.
According to family history, Van der Veen’s overcoat may have been stained with blood from Lincoln’s assassination. His uniform, medals and medical tools can also be seen at the museum in downtown Grand Rapids.
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Online:
https://www.grmuseum.org
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