The Death of Former President Martin Van Buren

A 1914 picture of Lindenwald, where Martin Van Buren resided from 1840 to 1862, when he passed away.

Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

On July 24th, 1862, about 2:00 am, Martin Van Buren passed away at his home, Lindenwald, in Kinderhook, New York. He was 79 years old. He had lived through the end of the American Revolution and the beginning of the Civil War. Martin's death came at a tumultuous time in the country. While Van Buren supported Lincoln and his presidency in the years leading up to his own death, he was ill for significant periods beginning in 1860 and was no longer participating heavily in politics.

Though, whenever he was conscious, he followed the news of the war closely, even after he was no longer able to read newspapers. His doctor, Lucas Pruyn, recalled a time that Van Buren had been unconscious for several days, and when he woke, one of the first things he asked for was news about Union military movements.

Van Buren died surrounded by his three still-living sons: Abraham, John, and Smith Thompson. All three were sent for on July 15th, when the former President’s condition worsened. Shortly after, Rev. Dominie J. Romeyn Berry of Kinderhook’s Dutch Reformed Church arrived to aid in Van Buren’s spiritual journey at the end of his life.

 

Martin's painting is covered with a shroud to commemorate the anniversary of his death.

NPS

Martin, by having this assortment of people surrounding him at his death, shows a reflection of the Nineteenth Century ideal of The Good Death. The Good Death was a prescribed way of dying in the Antebellum period, which required that the dying settle their affairs on earth before they passed, and that they be surrounded by their loved ones.

Having family around allowed for everyone to say goodbye, but it also allowed for something else: the family members could witness the deaths of their relatives and from that, divine what awaited that family member after death. It was believed that a person who submitted to God’s will and their death was more likely to go to Heaven.

The Nineteenth Century, additionally, saw the development of many different embalming and preservation techniques for corpses. Many of these techniques were developed during the Civil War, so that families could bring back a recognizable corpse from the battlefield, but they were used in civilian funerary preparations as well, including Van Buren’s. Unfortunately, the exact method of preservation used on Van Buren was not recorded, though it seems likely that his corpse was preserved between his death and his funeral by way of a corpse preserver that used ice to keep the body from decaying.

The goal with most funerals during the war, especially those of people who had died far from home, was to deliver a body that looked like it was merely sleeping, and that goal was at the heart of most new preservation technologies. After his death, Van Buren laid in state at Lindenwald for three days.

 

Dutch Reform Church in Kinderhook, NY

Hans Hinssen

Van Buren had no military honors, nor bell tolling, both things that he requested not be included. However, all Federal departments, except for the War and Navy, were immediately put into mourning by President Lincoln when he received word that Van Buren had passed. Flags were flown at half-mast and places like Lindenwald, the church, and some Kinderhook businesses were dressed in black crepe.

On Monday, July 28th, the services began in the front hall of Lindenwald at 12 o’clock sharp. About an hour later, 14 of Van Buren’s old, close friends carried his casket from the house to the hearse, for the procession to the Dutch Reformed Church.

The funeral was attended by Governor of New York State, Edwin D. Morgan as well as local politicians from both the Hudson Valley and Tammany Hall. Even here, though, the mark of the Civil War was clear: Millard Fillmore, Whig, and former president, was not invited to the funeral due to his political association. However, some politicians who had received invitations did not make an appearance, including former Democratic presidents, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan.

 

Sign at Dutch Reform Church Cemetary where Martin Van Buren is buried.

NPS

By the time of the funeral, Van Buren’s face was described as looking “unnatural” which was not uncommon for corpses treated with brand new technologies. Lincoln, too, was described as looking worse for the wear by the time of his burial, some accounts describe his skin as having turned green. Van Buren did not look quite that bad, luckily. In fact, Van Buren’s body was still described as looking “peaceful” during the church service.

At 3 o’clock the procession, led by the Kinderhook Fire Company #2, left the church for the Dutch Reformed Cemetery. Unlike the popular style of death decor in his time, Van Buren’s plot was bare, flowerless, and plain. Unsurprisingly, this harkens to the way he lived his life: to have a plain grave site was something the Dutch did, and even in death, Van Buren kept with the traditions of his people.

Van Buren, having seen America from her early days to her breakdown in the Civil War, saw and participated in the changing politics over those many years. It would have pleased him to know that, eventually, despite the war, the country was able to come together again.