1 Extra Large French China, Dining, Dessert and Coffee Service, decorated on a White ground, delicate Buff Border with burnished Gold lines consisting of the following pieces.
12 Dozen Dining plates } 6 Dozen Soup plates } 6 Dozen Dessert plates } 6 Dozen Ice Cream, or peaches & cream } plates deep } 1 Large dish for head of table } 1 Foot dish } 2 Second course head & foot dishes } 2 more dishes } 2 more dishes } 2 more dishes } 4 vegetable dishes with covers } 4 more vegetable dishes with covers } 4 Sauce tureens } $1700 4 Sauce Boats } 4 Stands for Sauce Boats } 4 Pickle Shells } 2 Salad Bowls } 2 Custard Stands } 48 Custard Cups with covers } 2 Large rich oval fruit Baskets } 4 Smaller round do } 4 Fruit Comports Shell form for fruit } 4 do do high round } 2 Dessert Sugar bowls with covers } 48 After Dinner Coffee Cups & Saucers } 1 Large Dish for Fish }
Records show that the china was brought to Washington by Harnden Express, as there is a voucher "For freight on 5 casks from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., mkd Mrs. A. Lincoln $28.50. China from J. Kerr Phila. Pa. for dinner." It is signed "J. K. Kerr" "Mrs. Lincoln" and is dated February 13, 1865.[10]
Two weeks later, on February 28, Kerr sent a bill for some additions to the service as follows:[11]
2 Dozen Coffee Cups & Saucers Delicate Buff Border & Gilt 20.00 40.00 4 Water pitchers do do 10.00 40.00 4 do smaller do do 8.00 32.00 4 do do do do 6.00 24.00 4 do do do do 5.00 20.00 6 bowls do do 2.50 15.00 Package 2.50 ----- ----- 173.50
Two months later President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The china so recently ordered could hardly have been used by Mrs. Lincoln, and evidently payment had not been made, for it is recorded that at one of the first conferences which B. B. French, Commissioner of Public Buildings and Grounds, had with President Johnson in April 1865, he sought the President's approval of payment for a purchase of china by Mrs. Lincoln.[12]
[Illustration: Figure 7:--COFFEE CUP From the Purple-Bordered State China used by President Abraham Lincoln at dinner at the White House on the night of his assassination. (USNM acc. 219098; Smithsonian photo 45088-D.)]
[Illustration: Figure 8.--LETTERHEAD OF J. K. KERR, from whom the buff set was ordered. (Smithsonian photo 60001-B.)]