Last week marked the 150th anniversary of the death of Abraham Lincoln, who we regard as one of the greatest presidents in history, especially with his leadership during the American Civil War.

We're fortunate to be located within hours of some of the nation's most historic artifacts related to that champion of black freedom, known in history as the Great Emancipator.Gettysburg, just two-and-a-half hours southwest, is home to a number of important Lincoln items, including the famous address he gave to dedicate the Soldiers' National Cemetery on Nov. 19, 1863.Located just 90 minutes northeast in Milford, Pike County, is the Columns Museum, which houses the stained red, white and blue bunting that hung from the front of Lincoln's Ford's Theatre box. It was shoved under Lincoln's head to act as a pillow as he lay mortally wounded in the back room of William Petersen's boarding house, where Lincoln was carried after being shot.The bunting was given to the museum 61 years ago by V. Paul Struthers, whose mother was a cast member of "Our American Cousin," the play Lincoln was watching when he was shot on April 14, 1865.Another assassination-related exhibit called "His Wound is Mortal: The Final Hours of President Abraham Lincoln," is on display through December at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland, about three hours south. It includes the fatal bullet that was recovered during Lincoln's autopsy.The .44-caliber single-shot Deringer or "pocket cannon" used by Booth is on standing display at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., through May 29. It is part of the theater's special exhibition, "Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination."Other items on loan from the Smithsonian Institution include the custom-made Brooks Brothers overcoat and the stovepipe hat Lincoln was wearing on the night of his assassination.The Petersen House, where Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865, is administered by the National Park Service as part of the assassination historical site. Sadly, we heard one city police officer report that some degenerates have even been caught urinating on the famous dwelling where Lincoln died.This kind of disrespect for our national treasures shows an arrogance that defies human decency.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com