February 12, 1861 (Tuesday)

Lincoln's Whistle-Stop Tour

Today is Abraham Lincoln's Birthday...  he is 52 years old today. 

At the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, the Library of Congress held an Abrahman Lincoln Bicentennial Symposium entitled With Malice Toward None.  Six scholars spoke throughout the day...and video of the event has been made available in a Webcast in two parts.  Lots of interesting information:  The Journey of President-Elect; Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief; Lincoln's struggle to bring a better understanding of freedom; Lincoln on Race, Equality and the Spirit of '76; Lincoln's lifelong interest in language; and Lincoln's point man for Military Justice, Joseph Holt, Chief of the War Department Bureau of Military Justice.  Enjoy....


Also, from the Library of Congress:  The Second Day of President Lincoln's Pre-inaugural trip to Washingon D.C.--February 12, 1861.  Lots of interesting articles are presented here. 

"On the morning of February 12, Lincoln's fifty-second birthday, Mrs. Lincoln and the couple's three sons joined the president-elect on his journey to Washington.  The train departed Indianapolis for Cincinnati, make brief stops along the way.  Newspapers reported that hundreds of thousands of people lined the tracks to greet Lincoln, 'shouting and waving flags and handkerchiefs as the train swept by.'  In a speech given in Cincinnati, Lincoln sought to promote unity with Southern Democrats."

The Lincoln Log shares a number of anecdotes about the train ride from various newspapers of the day. 

And then this narrative by Ted Widmer. Disunion--New York Times on Lincoln's Birthday and the Second day of Travel to Washington. 

"Lincoln's 52nd birthday dawned as a sunny day in Indianapolis and crowds began to assemble around his hotel...A welcome distraction from the crowds arrived in the form of his wife, Mary, and two of their sons, Tad and Willie [who had come from St. Louis--Mary was shopping for items for the White House.]    At 11 a.m. sharp the train started down the tracks...At Greenberg, 47 miles away, he was greeted by a large throng and a distinguished senior citizen, Reverend Blair, 85 who shaking his hand said, 'I shake hands with the president of the United States for the last time.  May the Lord bless and guard you, sir.  May he sustain you through the trials before you and bring you to his heavenly kingdom at last.' 

Lincoln arrived in Cincinnate at 3 p.m. finding the city out of control with an estimated 150,000 people thronged in the streets....That same day, one of Lincoln's party, received an ominous letter from Allen Pinkerton, a detective working to ferret out threats up ahead.  'When the party reached Cincinnati,' N. B. Judd, a close friend to Lincoln, said, 'I received a letter from Pinkerton dated at Baltimore, stating that there was a plot on foot to assassinate Mr. Lincoln on his passage through that city, and that Pinkerton would communicate further as the party progressed Eastward.' "

Here is an interactive map tracing Lincoln's journey on the rails.