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Written by Bob Austin
The mere thought that Abraham Lincoln might become president horrified the Southern states in 1860. After his election in November a series of several states commenced declaring by ordinance their intentions to secede from the United States and declare themselves as sovereign. And while other states waited to pursue separate options, certain radical groups were already voicing intents of thwarting Lincoln's formal assumption of office.
The assassination threats concerning his inaugural trip from Springfield to Washington began to be considered more than idle boasts as early as January 1861, especially in the border State of Maryland. When Lincoln boarded the train in Springfield, Illinois on Feb. 11, 1861 he and his close friend and bodyguard Ward Hill Lamon had already been alerted by his Quincy, Illinois confidante & law office sharer Abraham Jonas that an attempt might be made upon his life with intent of keeping him from his March 4 inauguration.
Jonas had received a confidential correspondence from two of his sons, high in the echelons of New Orleans Confederacy, advising that secessionist leaders were overheard at a yahrzeit discussing concrete steps to foment Lincoln's assassination , to wit: a radical adversary group was to intercept Lincoln's inaugural train at one of its many (72) whistle stops and attempt to "murther" him. Norman Judd, Lincoln's campaign manager and other Springfield passengers in his inaugural excursion were not forewarned of this risk.
The trip's published slow-paced itinerary enabled the president-elect to make appearances at stops or events along the way. Although active in the background, he had been criticized for not taking public positions on the many issues besetting the country since his election. His railroad schedule for this reconciling journey had him arriving in Baltimore on Feb. 23, where a short carriage ride would take him to the Washington Depot (Camden Street) where he'd take another train to Washington, D.C. later that day, taking leave at the Willard Hotel pending his anticipated move to the Executive Mansion
Concomitantly, Railroad Detective Allan Pinkerton was retained by Samuel Felton, president of the Baltimore and Wilmington Railroad to investigate tangible threats encountered and reported by General Winfield Scott earlier in 1861 as he'd summoned troops to Washington. As these soldiers passed through Baltimore on the B&M Railroad. a crowd of dis-unionists and other agitators grew incensed and threatened to destroy the tracks, burn bridges and the ferry to impede the forthcoming inauguration. In addition the officials of the railroad itself had reported suspicious activities and destruction of properties along the route that Lincoln would take. Pinkerton, whose company motto coined the term "Private Eye," sent two of his best agents to Baltimore in an attempt to infiltrate the group of suspected conspirators.
A cadre of support staff followed to set up a camouflaged command post there. Many of the secessionist conspirators in Baltimore were found to believe that "Lincoln's inauguration would be the most flagrant [and unacceptable] outrage against the South." Definite plans by a group that called itself the National Volunteers or Palmetto Guards were made manifest to the Pinkerton agents. When Pinkerton's cadres arrived secret ballots had already been cast to determine which individuals would actually assassinate Lincoln.
When Lincoln's train arrived in Baltimore on the 23rd, a vast crowd of secessionists would meet him at the Calvert Street Depot. Watch would then be kept by the National Volunteers as he entered the proffered Barouche carriage. On his way to the Washington Depot (Camden Street), a diversion would be made to draw away the cordons of police and leave the carriage in an unsecured position. At that point, multiple assassins would come forth and shoot him. A secondary sortie at the forthcoming bridge was provided in the event that the assault upon Lincoln's carriage was thwarted. A plan of escape from the authorities was designed for those who were to execute the fatal fait mal of the conspiracy.
Midday on Feb. 21, the members of the Lincoln party were visited aboard their train in Philadelphia by both Frederick Seward, son of William Seward, and Allan Pinkerton. Lincoln's private caucus was confronted with Seward's folder of credible documentation (prepared by William Seward, Winfield Scott and an intelligence colonel) followed by the double envelopment of Pinkerton's findings from Baltimore.
Campaign manager Norman Judd at first voiced extreme disbelief. Assassination — as opposed to dueling — was a thing unheard of in America. As a military/political maneuver, it was a matter of dishonor. Judd continued to assert that it must have been a ruse to draw attention to the secessionists' real or imagined grievances. Both Seward and Pinkerton, however, pressed their case and suggested that Lincoln cancel the remainder of his Philadelphia and Harrisburg engagements and leave the next day for Washington by alternate schedule and route. Judd swung his position and totally supported Pinkerton.
Lincoln, as an avid reader of Shakespeare, was not inured to events of regicide. Besides, he and Lamon had been forewarned of a possible assassination attempt by Abraham Jonas. Both the president and his bodyguard had been described as being somewhat stoical when confronted, despite Lamon's argument with Pinkerton that Lincoln should be armed with Bowie knife and pistol. (Lamon's well-intended bluster would continue to be thrust at Pinkerton for the duration of the journey.)
Lincoln advised, however, that he had promises to keep the following days, both in Philadelphia (where in honor of George Washington's 129th birthday he was to raise a flag over Independence Hall and speak); later in Harrisburg he was to meet the legislature and participate in ceremonies honoring a procession of veterans of the War of 1812. He was open to work with Pinkerton and Seward provided his commitments could be met.
After Lincoln honored his Feb. 22 commitments in Harrisburg, his closely guarded party took a short loop to Philadelphia. Pinkerton had arranged to have the telegraph lineman cut the lines so that no advance information concerning change of the president's plans could be forwarded. A special Philadelphia, Baltimore & Wilmington train with three secured sleeping cars had been set to discretely meet the diminished Lincoln entourage escorted by Pinkerton just as the train was set to leave.
The conductor was given an order by an officer of the railroad that the train was not to leave until a package of "Government papers" addressed to the Secretary of State — which must go through this night — was handed to Mr. Pinkerton in the last car.
Such being accomplished, the train set off that night with its precious, secreted cargo. At each bridge crossing a man with a lantern awaited to signal Pinkerton waiting on the car's platform: "all was well."
Leaving the secessionist terrorists to their slumbers, the train sped through Baltimore at 3:30 the morning of Feb. 23. At about 6 that morning, Lincoln stepped from the train without incident, save adverse publicity stirred by a reporter from the New York Times, disgruntled that the" true scoop" would be denied . Given the facts that Abraham Jonas "secreted" his letter to protect his family, Pinkerton kept his files sealed for eight years after the event to protect his undercover staff; some remained to question the threat as a ruse.
In considering the subsequent Civil War event of the April 19, 1861, Pratt Street Riot, whereby a train load of solders coming through Maryland was blocked by a Baltimore secessionist group calling itself the National Volunteers, with four soldiers and 12 civilians killed, Lincoln's terror threat obviated on Feb. 23, 1861 was not lacking in verisimilitude.
( Austin is an avid amateur historian and Lincoln aficionado who lives in Napa. )
Written by Bob Austin
The mere thought that Abraham Lincoln might become president horrified the Southern states in 1860. After his election in November a series of several states commenced declaring by ordinance their intentions to secede from the United States and declare themselves as sovereign. And while other states waited to pursue separate options, certain radical groups were already voicing intents of thwarting Lincoln's formal assumption of office.
The assassination threats concerning his inaugural trip from Springfield to Washington began to be considered more than idle boasts as early as January 1861, especially in the border State of Maryland. When Lincoln boarded the train in Springfield, Illinois on Feb. 11, 1861 he and his close friend and bodyguard Ward Hill Lamon had already been alerted by his Quincy, Illinois confidante & law office sharer Abraham Jonas that an attempt might be made upon his life with intent of keeping him from his March 4 inauguration.
Jonas had received a confidential correspondence from two of his sons, high in the echelons of New Orleans Confederacy, advising that secessionist leaders were overheard at a yahrzeit discussing concrete steps to foment Lincoln's assassination , to wit: a radical adversary group was to intercept Lincoln's inaugural train at one of its many (72) whistle stops and attempt to "murther" him. Norman Judd, Lincoln's campaign manager and other Springfield passengers in his inaugural excursion were not forewarned of this risk.
The trip's published slow-paced itinerary enabled the president-elect to make appearances at stops or events along the way. Although active in the background, he had been criticized for not taking public positions on the many issues besetting the country since his election. His railroad schedule for this reconciling journey had him arriving in Baltimore on Feb. 23, where a short carriage ride would take him to the Washington Depot (Camden Street) where he'd take another train to Washington, D.C. later that day, taking leave at the Willard Hotel pending his anticipated move to the Executive Mansion
Concomitantly, Railroad Detective Allan Pinkerton was retained by Samuel Felton, president of the Baltimore and Wilmington Railroad to investigate tangible threats encountered and reported by General Winfield Scott earlier in 1861 as he'd summoned troops to Washington. As these soldiers passed through Baltimore on the B&M Railroad. a crowd of dis-unionists and other agitators grew incensed and threatened to destroy the tracks, burn bridges and the ferry to impede the forthcoming inauguration. In addition the officials of the railroad itself had reported suspicious activities and destruction of properties along the route that Lincoln would take. Pinkerton, whose company motto coined the term "Private Eye," sent two of his best agents to Baltimore in an attempt to infiltrate the group of suspected conspirators.
A cadre of support staff followed to set up a camouflaged command post there. Many of the secessionist conspirators in Baltimore were found to believe that "Lincoln's inauguration would be the most flagrant [and unacceptable] outrage against the South." Definite plans by a group that called itself the National Volunteers or Palmetto Guards were made manifest to the Pinkerton agents. When Pinkerton's cadres arrived secret ballots had already been cast to determine which individuals would actually assassinate Lincoln.
When Lincoln's train arrived in Baltimore on the 23rd, a vast crowd of secessionists would meet him at the Calvert Street Depot. Watch would then be kept by the National Volunteers as he entered the proffered Barouche carriage. On his way to the Washington Depot (Camden Street), a diversion would be made to draw away the cordons of police and leave the carriage in an unsecured position. At that point, multiple assassins would come forth and shoot him. A secondary sortie at the forthcoming bridge was provided in the event that the assault upon Lincoln's carriage was thwarted. A plan of escape from the authorities was designed for those who were to execute the fatal fait mal of the conspiracy.
Midday on Feb. 21, the members of the Lincoln party were visited aboard their train in Philadelphia by both Frederick Seward, son of William Seward, and Allan Pinkerton. Lincoln's private caucus was confronted with Seward's folder of credible documentation (prepared by William Seward, Winfield Scott and an intelligence colonel) followed by the double envelopment of Pinkerton's findings from Baltimore.
Campaign manager Norman Judd at first voiced extreme disbelief. Assassination — as opposed to dueling — was a thing unheard of in America. As a military/political maneuver, it was a matter of dishonor. Judd continued to assert that it must have been a ruse to draw attention to the secessionists' real or imagined grievances. Both Seward and Pinkerton, however, pressed their case and suggested that Lincoln cancel the remainder of his Philadelphia and Harrisburg engagements and leave the next day for Washington by alternate schedule and route. Judd swung his position and totally supported Pinkerton.
Lincoln, as an avid reader of Shakespeare, was not inured to events of regicide. Besides, he and Lamon had been forewarned of a possible assassination attempt by Abraham Jonas. Both the president and his bodyguard had been described as being somewhat stoical when confronted, despite Lamon's argument with Pinkerton that Lincoln should be armed with Bowie knife and pistol. (Lamon's well-intended bluster would continue to be thrust at Pinkerton for the duration of the journey.)
Lincoln advised, however, that he had promises to keep the following days, both in Philadelphia (where in honor of George Washington's 129th birthday he was to raise a flag over Independence Hall and speak); later in Harrisburg he was to meet the legislature and participate in ceremonies honoring a procession of veterans of the War of 1812. He was open to work with Pinkerton and Seward provided his commitments could be met.
After Lincoln honored his Feb. 22 commitments in Harrisburg, his closely guarded party took a short loop to Philadelphia. Pinkerton had arranged to have the telegraph lineman cut the lines so that no advance information concerning change of the president's plans could be forwarded. A special Philadelphia, Baltimore & Wilmington train with three secured sleeping cars had been set to discretely meet the diminished Lincoln entourage escorted by Pinkerton just as the train was set to leave.
The conductor was given an order by an officer of the railroad that the train was not to leave until a package of "Government papers" addressed to the Secretary of State — which must go through this night — was handed to Mr. Pinkerton in the last car.
Such being accomplished, the train set off that night with its precious, secreted cargo. At each bridge crossing a man with a lantern awaited to signal Pinkerton waiting on the car's platform: "all was well."
Leaving the secessionist terrorists to their slumbers, the train sped through Baltimore at 3:30 the morning of Feb. 23. At about 6 that morning, Lincoln stepped from the train without incident, save adverse publicity stirred by a reporter from the New York Times, disgruntled that the" true scoop" would be denied . Given the facts that Abraham Jonas "secreted" his letter to protect his family, Pinkerton kept his files sealed for eight years after the event to protect his undercover staff; some remained to question the threat as a ruse.
In considering the subsequent Civil War event of the April 19, 1861, Pratt Street Riot, whereby a train load of solders coming through Maryland was blocked by a Baltimore secessionist group calling itself the National Volunteers, with four soldiers and 12 civilians killed, Lincoln's terror threat obviated on Feb. 23, 1861 was not lacking in verisimilitude.
( Austin is an avid amateur historian and Lincoln aficionado who lives in Napa. )
Bringing the