150th Anniversary Of The American Civil War

(Ft. Sumter Bombardment - Courtesy Library of Congress)

Today of course marks the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. At 4:30 a.m. local time on April 12, 1861, Confederate forces under Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, after having demanded its surrender a couple of days earlier. The Currier and Ives image I've included above is in the collection of the Library of Congress, and shows the artist's impression of the scene. There are no known photos showing the actual attack.

South Carolina had claimed its secession from the Union on December 20, 1860, the first state to do so. Upon secession, it had demanded the forfeiture of Ft. Sumter and all other Federal territory within its borders. Just six days after the secession, U.S. forces under Major Robert Anderson abandoned Ft. Multrie (thought indefensible) for the more secure Ft. Sumter. Repeated calls for its surrender were ignored by the Federal government under both President James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln had made the decision to resupply Ft. Sumter, as well as Ft. Pickens, FL, after weeks of indecision and confusion. The Army commanding general, the ancient Winfield Scott, had advised against the resupply, as had other members of Lincoln's cabinet. Sumter was of little strategic value to the Federal government, but Lincoln had sworn in his inaugural address on March 4 that the government would defend and hold on to its property.

Sumter withstood a barrage of about 34 hours before it was surrendered on April 13, 1861. Part of the surrender agreement permitted the U.S. forces evacuating the fort to fire a 100-gun salute upon departure. During the salute firing, the first death of the Civil War occurred when Private Daniel Hough was killed when the cannon he was loading discharged prematurely. There were no combat-related deaths on either side during the bombardment itself.

The Union tried unsuccessfully over the next four years to recapture Ft. Sumter, including via siege in 1863. It wasn't until February 1865, when Confederate forces evacuated Charleston, that Union forces finally captured Sumter. Major Anderson, now a general, wept as he raised the American flag to its position over the fort.

Other sources tell the story of Ft. Sumter and the beginning of the American Civil War in much greater depth than this article. The National Park Service's official website is a good place to begin. The fort has been restored and is open to the public for visitation most days of the year. You have to pay for a boat ride over to the island the fort is on. The Civil War Trust's Sumter page provides more depth, including maps and a view of the fort in 3D. An excellent resource is Tulane University's "Crisis At Fort Sumter" website.

There are countless books available about Ft. Sumter. A good one was written by David R. Detzer in 2001 and is titled: "Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston and the Beginning of the Civil War." It provides great background about the months and weeks leading up to the opening battle of the Civil War.

To learn more about the decisions which faced Lincoln and his cabinet about whether to resupply the forts or not, you can read David Donald's "Lincoln" or Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team Of Rivals" books.

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Exhibit Review - Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey To Emancipation

A couple of weeks ago, I travelled to the State Library of Ohio in Columbus to see an Abraham Lincoln exhibition I've been wanting to see for years now. The exhibition is "Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey To Emancipation." It tells the story of Lincoln's admittedly rocky path he travelled from the time he supported colonization of African-American slaves in other countries to his issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The exhibition runs through April 15, 2011 in Columbus. Click here to see the next tour stops.

According to the information on the State Library of Ohio's website, "the exhibition has been organized by the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York City, in cooperation with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. This exhibition was made possible by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, promoting excellence in the humanities, and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, created by Congress and charged with planning the national celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday."

The exhibition consists of a series of panels which runs 75 feet in length. Reproduced are photos of historic documents, political cartoons, photographs, and ephemera which documents early abolition efforts; what America was like during Lincoln's youth; how the nation began dividing between anti-slavery and pro-slavery factions; the Civil War; the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation; and the events which led to Lincoln's assassination. See the photo below for an example of a section of one of these panels.

I found the exhibit to be very well done without hiding the fact that Lincoln was, at best, a moderate toward slavery in his early political career through the time he assumed the presidency. As I mentioned before, he even supported the now abhorrent idea of colonizing freed slaves, ejecting them from the United States, and forcibly colonizing them in African countries, such as Liberia. Some recent scholarship seems to indicate as well that he supported this idea as late as midway through his presidency. These facts may come as a surprise to those who believe that Lincoln was *always* "The Great Emancipator."

Lincoln showed an extraordinary capacity for personal growth in office. Even if it was a political tool, he issued The Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring any persons held in bondage in states, or areas of states, then in rebellion against the United States Of America, "Forever Free." Yes, the Emancipation did not free slaves in the still-loyal border states. Neither did it apply to Union-controlled sections of rebellious states. However, by this time Lincoln had come to believe that slavery in the U.S. needed to be eradicated in order to save the Union.

The exhibit is a fascinating look at the evolving beliefs of Abraham Lincoln concerning slavery. It's educating, well-told, and an impressive look at one of the worst times of American history.

Perhaps the most moving aspect of the exhibition for me was the artwork of young children who had drawn or colored pictures of their impressions of the story of slavery and Emancipation. Here are some of those pictures they drew:

Obviously the story made a big impression on these young people. Hopefully they will remember these lessons about slavery, Abraham Lincoln, and the reasons why the American Civil War was fought. It's important that they know the facts, and not revisionist history told today by neo-Confederates who insist the war was fought over tariffs and that Union was the aggressor.

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Locate Your American Civil War Ancestors

Have you ever been told that you have an ancestor or two who fought in the American Civil War? Perhaps you already know the name(s) of your ancestors who served with either the Union or Confederacy, but don't know how to go about finding out important information about the ancestor. In which regiment did he serve? In which battles did the regiment fight? Was he injured, captured, or killed? Now, thanks to a very special partnership between two organizations, that information is more easily accessible than ever.

Beginning tomorrow, April 7, 2011, the National Archives and the commercial company Ancestry.com are providing millions of Civil War records from the Archives to the American public FREE for the first time ever. This free access will last for one week from April 7 through April 14, 2011 in order to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War on April 12, 2011. The approximately 25 million records, which document both Union and Confederate soldiers, will be available at www.ancestry.com/civilwar150. These records will include the 1863-1865 U.S. Civil War Draft Registration Records, and the complete 1860 and 1870 U.S. Census records as well.

It's estimated that two-thirds of Americans living today have at least one ancestor who lived through the Civil War, while nearly 17 million of us have an ancestor who fought in the war. Until now, the draft records have been available only to those people who were able to travel to Washington, D.C. to the National Archives for painstaking research. Beginning tomorrow it will be easier than ever before to find out more about your ancestor who fought in the bloodiest war Americans have ever participated in. Who knows? Maybe your ancestor was one of these young men from the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the photo above.

I typically refrain from giving free publicity to businesses and institutions because I don't want to make this blog about Abraham Lincoln too commercial. But in this case, I'm making an exception. This free access to Ancestry.com will be invaluable to hopefully thousands of Americans who want to learn more about their family tree. DISCLAIMER: I am receiving no compensation of any kind from Ancestry.com, nor any of its affiliates, including a membership. I was contacted by a representative who asked me to write about this release, which I've agreed to do.

Here is the publicity release which the Archives and Ancestry.com released earlier today:

WASHINGTON, D.C., and PROVO, UTAH -- (April 6, 2011) – Ancestry.com, the world's largest online family history resource, and the National Archives, today launched millions of newly digitized Civil War records that are now available online for the first time. This effort is part of an ongoing partnership between Ancestry.com and the National Archives to make important historical records more easily available to the American public. Ancestry.com’s entire Civil War Collection of more than 42 million records, including 25 million records from the National Archives, will be free to access for the general public for one week beginning on April 7. Existing members will have immediate access beginning today. Included are the entire U.S. Civil War Draft Registration Records, 1863-1865 and the complete 1860 and 1870 Censuses. These Civil War collections are in the National Archives and have been digitized by Ancestry.com to help preserve the original records and provide convenient online access. They now serve as a vital source of information for an estimated 17 million Americans who have an ancestor who fought in the conflict. The entire Civil War Collection can be accessed for free at www.ancestry.com/civilwar150

The highlight of the Civil War Collection is the newly digitized Civil War Draft Registration Records, 1863-1865. These records are among the most popular in the National Archives Civil War holdings and served as a virtual male census for the northern states during the war period. Famous 19th century Americans such as Andrew Carnegie, future President Grover Cleveland, Aaron Montgomery Ward and multiple Rockefellers are all found in these records. Previously only available by request in original form in the Research Room of the National Archives, the public will now be able to easily access these records on Ancestry.com without having to travel to Washington, D.C.

“The significance of these records, which document one of the most important events in American history, cannot be overstated,” said Ken Burns, director and producer of the award-winning documentary THE CIVIL WAR and longtime board member of the Foundation for the National Archives. “I’ve been able to make multiple discoveries about my own great-great-grandfather Abraham Burns through these and other records from the National Archives. I’m excited that more people will now be able to have similar discoveries through Ancestry.com.”

Ancestry.com is providing another special experience in searching for Civil War and National Archive information through the new interactive Military Headstone Archives. Dynamic visuals and multimedia tools will enable users to ‘virtually’ explore the cemeteries of the Civil War’s most famous battlefields at Gettysburg, PA; Sharpsburg (Antietam), MD; Stones River (Murfreesboro), TN; Petersburg, VA; Shiloh, TN and Vicksburg, MS. Users can search for their family’s heroes in Ancestry.com’s unique collection of headstone photographs from 33 national cemeteries in the North and South. The new Military Headstone Archives can also be accessed by visiting: www.ancestry.com/civilwar150

Since 2008, Ancestry.com and the National Archives have worked as partners to make important historical records available to the public as part of a shared commitment to preserving America's heritage. A key component of this collaboration includes digitizing as many of the original paper National Archives’ Civil War records as possible and publishing those records on Ancestry.com.

“The National Archives continues to be a model for preserving important U.S. history and making those records available to the public,” said Josh Hanna, Executive Vice President for Ancestry.com. “We’re honored that our partnership with the National Archives has made millions of records, including the new Civil War Collection, available to the many Americans who want to learn more about their family history.”

“We are pleased that our partnership with Ancestry.com is making these important records available outside of our research rooms,” said Susan Cummings, National Archives Director of Access Programs. “This is just the first of many series of Civil War records that will be made available online-that are scanned from original records, instead of from microfilm in the years to come.”

The expanded Civil War Collection now includes new National Archives records such as: · U.S. Civil War Draft Registration Records, 1863-1865: This collection lists all Civil War Draft Registrations. There were four drafts between 1863 and 1865, which included 3,175,055 people in its rolls, although of those, just over 46,000 actually entered into service. Historically, the 1863 draft was one of the most tenuous moments in the Union outside of the battles fought on Northern soil. Most of the concern was due to the draft riots that took place in New York in 1863. These records include more than 630 volumes of registries and are lists of individuals who registered for the draft.

· U.S. Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865: This collection contains indices of compiled military service records for volunteer Union and Confederate soldiers who served with units organized in more than 20 states. The indices also include Confederate soldiers who later served with the Union Army, Union and Confederate soldiers, Generals and staff officers, and other enlisted men not associated with a regiment. Individual records contain both military and personal details useful for locating an ancestor in time and place by tracking his movements during the course of the Civil War.

Other additions to the Civil War Collection include:

Union records · New York Civil War Muster Rolls · New York Civil War City Registers · Kansas Civil War Enlistment Papers

Confederate records · Confederate Pension Applications from AL, AR, TX and VA · Georgia Civil War Correspondence · Alabama Census of Confederate Soldiers · Register of Officers of the Confederate States Navy

To begin searching The Civil War Collection, current subscribers can visit www.ancestry.com/civilwarand new users can visit www.ancestry.com/civilwar150. For further stories and updates related to Civil War family history research, please follow Ancestry.com on Facebook and Twitter.

About Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOM) is the world's largest online family history resource, with nearly 1.4 million paying subscribers. More than 6 billion records have been added to the site in the past 14 years. Ancestry users have created more than 20 million family trees containing over 2 billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries that help people discover, preserve and share their family history, including its flagship Web site at www.ancestry.com.

About the National Archives The National Archives and Records Administration, an independent federal agency, is the nation's record keeper. Founded in 1934, its mission is unique -- to serve American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. It supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives meets a wide range of information needs, among them helping people to trace their families' history, making it possible for veterans to prove their entitlement to medical and other benefits, and preserving original White House records. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at http://www.archives.gov/.

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Lincoln's Inauguration Journey Arrival In Washington February 23, 1861

Abraham Lincoln's Inauguration Journey ended 150 years ago today, February 23, 1861 with his arrival in Washington City. He and his family, along with other associates, had been traveling since February 11, when they departed Springfield, Illinois. They rode through seven states, visited the state capitals of six of them, and stopped countless times along the way at large cities and places which barely qualified as crossroads. Some estimates say that Lincoln spoke to approximately 1 million people over the 1900 miles of the journey. Records show that he gave at least 75 speeches, but he no doubt gave more of which we have no evidence.

The Inauguration Journey which had been so successful in letting the people see their President-Elect should have ended triumphantly that day in Washington in front of adoring crowds. Instead it came to an inglorious end with Abraham Lincoln, while in disguise, being sneaked into the city before dawn broke, with only one person present to greet him.

The drama which led to Lincoln's stealthy entry began while Mr. Lincoln was still in Philadelphia. It was there where private detective Allan Pinkerton, who ran a famous detective agency (still in existence today) out of Chicago, informed those close to the President-Elect that his operatives had uncovered a plot against Lincoln. According to the reports of the agents, Lincoln would be attacked (probably stabbed) as he transferred between railroad stations in Baltimore, Maryland.

Maryland was a slave state, with strong secessionist leanings, more southern than northern in its outlook concerning the sectional crisis. Baltimore was the hotbed of those sympathies and the city was hostile towards northerners at that point. It mostly would have been problematic to get Lincoln and his family safely through the city to begin with, but now this "plot" that Pinkerton was reporting further complicated the situation.

It wasn't only Allan Pinkerton's detectives who reported a conspiracy against Mr. Lincoln. In fact, the superintendent of the New York Metropolitan Police, Mr. John A. Kennedy, had himself gone to Baltimore along with the city police chief, to investigate what they also felt was a plot against the President-Elect. The city's best detectives joined them in going to Baltimore.

At first, Lincoln's advisers were split about what should be done. But ultimately, it was decided that Lincoln should be sneaked through Baltimore so safe passage to Washington could be guaranteed. Lincoln himself was convinced by Pinkerton that the plot was real.

Lincoln continued with his itinerary in Pennsylvania, though. He spoke in Philadelphia at Independence Hall, then traveled for his address to the state legislature in Harrisburg. The public had been informed that Lincoln would then travel to Baltimore and finally to Washington.

Instead, Lincoln was secretly put onto another train car in Harrisburg and traveled back to Philadelphia on the night of February 22, 1861. Lincoln wore a type of overcoat (similar to a Navy pea coat), a soft felt cap, and a shawl he could put around his face if necessary. Lincoln's friend Ward Hill Lamon was with him, as was a female detective from the Pinkerton agency. Mary and the children remained overnight in Harrisburg while Lincoln was under protection. They would travel to Washington via Baltimore the next day on the Presidential Special which Lincoln was to have taken.

Other precautions were taken as well. Telegraph wires in and around Harrisburg were cut, thus isolating the city from the rest of the country. Lincoln had boarded the train there under an assumed name, with the female agent posing as his sister.

They arrived in Philadelphia the night of February 22, 1861 at around 10:00 p.m. where the party boarded the overnight train to Baltimore, Lincoln registering under an assumed name. The female agent shared the sleeping car with Lincoln, and slept near him in another bunk. If Mary Todd Lincoln knew about this, she must have exploded in rage as she was insanely jealous if another woman so much as looked at her husband.

The train finally came to Washington City at around 6:00 a.m. the next day, February 23. The only person present to greet Lincoln was his old friend, Congressman Elihu Washburne of Illinois. Washburne had seen right through Lincoln's disguise and said "Abe, you can't fool me!" The bodyguards, not recognizing Washburne, nearly attacked him on the spot, until Lincoln stopped the men.

Lincoln was safely arrived in the nation's capital without incident. But once the news got out about his stealthy trip to the city, the newspapers had a field day with their criticisms and lampooning of Lincoln. He was called "cowardly," "undignified," and much worse. Editorial cartoons were published in newspapers across the country (one of which, from Vanity Fair is shown at the beginning of this post), showing him sneaking around in exaggerated attire. His overcoat, shawl, and hat quickly became a "Scottish cap" and "kilt" according to some papers, and people even today believe that Lincoln wore a dress to pose as a woman.

Such was the ridicule from the newspapers that Lincoln himself regretted allowing himself to be hidden in disguise and sneaked into the nation's capital. Some historians claim that it affected his outlook on his personal safety throughout his presidency, leading him to refuse more than minimal security. However, it must be understood that death threats had come to Lincoln while he was still in Springfield. Even then, he seemed to take a cavalier approach to his own safety.

Historians today debate just how real the "Baltimore Plot" was. Harold Holzer, the nation's leading Lincoln scholar, believes that the plot, even if it did exist, was "ad hoc" at best. Other historians seem to believe it was authentic and that Lincoln would have been in true danger.

However, Lincoln himself chose to believe the plot was real. It must be remembered as well that Dayton, Ohio had been purposely avoided early in the Inauguration Journey due to a large population of "Copperhead Democrats" (Northern Democrats who supported Southern principles), thus avoiding potential dangers.

Above all, Lincoln's personal secretary and his self-appointed bodyguard and friend Ward Lamon, insisted that getting Abraham Lincoln safely to Washington City was of the greatest importance. And it is unquestionable that they were correct. To help resolve the national crisis, Abraham Lincoln had to survive to become President Of The United States.

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Lincoln's Inauguration Journey Philadelphia to Harrisburg February 22, 1861

Abraham Lincoln was finished with his visit to Philadelphia. Earlier that morning on February 22, 1861, he had given by far his most dramatic (and best) speech of his Inauguration Journey, when he claimed he would rather be assassinated than save the country by giving up the principles of the Declaration Of Independence.

Now it was time to travel on the next leg of the trip to Washington. The next major stop was the Pennsylvania state capital of Harrisburg, where he would address the legislature and governor. Smaller towns and cities were briefly visited as well along the way. In Leaman Place, Pennsylvania, Lincoln for once brought his wife Mary out to appear before the crowd. Lincoln made one of his jokes, and told the crowd he was giving them the "long and short" of his visit. At 6'4", Lincoln towered over Mary, who was much shorter at just 5'3" or so. At Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lincoln resorted to his simple speech of thanking the crowd for showing up, saying he had no time for a lengthier address, and bade the crowd farewell. Lancaster was the home town of the current President, James Buchanan, who was of course in Washington.

Lincoln and his family arrived in the early afternoon at the Harrisburg train station. Awaiting Lincoln was a grand display of the state militia, and the Governor, Andrew Curtin. A grand procession took Lincoln and his family to the Jones House, one of the stylish hotels of the city. After settling in for a bit, Lincoln appeared on the balcony with the Governor, who introduced him. The President-Elect once again told a crowd that he felt he had the gravest task and responsibility before him than any other president before him, except Washington. He praised the appearance of the militia, but hoped strongly that no blood would be shed by them, especially fraternal blood (i.e. civil war). He again said that it was his goal to preserve the peace of the country if he could do so without giving up the "institutions" and principles of the nation.

The next appearance in Harrisburg was to be the capitol building where he addressed the Pennsylvania General Assembly. In that speech, he related how honored and moved he had been earlier that morning to speak at Independence Hall. He also shared that he had raised the new American flag and that he hoped it would be an omen of good things to come. He also reiterated his admiration for the state militia and re-emphasized that he hoped that there would be no need for bloodshed in the nation. The image of the postcard above is an artist's idea of how Lincoln might have appeared as he addressed the Assembly.

After listening to a fairly lengthy oration about General Washington (this was, after all, Washington's birthday) in the statehouse, Lincoln returned to the Jones House hotel, where he was going to retire at around 8:00 p.m.

That was the official story. In reality, new travel plans had been made for the President-Elect, thanks to the discovery of a plot to assassinate him as he changed cars in Baltimore.

More on the attempt to get Abraham Lincoln safely to Washington City in my next post.

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Lincoln's Inaugural Journey February 22, 1861 In Philadelphia

By February 22, 1861, Abraham Lincoln and his family had been traveling for twelve long days on the Inauguration Journey to Washington City, as the nation's capital was called in those days. Hundreds of thousands of people had ventured into the cold to see the President-Elect along the route, even if it was for a minute or two during a quick watering stop, where he would have time only to greet the crowds, and then just as quickly say farewell. Others who were luckier would hear Mr. Lincoln give longer speeches, but those speeches contained nothing of real substance. Lincoln was still keeping his deepest thoughts and emotions about the national crisis close to his vest.

That would change 150 years ago today in Philadelphia, when he spoke in the "sacred" building called Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were written. Lincoln had been invited to speak there on that day, George Washington's birthday, and to also help raise a giant American flag featuring the nation's newest star, the one for Kansas, the 34th state which had been admitted on January 29th of that year.

Lincoln arrived at Independence Hall early that morning, which was cold, but sunny. Lincoln was welcomed by the president of the Select Council Of Philadelphia, then began his speech. It would be the most moving speech of his Inauguration Journey.

He opened with the words "I am filled with deep emotion at finding myself standing here in the place where were collected together the wisdom, the patriotism, the devotion to principle, from which sprang the institutions under which we live." These words were not mere platitudes from Lincoln. He had mentioned the previous day in Trenton, N.J., that he had often read Mason Weems' "Life Of Washington" biography. Lincoln had a deep knowledge and appreciation for the sacrifices that Washington, his soldiers, and the other Founding Fathers made in forging a new nation.

Lincoln continued: "I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence. " Huge cheers broke out inside the building at these words. For Abraham Lincoln, the United States of America did not begin with the U.S. Constitution, by which the structure of the government was determined; it began with the Declaration of Independence. This is why in his Gettysburg Address he would give more than 2 1/2 years later, he dated the beginning of this nation to "four score and seven years" before 1863, the year 1776.

He went on, saying that it wasn't the mere separation of the colonies from Great Britain which had thus far sustained the nation, but "something in that Declaration giving liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but hope to the world for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in that Declaration of Independence. " They were powerful words.

The group of men Lincoln was speaking to at that moment didn't know that on the previous day, an assassination plot against Lincoln had been uncovered. The plot was confirmed by two different sources, the New York Chief Of Police, and informants working for Allan Pinkerton, a private detective. According to reports from each source, Lincoln was targeted for assassination in Baltimore, Maryland, as he would be switching train cars in that city for the final leg to Washington.

Given the fact that Lincoln was already a target of a conspiracy, the next words in his speech that morning to the VIP's of Philadelphia hold even more meaning with the hindsight of history. Lincoln asked those assembled if the country could be saved on the principles of equality for all people. He said "If it can, I will consider myself one of the happiest men in the world if I can help to save it. If it can't be saved upon that principle, it will be truly awful. But, if this country cannot be saved without giving up that principle...I would rather be assassinated on this spot than to surrender it." Lincoln was willing to die to save his country and the freedom for which it stands.

Lincoln closed this speech by stating that there would be no blood shed, unless it "be forced upon the Government. The Government will not use force unless force is used against it." He would repeat this message in his First Inaugural Address the following week.

After this speech (which Lincoln claimed was "unprepared"), Lincoln stepped outside to the platform for the flag raising ceremony. Before he assisted in raising the new 34-star flag, Lincoln briefly spoke to the crowd, saying that he hoped there would be many more stars to come to the flag. He also told those in the crowd that the future of the nation rested in their hands. With that, Lincoln hoisted the new American flag.

The image at the beginning of this post was taken 150 years ago today when Lincoln was on the platform at Independence Hall for the flag raising. Lincoln stands bareheaded directly over the third star from the left. His son Tad appears in the photo as well, resting his arms on the railing as he stares at the crowd. I've included a close-up of the photo below, with Lincoln outlined in red, and Tad outlined in yellow. The first photograph (along with two others taken at the same scene) are the only known photos in existence of Lincoln's Inauguration Journey.

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Lincoln's Inauguration Journey New York City to Philadelphia February 21, 1861

Abraham Lincoln left New York City 150 years ago today, February 21, 1861 with that day's destination of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on his Inauguration Journey. But between those two cities, Lincoln and his family traveled through the state of New Jersey where yet more adoring crowds waited.

Lincoln departed New York around 8:00 a.m., probably realizing that he had a lot of work to do to win over it's business and political leaders. Residents of the city still didn't quite know what to make of this tall lawyer from the prairie who had dared to commit a fashion faux pas at the opera the previous night when he wore black gloves instead of white ones. The city leaders had treated him condescendingly, as if they figured they could easily manipulate this man who lacked political experience.

The crowds in New Jersey, waiting for him on the other side of the Hudson River, greeted Lincoln as enthusiastically as all the other towns and cities along the route. So many, in fact, the New York Times reported that Lincoln couldn't reach his train at first. Finally, he made it aboard and the Inauguration Journey continued.

In Jersey City, N.J., Lincoln gave his by now traditional speech of thanks, saying he didn't have time for a speech, and said farewell. But the New York Tribune reported that the "then followed a rush to shake hands with Mr. Lincoln, and in the rush and crush the policemen and reporters were nearly annihilated." Lincoln had to reappear and say a few more words to quiet the crowd, such was his apparent popularity in New Jersey.

An estimated 75,000 people greeted Lincoln upon his arrival in Newark, N.J. that morning only to see and hear him speak for not more than two minutes. He thanked the Mayor for the introduction and said general pleasantries. It was much the same in New Brunswick, N.J. as the stop was short and the words were brief.

Lincoln finally arrived at Trenton, N.J., the state capital. Lincoln gave two speeches at the New Jersey state house (shown in the modern photo above), first to the New Jersey Senate. In his speech to the state senate, Lincoln displayed some uncharacteristic sentimentality when he mentioned how as a young boy he had read Mason Weem's "Life Of (George) Washington" (which is the source of many of the Washingtonian myths such as the cherry tree). Lincoln told the men that he had read the book many times and how the accounts of the Revolutionary War battle in Trenton had caused Lincoln to idolize Washington. He stated that "there must have been something more than common that those men struggled for; that something even more than National Independence; that something that held out a great promise to all the people of the world to all time to come." Then he admitted that he was "anxious" that the Union and the Constitution continue. This speech revealed how deeply Lincoln felt about the Revolution, the Founding Fathers, and the documents which established the United States.

Lincoln then addressed the General Assembly (similar to House of Representatives) in the state house. Lincoln told the Assembly that he would take the actions that he thought would be "most just to the North, the East, the West, the South, and the whole country." He said that he would do all that would be in his power to "promote a peaceful settlement of all our difficulties. The man does not live who is more devoted to peace than I am. None who would do more to preserve it."

Then in only one sentence, Lincoln at last revealed the strength he had in his convictions about the sectional crisis. After stating that he wanted peace and would work for it, Lincoln stated: "But it may be necessary to put the foot down firmly." As he spoke these words, he lifted his foot and placed it back down on the platform with enough force that it echoed through the chamber. This action brought mighty cheers from the Assemblymen, most of whom were Democrats. Lincoln showed in this simple gesture that he would accept no compromise about saving the Union.

Lincoln left Trenton a short while later and at last arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After being welcomed by the Mayor of the city, Lincoln spoke once more in generalities, mentioning the "sacred walls" of Independence Hall, and promised that he would do his best to always adhere to the teachings which came from them. Lincoln took care to mention both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution in his address.

The main event in Philadelphia was scheduled for the next day, February 22, Washington's birthday, when Lincoln would speak at the Hall where the founding documents were written. It was to be a glorious day, the most moving of Lincoln's Inauguration Journey.

What should have been a restful, peaceful night for Lincoln 150 years ago today, February 21, 1861 became anything but. A conspiracy against Lincoln had come to light, one which was so potentially deadly, that his safe arrival in Washington City was now in jeopardy. More on that tomorrow.

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