A Conversation for Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Peer Review: A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 1

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Entry: Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger - A87882943
Author: Dmitri Gheorgheni - U1590784

I need to go back and tweak this a bit tomorrow - and I need to add the internal links - but I wanted to get this drafted today. Give me feedback, please, if any of that is not clear to a non-US reader.

The A-List kind of shifts. I guess most people don't know who Horace Greeley and Matthew Brady were.

Anyway, thanks for your help. If you manage to read through this, I think you'll agree that the 1861 inauguration was at least as weird as the 2017 one promises to be.

I always think context helps outsiders understanding the goings-on, which are after all important to the well-being of all of us...

smiley - dragon


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 2

bobstafford

OK post the result latersmiley - ok


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 3

bobstafford

As promised the results of a read through.

Good work interesting and I learnt something smiley - ok


This part of the sentence needs a little more information to make it clear. "stage their own alt-inauguration down in Montgomery".

Some footnotes needed for clarification
I
"but is still dodgy about what he intends to do about the secession crisis" (perhaps replace dodgy with unclear)

II
"station on the Underground Railroad" explanation of underground railroad needed. It was the freedom route for slaves I assume, is there an underground entry to link to?

III
"This is telling Jefferson Davis, who thinks he has the right interpretation of the Constitution".

IV
"inside dope on" the phrase needs explanation for non native english speakers

Something wrong here mean or ment just a typo?
"While folded uncomfortably in a railway sleeper berth that wasn't mean to hold greatness"

Excellent entry with detail that would be hard to find in most history books, a very interesting insight.
Well done it sums up the times he lived in, nice work.


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 4

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

smiley - ok Thanks, Bob. I'll go through your checklist while I revise this. smiley - smiley


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 5

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

I made changes - let me know if you approve. And I dropped that (III). You're right. That was an unnecessary sentence. smiley - winkeye


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 6

bobstafford

It looks just right, the lines about the underground railway are just right, any chance of an entry on that? smiley - winkeye

Well done smiley - cheerssmiley - ale


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 7

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

I have added the links now. Of course, our intrepid Guide Editors will find more. smiley - winkeye

And, I hope, put boxes in that table. Bluebottle, I'm just not as cool as you with tables. smiley - envy


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 8

bobstafford

Well done brilliant links, impressive selection smiley - applause
A fine addition to the guide. smiley - cheers


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 9

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Thanks, Bob. smiley - smiley

Until I wrote this, I didn't realise we lacked an entry on the Underground Railroad. I'll have to work on that. Hopefully I'll have time soon. smiley - smiley It's a pretty cool story, that Underground Railroad, full of sneaky Quakers and the amazing Harriet Tubman, who should soon be on our $20 bill.


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 10

bobstafford

A pleasure smiley - biggrin and looking forward to the underground railway entry. smiley - cheers


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 11

minorvogonpoet

The story of Pinkerton and Lincoln sounds as if it would make a good film or play. Half deadly serious - getting a reform-minded president through some places that hated him.smiley - yikes Half ridiculous, with its disguises and uncomfortable train journeys.smiley - laugh

The only question I wanted to ask was whether most of Lincoln's trip was by train and that's why Pinkerton got involved?


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 12

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

smiley - laugh It definitely would make a great movie.

Yes, the whole journey was by train.

Pinkerton was so successful at this that he was hired by Lincoln to run security during the Civil War, and founded the US Secret Service, which guards the president.


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 13

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

Very good Entry! I really enjoyed reading it. smiley - smiley


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 14

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Thanks, Tav! smiley - smiley


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 15

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

I added another footnote - yeah, I know, coals to Newcastle. But I couldn't have put that footnote in before this year's inauguration.

It's about counting the crowd at Lincoln's first inaugural. I changed the number because I think those academicians are making it up. Here's the skinny from the same people who counted the last couple of inaugurations:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/18/us/politics/How-Crowds-at-the-Capitol-Have-Been-Counted.html

If we can't trust Manchester Metropolitan University, who CAN we trust? smiley - winkeye


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 16

Florida Sailor All is well with the world

Very good, a few comments;

The main reason for changing the inauguration date was the advances in communication and travel.

*** When the date was set as 14 March the only available form of distant communication was a written letter sent by mail or courier. By 1933 they could communicate privately by telephone or publicly by radio. In 1778 the fastest form of travel was by horse smiley - pony whether by riding, or in a carriage. The fastest travel was by rail in 1933 - the speed of the trains was much faster than in Lincoln's time and the rail network was much larger. Together these made it possible to form a transfer of an administration. much faster. I do not disagree with the mischief that could be made by a lame-duck president. I am not suggesting all this be included, just supporting my opening statementsmiley - biggrin

You mention the hotels he stayed at in some cities, did he have a hotel room or private residence to stay in every time he spent the night? That raises a bigger question. Many of us know that his body was carried home on a special train in a private car. On this trip was he given a private area, or just mixed with everyone else?

You say he was with his wife and children in New York, but he wired her from Washington. Did they remain in New York because of the threat?

You might consider adding that Maryland my Maryland is still sung before the Preakness horse race.

smiley - sorry for not commenting sooner smiley - facepalm

smiley - cheers

F smiley - dolphin S


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 17

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

smiley - rofl .

I agree - you're right, communication has a lot to do with why they moved the inauguration date up. It used to take a LOT longer to count votes, get the Electoral College together, etc.

Of course the Lincolns had to stay in a hotel room, suite, or private residence every night. I don't know all the accommodations, though, just what the Smithsonian and a few other sources had recorded.

smiley - eureka I just found a reenactment clip, courtesy of C-SPAN and our beloved NPS. Here's Lincoln's speech in Philadelphia, plus a flag raising, complete with those Smokey Bears who weren't there yet:

http://www.c-span.org/video/?298139-1/presidentelect-lincolns-inaugural-train-trip

I'll keep looking to see what I can find out about their train car. I'm pretty sure it was just a private car attached to the regular train - that was normal procedure back then. The only time Lincoln was mixed up with the other people was in the Baltimore dodge. At that time, he was put into a sleeper reserved by a lady Pinkerton agent for her 'invalid uncle'.

Mrs Lincoln and the kids stayed on the regular train and went through Baltimore at the scheduled time. Some people blamed Lincoln for 'exposing' the family like this, particularly as there was a crowd in Baltimore. But I imagine they didn't think anybody would bother them if Lincoln wasn't with them.

I didn't know that about the Preakness, but since a horse race is not a political event, I think I'll leave it out. smiley - winkeye



A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 18

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Aha! I finally found it! The inaugural train was indeed, a separate train. I'll sneak those details in there. smiley - run

(I finally found his private secretary's scrapbook.)


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 19

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Okay. I've tweaked a bit here and there. Hopefully those who are worried about what train Lincoln was on, and when, will now be reassured. smiley - winkeye


A87882943 - Getting Lincoln Inaugurated: A Tale of Travel, Intrigue, and Danger

Post 20

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Sorry for serial posting (it's late, and it's Post day, I get punchy). I just wanted to say thanks for the questions, Florida Sailor - I found some interesting stuff! smiley - smiley


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