I’m so old I can remember when Lincoln’s Birthday was a holiday separate from Washington’s Birthday, and nobody of any age didn’t know exactly which February day Lincoln was born on, which has been probably not the case in the modern era until now. Lately I’ve read A Train Ride For Mr. Lincoln by Marc B. Grayson, a short story with some poetry about the President-elect traveling the long way to his Inauguration on 18 railroads, including Great Western, Toledo & Wabash, Lafayette & Indianapolis, Indianapolis & Cincinnati, Little Miami Railroad, Steubenville & Indiana, Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula, New York Central, Hudson River Railroad, New Jersey Railroad, Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore and Baltimore & Ohio.
Excerpts:
On January 30th, Lincoln left Springfield on a two-day trip to the countryside of Coles County, Illinois, unaccompanied by reporters. His aged stepmother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln lived near the small town of Charleston, and had expressed a wish to see Lincoln before he departed. Leaving on an early train, Lincoln missed his connection at Mattoon, and rode in the caboose of the afternoon freight train to Charleston.
Sunday, February 10, 1861, was Lincoln’s last full day in Springfield, then a town of 9,320 inhabitants. He was full of emotion and cheerful as ever remembered. He had been growing a beard since shortly after the election. It was nearly full. His friends speculated Lincoln’s beard would “bear more impressively the mantle of presidential dignity.” Sunday afternoon he concluded his business affairs with law partner, William Herndon. Herndon remembered Lincoln remarking of their small sign near the stairs: “Let it hang there undisturbed…If I live I’m coming back some time.” Sunday night, Lincoln roped the family trunks and labeled them: “Lincoln, Executive Mansion, Washington.”
Monday, February 11, 1861, was overcast, a slight drizzle adding to the damp, unpleasant midwestern morning chi