Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington after Baltimore assassination scare
- When
- 1861
- Where
- Washington, D.C.
- Episodes
- 1
Abraham Lincoln, elected in 1860, arrived secretly in Washington, D.C., on February 23, 1861, following alleged assassination plots in Baltimore. The event highlights the security concerns during his pre-inauguration tour, though historians debate the plot's reality. Lincoln's arrival occurred amidst secession movements, with Washington placed under military guard.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Lincoln was elected as the first Republican president in November 1860. Following his election, secessionists planned to leave the Union before his inauguration. On February 11, 1861, Lincoln began a whistle-stop tour from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C., ending with his inauguration. The Baltimore Plot involved alleged conspiracies to assassinate him during this tour.
Arrival in Washington. Lincoln arrived secretly in Washington, D.C., on February 23, 1861. The city was placed under military guard upon his arrival. This occurred after his emotional farewell address in Springfield on February 11, 1861, marking the start of his journey to the capital.
People involved
- Abraham Lincoln · President-elect
- Pinkerton's Operatives · Security Intelligence
- Ferrandini · Alleged conspirator, identified only by surname; only reports from Pinkerton's operatives tie him to the assassination conspiracy
Sources
- Baltimore Plot Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-23
- Abraham Lincoln Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.