Section #1 - The Congressmen Who Built Then Broke The Union
Chapter 131: Lincoln finally heads to Washington.
Amazingly the President-elect doesn’t begin his journey to the capital until the very day that the Confederate States come into being. His travel schedule by train will consume thirteen days, including 84 stops and many speaking events:
| February | Starts In | Ends In | # Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Springfield, IL | Indianapolis, IN | 9 |
| 12 | Indianapolis, IN | Cincinnati, OH | 5 |
| 13 | Cincinnati, OH | Columbus, OH | 8 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | Pittsburg, PA | 12 |
| 15 | Pittsburg, PA | Cleveland, OH | 6 |
| 16 | Cleveland, OH | Buffalo, NY | 13 |
| 17 | Day of rest | Buffalo, NY | — |
| 18 | Buffalo, NY | Albany, NY | 10 |
| 19 | Albany, NY | Albany, NY | 8 |
| 20 | Albany, NY | New York City | — |
| 21 | New York City | Philadelphia, PA | 9 |
| 22 | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia, PA | 3 |
| 23 | Philadelphia, PA | Washington, DC | 1 |
His comments about the future vary. In Columbus on February 14 he is upbeat:
When we look out, there is nothing that really hurts anybody…As I traveled
in the rain through your crowded streets, I (thought)… the Union can be in
no danger…and will be preserved.
But six days later, in Albany, he acknowledges the danger ahead and his willingness to confront it:
There is nothing that can ever bring me willingly to consent to
the destruction of the Union.