Getting Lincoln to Camden Station: Lincoln’s Inaugural Journey

Lincoln's Inaugural Journey: Getting to Camden Station

History: Alan Pinkerton's secretive plan unfolded in Baltimore in the early morning hours of February 23, 1861. The sleeper train car carrying a disguised President Lincoln hitched onto a troop of horses that slowly pulled him along Pratt Street from President Street Station, a mile to the west, to the Camden Street Station. Within an hour, the horse drawn train car escorting the "nuts," by the plan of the "plums" arrived at Camden Station and linked to a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad train bound for Washington D.C. Pinkerton sent a coded telegram to the President of the Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Baltimore Railroad stating "Plums delivered nuts safely."

The following afternoon, a crowd gathered at the Calvert Street Station on the Northern Central Railway, waiting for a view of Lincoln when his publicized "actual" train arrived around 12:30 pm. With only his wife and kids inside, the public came to chastise Lincoln.

More to Explore: The Camden Station has transformed into the Sports Legends Museum and includes the temporary exhibit Lincoln, the Civil War and Camden Station. The Gentlemen’s Waiting Room is restored to its original luster. Exhibits interpret Camden Station's important role in the first blood of the Civil War during the Pratt Street riots, as well as Abraham Lincoln's connection to the building. Artifacts include rare items from the Pratt Street Riots, personal items from a Confederate prisoner who passed through the station, as well as historic photographs and maps.

For a change of scenery, head to the Inner Harbor to take a tour by water on one of the many excursion boats. From a mild cruise boat to an active paddle-boat to a spine-chilling Speed Dog, there is something for everyone. Then grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants at Harbor Place, the Gallery or along Pratt Street.

Photo Credits:

  1. "Photograph of Detective Allan Pinkerton."
  2. "Photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln, who arrived in Baltimore instead of the expected President Abraham Lincoln."
  3. "Photograph of President Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ceremony in Washington DC in front of the Nation's Capital." Photos courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.