The Speech That Nearly Vanished

Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address and Its Perilous Journey

Lincoln's Farewell to Springfield
(Sketch by Lloyd Ostendorf)

In the four long months between Abraham Lincoln’s election in November 1860 and his inauguration in March 1861, the Union teetered on the edge of disintegration. Southern states were "leaving" the Union, their citizens were mobilizing , militias were forming, and rumors of war loomed large. Lincoln, besieged by office seekers and cabinet hopefuls, withdrew into the back room of his brother-in-law’s Springfield store—a dusty sanctuary where history was quietly made.

🖋 Drafted in Solitude, Forged in History

Inside C. M. Smith’s store (Smith was married to Mary Todd Lincoln’s sister), Lincoln drew from four trusted references:

~ Henry Clay’s 1850 speech on compromise

~ Daniel Webster’s reply to Hayne

~ Andrew Jackson’s proclamation against nullification

~ The U.S. Constitution

The gravity of his first address as president-elect required nothing less than clarity, conviction—and careful secrecy.

John G. Nicolay later recalled how the Illinois State Journal’s publisher, working with a single typesetter, locked himself away to produce just a handful of copies. These were secreted into Lincoln’s “gripsack”—a briefcase entrusted to his eldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln, for the journey to Washington. [2]

But the challenges weren't over.

🚂 A Gripsack Misplaced, History at Risk

On February 11, 1861, Lincoln departed Springfield’s depot under solemn skies, uttering words heavy with foreboding:

“I now leave... with a task before me greater than that which rested upon [George] Washington.” [1]

As the train wound its way through eleven days of whistlestops, train changes, and receptions, tension flared—not just from political unrest, but from a personal crisis. Somewhere during the journey (sources differ on whether it was in Indianapolis or in Harrisburg), Robert misplaced the gripsack. Whether surrendered to a waiter, dropped among hotel luggage, or left behind a clerk’s counter, the result was the same: Lincoln’s inaugural address - the only draft in existence - had vanished!

Nicolay described the moment:

“A look of stupefaction passed over the countenance of Mr. Lincoln, and visions of that Inaugural in all the next morning’s newspapers floated through his imagination." [2]

Ben Perley Poore and Ward Lamon’s accounts capture Lincoln’s response—searching frantically, rifling through carpetbags, and sardonically lamenting to Lamon:

“Lamon, I guess I have lost my certificate of moral character.” [4]

Eventually, the precious satchel was recovered. Lincoln, never one to hold a grudge, handed the bag back to Robert with a wry smile: “There, Bob, see if you can't take better care of it this time." [5]

 Robert Lincoln, remembering the incident many years later, said:

"...and you may be sure I was true to the trust he placed in me. Why, I hardly let that precious gripsack get out of my sight during my waking hours all the rest of the long roundabout journey to Washington." [5]

✍️ Final Edits, Historic Impact

Upon arrival in Washington, Lincoln allowed only a few trusted figures—among them, William H. Seward—to read the address. Seward’s advice helped temper the speech’s tone, especially the famous closing:

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection…” [6]

Though the inaugural aimed to soothe Southern fears, it could not forestall the inevitable. Just weeks later—on April 12, 1861—the Confederates opened fired on Fort Sumter, and the Civil War began.

🌟 Reflection

Lincoln’s inaugural wasn’t just crafted in solitude—it was almost lost in chaos. That briefcase may not have held military strategy or proclamations of war, but it cradled something just as vital: the principles of unity and empathy that Lincoln hoped could still save the Union.

History may hinge on grand speeches—but sometimes, it’s just the quiet recovery of a lost satchel that saves the soul of a nation.

This is another anecdote about Abe Lincoln, Storyteller.

Mac

Works Cited

[1] Lincoln, Abraham. First Inaugural Address. 4 Mar. 1861. Abraham Lincoln Online, www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/1inaug.htm.. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

[2] Burlingame, Michael, editor ( ) An Oral History of Abraham Lincoln, John G. Nicolay’s Interviews and Essays (“Some Incidents in Lincoln’s Journey from Springfield to Washington”), pp. 108-110.

[3] Poore, Benjamin Perley, editor. (1865) The Conspiracy Trial for the Murder of the President. Vol. 2, J.E. Tilton and Co. Internet Archive, archive.org/details/conspiracytrialf02poor.. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

[4] Lamon, Ward Hill. (1911) Recollections of Abraham Lincoln, 1847–1865. Edited by Dorothy Lamon, The Editor, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/11009937/.. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

[5] Zimmerman, Fritz. “The True Story of Robert Lincoln Losing the Inaugural Address.” Fun Facts and Biography of Abraham Lincoln, 31 Mar. 2012. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

[6] "Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address." Abraham Lincoln’s Classroom: The Lehrman Institute Presents. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.