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U11 llr tin of Thf' l.inf'oln N'M iional tiff' t~ou n da tion • • • Or. lt. G~rald ~1d1 url ry. EdhOr Publi,hf'd t!'lle!h month b,- The I.J ru~oln Nationa l Lilr ln... u rancl' Com1•a ny. t"ort "'• ' "~· l ndi•n• Number 1496 FORT WAYNE, INDIANA October, 1962 LINCOLN'S FIVE VISITS TO INDIANA Abraham Lincoln grew up in the state of Indiana, tination and one trip had to do with his legal activities coming to it at the time the state was established as a hnvyer. (December 11, 1816) and remaining in it until 1830 which marked the end of the pioneer pel"iod. Lincoln Visit ln 18~14 looms large in the histo1·y of the state and an exhaustive Lineo[n lett Indiana in a family catavan of thirteen study of his fourteen Indiana years has revealed that his people in eady March of 1880 enroute to Illinois. He Hoosier environment phtyed no littJe part in his mental returned to Indiana fourteen years later in October of and physical development. 1844. He came "thinking he might carry the state of The events of Lincoln's Indiana residence have been Indiana for Mr. Clay." He went back into the neighbor told and retold countless numbers or times but little hood where he was raised- where his mother and s ister mention has been made of his five visits to the state were buried. He visited such places as Vincennes, after he became • resident of Illinois. Some of these Bruceville, Washington, Rockpor~ Carter Township, visits were of a political nature, in one or two instances Gentryville, Booneville and Evansville. Not one of h1s he was just passing through enroute to an eastern des· speeches have been preserved but there is little doubt I -·1 I ILLINOIS & MIS~1a> ~ .. - RAPH COMPANY. TEIJIS AlD CO.JDITIOIS OJ WHICH ltt:SSACES .lit a.&CE.JfUI Bf 1'J\IS COJU£JI1' fOI TIAISlUS&IOJ. T•o I'Yloll~ _ ....lfo4~ ...................... .,.,, .. ~.. t. lh - -u.:..,., "',._. ~! --~..t ~t,..l•ll• ..t:I... W "'"W.. ..,. 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Thursday - what •bout Reporter. A. Lincoln'" 2 LINCOLN LORE but that his topic was protection-a Protective Tariff. and curtly dismissed from alJ participation in the trial. On May 12, 1860 Lincoln wro~ Dr. Edward Wallace: This incident prov«l to be one of the most humiliating "In the days of Henry Clay I was a Henry Clay-tariff episodes in his entire legal career. man, and my views have undergone no material change upon that subject." \Vhile in Cincinnati Lincoln stayed at the home of \VH1iam Dickson, a Cincinnati lawyer and husband of Lincoln's trip to Indiana extended from October 24th 1\Irs. Lincolri's cousin. As he was '1freed from any care through ele<:tion day, November 4th. Of the several in the law ease ... it was to him a week of relaxation." speeches Lincoln made. in Indiana, only the one at Rock Lincoln visited many points of interest in Cincinnati and port seems to have been reported. Accordintr to the its suburbs including \Valnut Hills, Mount Auburn, RockJXYI"t H erald, November 1, 1844, "Mr. Lmcoln of Clifton and also Spring Grove Ceme~ry. One place that Springfield, Ill., addressed a large and respectable audi· particularly impressed him was the estate of Nicholas enee at the. court house on \Vednesday evenmg last, upon Longworth, where he became very much interested in the the Whig policy. His main argument was directed in grounds and conservatories. He was greatly chagrined pointing out the advantages of a Protective Tariff. He that he was unable to identify a single piece of statuary handled that subject in a manner that done honor to on one of the large estates. himself and the Whig cause. Other subjects were inves· tigated jn a like manner. His speech was plain, argu· Lincoln gave one day of his Cincinnati visit to the mentative and of an hour's duration." county and city courts. He spent an entire morning in Room No. 1 of the Superior Court where the eccentric It is of interest to point out that. following Lincoln'$ jurist and wit~ Bellamy Storer, presided. Lineoln en· Rockport address1 John Pitcher, a (riend o( Lincoln's joyed the proceedings and made the comment that "I wish boyhood, de1ivered a speech in which uhe e~ ibited the we had that Judge in Illinois. I think he would share democratic policies in an unenviable light." with me the fatherhood of the legal jokes of the Illinois bar/' On this visit Lincoln became sentimental about his old Indiana home, even through he later said that "that part On September 26th the day Lincoln probably left Cin· of the country is within itself as unpoetical as any spot cinnati he told his hostess: uvou have made my stay here on earth." But upon seeing the area again, its objects most agreeable, and I am a thousand times obliged to and inhabitants, there was aroused in Lincoln feelings you; but in reply to your re<tuest for me to come again 1 which were certainly poetic although as he put it, must say to you I never expect to be in Cincinnati again. uwhether my expressons of these feelings is poetry is I have nothing against the city, but things have so hap quite another question!' pened here as to make it undesirable for me ever to re· turn here." Lincoln's Indiana visit of 1844 led to the writing o( a poem of twenty·one stantas usually referred t.o as "My There is no evidence available to indicate Lincoln's Childhood Home" and a twenty.two stanza poem entit'ed route of travel homeward. There are traditions about a a uBear Hunt." Both of these poems reveal the author's stage coach trip Lincoln made with Colonel Thomas sensitive nature and nostalgic feeling but (as Lincoln Nelson and Bayless Hardin from Indianapolis to Terre stated) whether they are "poetry is quite another matter.,. Haute, but the chronology of event do not dovetail well with the established facts. Incidentally the sta~ of Indiana went for James K. Polk in the. November election, despite the (act that Clay Visit In 1859 carried Spencer County by a majority of 90 votes. On September 19, 1859 Lincoln appeared for the first Visit In 1855 time in his life before a large Indiana audience. The Indiana capital cit~t, although it was la,st, was an im· Lincoln's second visit to Indiana was in September portant pomt on h1s Columbus, Dayton, Hamilton, Cin· (17th) of 1855, when he traveled by rail to Cincinnati. cinnati and Indianapolis itinerary. The theme of From Bloomin~ton, lllinois, Lincoln traveled by way of Lincoln's speeches on his tour was a continuation of Chicago, Michigan City, Lafayette and Indianapolis. those same controversial questions whieh has provoked The trip required at Jeast twenty-four hours. Lincoln the Lineoln.Douglas debates a year before. From a mote went to Cincinnati as counsel !or the defense in the practical point of view Lincoln went to Ohio primarHy to McCormick Reaper Case (McCormick vs. Manny). win that state for the Republican party. It was a vic Manny was to be represented by George Harding, Edwin torious effort as Ohio went Republican by a thirteen M. Stanton and Lincoln, Lincoln had prepar«l a brief thousand majority. and expected to make an argument durmg the course of the trial. The plaintiff was represented by Edward M. ?\Irs. Lincoln and one o( the sons, perhaps Robert, ac Dickerson and Reverdy Johnson. companied Lincoln on this speaking tour. \VhiJe they were in Cincinnati the Lincolns were registered at the As Harding and Stanton were unfavorably impressed Burnet House but they s~nt most of the day with Mrs. with Lincoln's appearance and because they had little Lincolo's cousin, Mrs. \Villiam M. Dickson, and her regard for his ability he was contemptuously igno'red family, with whom Lincoln had stayed during the trial The Pltt.burK'h. Chleasco &. Fort. Wayne Rath''fLY station wh~re Lineoln ch•nsct'd trains In Fort.. \Y&)'nCI on Feb!"l•ry 23. 1.860. Connrotted l n 1858 U.le buJidln' (except. (0¥' one wing) ie .-till tJ-ta nding. Not~ • J)Ortlon or the home offico bueldmK or The l.ancoln Nn.t1on.al Life ln.surance ComJ)any at th~ 1mme!diale riJlhl.