This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected.
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To an unforgettable career. Saturday, August 22nd, live from Benchmark International Arena. For tickets, visit pfl.info/slash tampa. Whether it's help with hormone therapy, weight management, or sexual health, every woman should have access to affordable prescription medication and personalized care that understands the whole woman. Join me, Dr.
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In February of 1861, just days before he assumed the presidency, Abraham Lincoln faced a clear and fully matured threat of assassination. Here to tell the story is Daniel Staschauer, author of The Hour of Peril, a secret plot to murder Lincoln before the Civil War. Let's take a listen. The year is 1861. Abraham Lincoln has been elected president.
Now, stay with me here. It turns out that there was a period. in our nation's history. when presidential elections had a polarizing effect. on the population.
Very unlike. the perfect harmony and civility, of our present day.
So over a period of thirteen days, as Lincoln traveled by train from Springfield to Washington. his inauguration. the air is filled with rumors of an assassination plot. In Maryland. where Lincoln's train will cross below The Mason-Dixon line.
for the first time. There are rumours that he will be shot? or he will be stabbed, or that his train will be blown up. at a whistle stop in Baltimore. America's Top Lawman Alan Pinkerton.
of the legendary Pinkerton Detective Agency is on the scene. He's racing the clock. Lincoln's train is on the way.
So Pinkerton has only thirteen days. to uncover hard evidence of this looming plot before time runs out. And here's how Pinkerton himself. described The danger. It had been fully determined.
that the assassination should take place at the Calvert Street Depot, Pinkerton wrote. When the train entered the depot and mister Lincoln attempted to pass through the narrow passage, leading to the streets, a party already delegated, were to engage in a conflict on the outside. And then The policeman were to rush away to quell the disturbance. At that moment, the police being entirely withdrawn. mister Lincoln would find himself surrounded by a dense Excited.
and hostile crowd. all hustling and jamming against him, and then the fatal blow was to be struck. As the detective went on to explain, to William Herndon. Lincoln's law partner, turned biographer, the plot had been audaciously simple. and efficient.
Excuse me for endeavouring to impress the plan upon you. He wrote. It was a capital one. and much better conceived than the one which finally succeeded. four years after in destroying mister Lincoln's Life.
Some of you will be familiar. with the Baltimore plot. as it came to be known. But very few will know the story behind the story. And that story begins with with Alan Pinkerton.
Pinkerton is a tough nut. He's scrappy, grizzled, quick to anger. He was born in Scotland. He got into trouble with the law in Scotland. And he came to America.
as a cooper, A barrel maker. One day he's out cutting wood. and he stumbles across something suspicious. The next day, He brings the local sheriff back, and together they lead a raid that winds up rounding up a gang of counterfeiters.
Next thing you know, Pinkerton is a lawman. And soon after that he becomes something entirely new. A private detective. His logo is a stern Unblinking. Aye.
glaring out. over the words We Never sleep.
Soon that logo, the all-seeing eye. brings a new phrase to the language. Private. Yeah. We think of the Pinkertons as hard men with big fists and blazing guns.
You'll remember Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Paul Newman says Can you do that? I can't do that. Who are those guys? They're Pinkertons.
The guys shooting back at the train robbers from inside the freight car. They're Pinkertons. The guy's knocking heads together. during the strike at the steel mill. Those were Pinkerton's too.
sad to say. And this last thing The Union busting. has led to a lot of controversy and some misunderstanding. over who Allan Pinkerton was, and what he did. Pinkerton's story has gotten tangled up.
Over the years, with the darker aspects of his agency's legacy. Allan Pinkerton, The founder of the agency, Spent his youth marking Marching for the rights of working men. in his native Scotland, and came under fire. Literally. doing so.
Alan Pinkerton. The founder of the agency, ran a station. on the Underground Railroad. helping fugitive slaves, on their way north, to freedom. He was a close friend of John Brown.
the fire and brimstone abolitionist. even though the assistance he gave to Brown in the days leading up to Harper's Ferry, put him on the wrong side of the law. I'm not here. to put him up for sainthood. And I'm not looking to apologize, for some of the terrible things that he did and that happened on his watch.
and especially later on. But there's a story here. that never gets told. And it's the story of a barefoot cooper, who becomes a world famous detective. and makes his bones protecting America's Railroads and one of his biggest clients, is the Illinois Central Railroad.
and the Illinois Central, also has a lawyer, on retainer. and his name is Abraham Lincoln. Stop. and thereby hangs a tale. And you've been listening to Daniel Stashauer tell one heck of a tale about the 13-day trip from Springfield.
to Washington, D.C. and the peril. that Abraham Lincoln faced in a very divided nation. When we come back, more of the story of the secret plot to assassinate Lincoln. Here on Our American Stories.
Lee Habib here, and I'd like to encourage you to subscribe to Our American Stories on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, or wherever you get our podcasts. Any story you missed or want to hear again can be found there daily. Again, Please subscribe to the Our American Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, or anywhere you get your podcasts. It helps us keep these great American stories coming. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at Let's Get RealAbout SkinCancer.com.
Saturday, August 22nd in Tampa, witnessing MMA Legends final fight. Chris Cyborg, one of the greatest in history. She's an absolute pioneer in the sport. Defends her PFL world title one last time. Unforgettable and got you, Martin.
To an unforgettable career. Saturday, August 22nd, live from Benchmark International Arena. For tickets, visit pfl.info/slash tampa. Upgrade to Elite Checking from America's Christian Credit Union and earn up to 4% APY, plus everyday perks and access to your paycheck up to two days early with early pay. Don't settle.
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Visit HomeDepot.com, how doers get more done. And we continue with our American stories and with Daniel Stashauer, author of The Hour of Peril, The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln before the Civil War. Let's pick up where we last left off. The bottom line is that Pinkerton And Lincoln. came to know of each other.
on the way up. And ten years on When Lincoln is being told that there are men waiting to kill him, In Baltimore, the He trusts Pinkerton.
Some of his advisers, Want him to respond. with a crushing display. of military force. One of them says I'll get a squad of cavalry, sir. and cut our way.
To Washington, sir. Lincoln doesn't want to do that. At a time when he still hopes for reconciliation with the South. PINKERTON OFFERS A BETTER WAY. Pinkerton says I will get you.
safely to Washington. But you have to put yourself entirely in my hands. and in those Of my Most Trusted Operative. And this trusted operative, it turns out. is not a Pinkerton man at all.
but a Pinkerton woman. And I love this part. One day five years earlier. In eighteen fifty six, Pinkerton is sitting at his desk, minding his own business. There's a knock at the door.
He looks up to see a young woman standing there. She introduces herself as Kate Warren. She's a widow. twenty two or twenty three years old. and she's looking for work.
Pinkerton assumes She's talking about secretarial work. And who could blame him? It's eighteen fifty six. Susan B. Anthony is barely out of the starting gate.
But Kate Warren looks at him and says, Oh. I have come to inquire. as to whether you would not employ me as a detective. Pinkerton, as my wife, who is also Scottish, likes to say. His gobs smacked.
To his credit, He gives her a fair hearing. It is not the custom to employ women. as detectives. He says. How exactly?
Do you propose? to be of service. And she's ready for this. She says A female detective, may go and worm out secrets, in ways that are impossible. For male detectives, a criminal may hide all traces of his guilt.
From his fellow men But he will not hide it. from his wife, And those women she says Won't spill their secrets. to a man. But they will tell Another woman. And again and again She would strike up a useful acquaintance, become friendly with the wife of a suspected criminal.
slowly pull forth, The TALES that were useful. to the Pinkertons. Again and again. That's what she did, and much more besides. And on the night in question, in the hour of peril, if you will, Lincoln was accompanied by the not by a squad of cavalry, sir, but by a resourceful young widow.
who posed as his sister. and traveling companion. Lincoln It seems was charmed by this. And we're told that he had something pithy, To say When he was introduced, to Kate. I believe.
it has not hitherto been one of the perquisites, of the Presidency. To acquire in full bloom So charming and accomplished. a female relation. In this role, In order to get Lincoln safely, Through Baltimore. They didn't want to have to charter.
a special train in the middle of the night. which would have called a great deal of attention. To itself, particularly at that moment, would have naturally drawn suspicion and likely have suggested that there was a person of importance. traveling to Washington.
So for one leg of the journey, from Philadelphia to Baltimore. Lincoln had to travel. on a regular Passenger train. at night. And in order to travel on that regular passenger train.
They were very concerned about making sure But nobody was going to pick him out. Easily.
Well, this isn't easy. He's a very, very tall man. who has just grown a very distinctive beard, and is usually seen in a very distinctive stovepipe hat.
So he didn't wear the hat. He had a coat that apparently he kept bundled high around his face, and Kate Warren was given the job. of securing a sleeping berth. letting it be known that she was travelling with her invalid brother, who is very ill, and not to be disturbed, during the journey. and therefore was able to keep people away.
And let him travel and deflect suspicion from this last-minute arrival, this very tall, gangly figure arriving who needed to be. hustled into the train moments before it left, And she was given an excuse, therefore, not to interact with the other passengers and with the ticket collectors. That was her doing. I will start by reading you Two lines. From a letter that was written on february twenty third, eighteen sixty one, at the very moment.
that this plot was unfolding. Just two lines. I was advised on Thursday morning of a plot in Baltimore, to assassinate the president-elect. on his expected arrival there. I sent Fred to apprise him of it.
That letter was written BY WILLIAM H. SEWARD, LINCON'S DESISINATED SECRETARY OF STATE. To his family, on the day Lincoln arrived in Washington. Fred was his son. who carried a letter warning Lincoln in Philadelphia, where he had stopped for the night.
Seward. LINCON'S INDISPENSABLE MAN the man who came within an inch of being the Republican nominee for President himself. This is the equivalent of Hillary Clinton or John Kerry speaking to Barack Obama. This is the equivalent of John Foster Dulles talking to Ike. or Kissinger talking to Nixon.
This is like Dean Rusk telling John F. Kennedy there might be trouble in Dallas. Lincoln was no country bumpkin. And although he liked Pinkerton, And trusted him? He wasn't prepared to act.
wasn't prepared to take the to take the dramatic steps that Pinkerton was asking of him. on Pinkerton's say so alone. He needed a second opinion. an independent verification, and he had one. More than one, as it turns out.
and if William and Fred Seward We're here today. they would be likely to remind us Spoiler alert.
Something bad happened to Lincoln. Four years later, at Ford's Theater. And on that night, The older Seward got stabbed in the throat. and the younger one got his head cracked open. By one of Booth's conspirators.
So I imagine they would be even more fanatical on this subject than I am. Of course. there was danger. The abolitionist President elected the United States. The setting foot below the Mason-Dixon line in a slave-holding state for the first time.
And you've been listening to Daniel Stashauer tell one heck of a story about Lincoln's 13-day trip to Washington, D.C. where he would be sworn in. as President of the United States. And of course, the peril here. was the train ride through Baltimore.
As we just learned, this would be the first time an abolitionist president. would step ground. in a slave state. And my goodness, the intrigue along the way is just remarkable. And most remarkable is this story of Kate Warren.
who when she looked to Pinkerton for a job, had to make the case that she would be better off as a detective Then, as a secretary, and my goodness, did she make the case? She would pass as Lincoln's sister and travel companion throughout the trip. And this fascinating idea. of claiming he was her invalid brother. and rushing him off to an isolated space like a sleeper car.
to be left alone and unimpeded. It was just as clever as clever could be. When we come back, what happens next? The story of the secret plot to assassinate President Lincoln. here on Our American Stories.
Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs.
Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com. Saturday, August 22nd in Tampa, witnessing MMA Legends final fight. Chris Cyborg, one of the greatest in history. She's an absolute pioneer in the sport. Defends her PFL world title.
One last time. Unforgettable ends. My unforgettable career. Saturday, August 22nd, live from Benchmark International Arena. For tickets, visit pfl.info/slash tampa.
Upgrade to Elite Checking from America's Christian Credit Union and earn up to 4% APY, plus everyday perks and access to your paycheck up to two days early with early pay. Don't settle. Choose checking that rewards you and aligns with your values. Visit America's ChristianCU.com forward slash iHeart. Minimum balance of one cent required to earn advertised APY.
Early pay not guaranteed. APY equals annual percentage yield. Membership eligibility required. And CUA insured. Right now, get up to fifteen percent off Select Storage Solutions.
Put heavy-duty HDX totes to good use, protecting what's important to you. The solid, impact-resistant design prevents cracking, and the clear base and sides make items easy to find even when the totes are stacked. Find select shelving and tote storage up to 15% off at the Home Depot to organize every room in your home, from your garage to your attic. Visit HomeDepot.com, how doers get more done. And we continue with our American stories.
and with Daniel Stashauer, author of The Hour of Peril. The secret plot to murder Lincoln before the Civil War. Let's pick up where we last left off. There is much to criticize. about Pinkerton's operation in Baltimore.
and the particulars of the threat are a legitimate subject for debate, but the existence of a threat is beyond dispute. As the newspaper editor Horace Greeley said, There was forty times the reason for shooting him. In eighteen sixty one, than there was in 1965, and at least forty times as many. intent on killing or having him killed. and Greeley finished by saying No shot was then fired.
However, for his hour had not yet come. As for Pinkerton, He came to regard this episode as the highlight of his career, even if as he admitted to William Herndon, he had come upon it by lucky chance. From my reports you will see how accidentally I discovered the plot. He wrote, I was looking for nothing of the kind. and had certainly not the slightest idea of it.
But on his tombstone One finds the following inscription. In the hour of the nation's peril, He conducted Abraham Lincoln. safely through the ranks of treason, to the scene of his first inauguration, as President. Had Mr. Lincoln fallen at that time.
wrote Pinkerton. It is frightful to think. with the consequences might have been.
Okay. There is no question. The Pinkerton's methods were high-handed. and at times unlawful, But many of the criticisms that were heaped upon him would not be expressed. or even considered, Today It is now understood that there are dangers to be apprehended.
When a president moves freely, through a vast crowd. or rides in an open conveyance. those apprehensions, did not yet exist. At the start. of the Lincoln presidency.
As one New York newspaper noted at the time, Assassination is not congenial to the American character.
Well, perhaps not. but it would soon become all too real. Pinkerton wrote, in a memoir published near the end of his life. The events about to be related here have been for a long time shrouded in a veil of mystery. While many are aware that a plot existed at this time, to assassinate the president-elect.
upon his contemplated journey to the capital. but few have any knowledge of the mode by which the conspiracy was detected. or the means employed to prevent the accomplishment, of that murderous design. Strangely. Those words are as true to day as they were in Pinkerton's time.
and the detective was already swimming against a tide of criticism when he wrote them. As some of you will know, This is not the first book ever to feature Abraham Lincoln. at the New Fords Theatre Center. Yeah, yeah, yeah. there is a winding, five storey tower of books.
about Lincoln, thirty four feet high. Not only have there been acres, of very excellent books. written by modern scholars, But you could build a bridge. from here to Springfield. Out of volumes of reminiscence.
Lincoln as I Knew Him, Books. And no two of them agree. Entirely. on what happened in Baltimore. This episode had been A public relations disaster.
For him. His advisers warned him. that he would be ridiculed. if he fell in with Pinkerton's plan, And he was.
So Lincoln was anxious to downplay it and move on especially because he needed Maryland. In the Union. Public sentiment is everything. he later declared. with public sentiment.
Nothing can fail. Without it, Nothing can succeed. The second player was Pinkerton. who insisted on total secrecy, Concerning his role. because that was quite simply how he did business.
Secrecy is the lever of my success, he often said. And the third figure is a man named Ward Lammon, a friend of Lincoln's. By the end, He was determined to see Pinkerton deprived of any credit.
So In Laman's view, If that pesky, self aggrandising, Alan Pinkerton had left well enough alone. Everything would have been A OK.
So It's no wonder that there is confusion. about what happened.
So what's the truth? The short answer is A whole lot of people who were high ranking. officials in Baltimore were Placed under arrest. But The men that Pinkerton fingered as being the conspirators actively involved in it were not, and in fact, the leader of them. after disappearing from the scene for a while, actually returned.
and carried on as if nothing had happened. to my way of thinking. this speaks more to Lincoln's need and the entire administration's need. to get past it, not to focus on it. to keep Maryland in the Union, And to just carry on.
The episode was very quickly swept aside by the fast march of events. leading up to the Civil War, not least of which was Fort Sumter. When the war had ended, and the time had come when people might have gone back, and taking a serious look at this. Lincoln had been assassinated. there were those conspirators to deal with, and I don't think they had a taste for stirring the ashes.
of the plot that had failed. The distinguished historian John Thomas Sharf. chronicling the history of his native Maryland, In 1879. insisted that Pinkerton's actions, had been an insult. to the fair fame of one of the chief cities of the country.
expressed a hope that Once and for all. I myself am a resident of Maryland. and I'm as partial to blue crabs and black eyed Susans as the next man. At a remove of one hundred and fifty years, however, I believe it's possible. to treat this episode without undue risk, to the fair fame of Baltimore.
It bears noting, however, That to this day, Our state song Maryland, my Maryland. makes reference to the despot's heel. and tyrant's chain of Lincoln. and his kind. and builds to a final spirited rallying cry.
Huzzah. She spurns the northern Scum. Lincoln would likely have been amused. Fellow citizens He wisely declared. in the early years of his presidency.
We cannot escape. History. And a terrific job on the editing and post-production by our own Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to Daniel Stashauer, author of The Hour of Peril. The secret plot to murder Lincoln before the Civil War, and he gave this talk to the Library of Congress.
And what a story about, well, so much, about a divided nation, about Lincoln's courage, about this guy, Pinkerton, and these other advisors, and the state of Maryland, by the way, which if you recall, stayed in the Union. But 40,000 plus people fought for the Union in Maryland, but 20,000 plus fought. For the Confederacy in Maryland.
So, this was a state. that was really divided and Lincoln's wisdom. His profound talent. was the ability to look past. bad things to try and create and hold together.
the country he loved. The story of the secret plot to assassinate Lincoln before the Civil War. Here. on our American stories. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at Let's Get RealAbout SkinCancer.com.
Saturday, August 22nd in Tampa, witnessing MMA Legends final fight. Chris Cyborg, one of the greatest in history. She's an absolute pioneer in the sport. Defends her PFL world title. One last time.
Unforgettable and got you marvelous. An unforgettable career. Saturday, August 22nd, live from Benchmark International Arena. For tickets, visit pfl.info/slash tampa. Upgrade to Elite Checking from America's Christian Credit Union and earn up to 4% APY, plus everyday perks and access to your paycheck up to two days early with early pay.
Don't settle. Choose checking that rewards you and aligns with your values. Visit America's ChristianCU.com forward slash iHeart. Minimum balance of one cent required to earn advertised APY, early pay not guaranteed. APY equals annual percentage yield.
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