On the morning of February 11, 1861, Abraham Lincoln prepared to leave Springfield, Illinois for Washington. The President-Elect had grown a beard since election day -- and was still not quite comfortable with how he looked.
Mary Lincoln was just back from New York where she had bought so much finery she did not dare tell her husband how much she had spent. She had accepted lavish gifts of clothing and jewelry, too, and had kept that fact to herself, as well.
Despite the heavy rain, a sizable crowd turned out to see Lincoln off. Springfield had nurtured him. He had prospered there. Now, he was saying goodbye.
