February 17, 1861; The New York Herald
BUFFALO, Feb. 16, 1861.
The Presidential party left Cleveland at nine A.M. today. The train was composed of a baggage car and three passenger coaches. The coach especially set apart for the President elect was one of exceeding beauty, from the manufactory of Messrs. Kasson & Son, of Buffalo.
The President elect and party were accompanied from Cleveland to this place by a large number of prominent politicians of Northern Ohio. The President elect still labored under the effect of the fatigues of the previous day, and was rather reserved. His hoarseness induced him to speak less today than during any of the preceding stages of the journey.
The train stopped at Willoughby, Painesville, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut, Erie, Westfield, Dunkirk and Silver Creek, at all of which places large crowds were assembled, and Mr. Lincoln was received with great and constantly increasing enthusiasm.
The largest and most demonstrative crowd was assembled at Ashtabula, the home of Old Giddings.
At Geneva, Ohio, he was addressed briefly by one of the crowd, who exhorted him to stand by the constitution and the cause of liberty.
At Girard station several baskets of splendid fruit and flowers were presented to the Presidential family. No little sensation was produced at this point by the unexpected apparition on the train of Horace Greeley, equipped with a valise and his well known red and blue blankets. He was at once conducted into the car of the President, who came forward to greet him. He got off again at Erie, after travelling about twenty miles with the company.
At Erie quite a scene occurred, by the breaking down of a roof on which a large number of curious republicans had gathered. The sudden disappearance of the whole group, and the scramble among the ruins, was most ludicrous. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt.
After dinner at Erie Mr. Lincoln addressed the people, excusing himself for not expressing his opinions on the exciting questions of the day. He trusted that when the time for speaking should come he should find it necessary to say nothing not in accordance with the constitution together with the interests of the people of the whole country.
At North East station a flag, inscribed ‘Fort Sumter’ was carried right up to where Mr. Lincoln stood, but he did not seem to take the hint, and made no allusion to it in his few remarks. At the same station Mr. Lincoln took occasion to state that during the campaign he had received a letter from a young girl of this place, in which he was kindly admonished to do certain things, and among others to let his whiskers grow, and that, as he had acted upon that piece of advice, he would now be glad to welcome his fair correspondent, if she was among the crowd. In response to the call a lassie made her way through the crowd, was helped on the platform and kissed by the President.
At Dunkirk, while addressing the people, Mr. Lincoln, grasping the staff of the American flag, under the folds of which he stood, announced his intention to stand by that flag, and asked them to stand by him as long as he should do so.