December 15 1860

Charleston, South Carolina

To whom it may concern:

This letter is intended for Mr. Lincoln, or his acquaintances who can inform him of this information. Please make sure he receives the following message:

My father and other Palmetto Guards are planning an assassination attempt on you, Mr. Lincoln. I am a credible source because I have direct contact with these men. Its been tough listening to my father exclaim that he wants to “murder that man” repeatedly. I am writing to warn you, first-hand, that my father and his fellow Palmetto Guards have constructed a plan to murder you in Baltimore. 

I’m not sure if this information will reach you in time, but if it does and you survive this attack, I look forward to the years to come. I am excited for change. This is why I feel outraged by my father’s decision to put slavery as his first priority. I am strongly against slavery and am scared that this letter will be intercepted, so I have kept my name ‘Anonymous’.

Throughout my life, I have been pressured to conform to others’ points of view. I struggle on a daily basis trying to support a lifestyle where I own slaves and my friends and family believe that slavery is the right thing. Things have gone bad since you won the election.  People in South Carolina are excited to have left the Union and create their own rules around slavery. Personally, I am scared. 

The Palmetto Guard is planning to assassinate you at the train depot in Baltimore, Maryland when you are on your way to the inauguration and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb 23,1861. At first they planned to bomb the train tracks in Baltimore prior to your  arrival for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They had plans to cut the telephone wire in advance so there would not be any way to communicate about this plan. But then, they devised a back-up plan. 

Their new plan is to assassinate you at the Calvert Street train depot. They’re planning to create a diversion by having a couple of Palmetto Guards at the train station who will start a fight when you get off the train. They want your protection to leave you to go break up the fight. Once they have left your side, the rest of the Palmetto Guards will gather around you and the assassination will occur. Every member of the Palmetto group will be in the crowd at the train station, all simultaneously trying to kill you. 

I am sorry to inform you of this plot, but your life is at risk. Please be careful.

Sincerely, 

Anonymous