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A hotel in Baltimore
February 23, 1861

Ferrandini walked up the stairs, to Lincoln’s hotel room in Baltimore. There was barely any security, which surprised the Corsican. He had expected more of a fight.

He turned toward the door, behind which the President-elect slept. It was locked, of course; but he simply used the hammer he had brought to smash the lock to pieces. He walked into the room. There, on a bed, was President-elect Abraham Lincoln, fast asleep.​

Ferrandini walked closer to Lincoln. He swung his hammer up, and brought it crashing down on the skull of the President-elect. Abraham Lincoln died instantly.

The White House
March 15, 1861

Hannibal Hamlin stood inside the small room. The old Chief Justice, Roger Taney, stood in front of him. Hamlin took the Bible, and calmly said the words so many had said before him: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Of course, Hamlin was anything but calm. He felt a pain in his throat as he read the word ‘preserve’. He knew perfectly well that doing that would not be easy over the next four years. The South had just seceded. Of course, this is just what Europe has been waiting for, the President-elect (no; President now, he reminded himself). A chance to kill democracy. Well, Hamlin would not let that happen. Dixie was coming back, whether it wanted to or not.

Also, the political part of Hamlin was elated. He had been a part of politics in Maine since 1836 – although he had briefly become a national figure with his conversion to the Republican Party in 1856, he had never expected to take the Presidential Oath of Office!

[FONT=&quot]The largest part of Hamlin, however, was scared. And with America collapsing in front of him, that was the last thing the President needed. [/FONT]
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