The Tall Target

New York Police Sergeant John Kennedy guarded Abraham Lincoln for 48 hours during a campaign, and the experience left him deeply impressed by the man. The close watch exposed him to hints of a looming threat and the seriousness of political danger. This early encounter seeds Kennedy's resolve to intervene when a conspiracy appears.

Stroud dismisses the threat as hogwash, leaving Kennedy with no official support. Kennedy resigns on the spot so he can foil the conspirators on his own. He forwards a copy of his report to the Secretary of War and prepares for action, signaling a break with the police department.

Kennedy sends a telegram to Lincoln urgently requesting a meeting in Baltimore. He has already sent his report to the War Department, ensuring upper-level awareness. The telegram sets the stage for Kennedy's direct involvement in the coming journey.

On February 22, 1861, Kennedy boards the train bound for Washington. He shares the journey with a cast of passengers, including Mrs. Charlotte Alsop and Lance Beaufort, all with their own agendas. The shipment of travelers becomes a pressure cooker for the conspiracy.

Kennedy searches for Inspector Reilly but cannot find him. Reilly's body is later discovered on the exterior platform of a car, yet the corpse slips off the train as Kennedy reaches for it. The eerie discovery heightens the sense that danger lurks among the passengers.

An imposter claiming to be Kennedy forces him off the train at the next stop. Fellow passenger Caleb Jeffers vouches for Kennedy and provides a spare ticket to share his compartment. The ruse advances the conspirators’ plan while Kennedy remains aboard.

The commotion on the moving train attracts Jeffers' attention, and the conspirator is shot and killed. The immediate threat is thwarted, but the plot's reach remains dangerous. This marks the first direct clash with the conspiracy aboard the train.

Jeffers steals Kennedy's derringer and shoots him, while Kennedy pretends to sleep. Kennedy had tampered with the bullet to lessen the danger. Jeffers confesses that he is in the plot to protect his cotton mills' profits.

At Philadelphia, Kennedy tries to arrest Jeffers but is taken into custody by Lieutenant Coulter. Jeffers obtains a telegram from Stroud confirming that Kennedy is no longer a police officer. Rachel attempts to deliver an urgent message but is brushed off.

Kennedy escapes custody and gets back on the train, rejoining the journey toward Baltimore and Washington. The conspiracy continues to unfold as the passengers are drawn deeper into danger. Tension mounts as the plan advances.

Rachel informs Kennedy that Beaufort plans to disembark at Baltimore, not Atlanta as claimed. Kennedy is taken prisoner by Beaufort and tied up in Jeffers' compartment, escalating the peril aboard. The route toward the nation’s capital grows increasingly treacherous.

The conspirators are disappointed when Lincoln cancels his Baltimore speech. Jeffers departs but suspects Mrs. Gibbons’ husband is Lincoln in disguise and chases after the train to warn Beaufort. The danger expands into a cloak-and-dagger chase along the rails.

Kennedy frees himself during a tense struggle and pushes the would-be assassin Beaufort from the speeding train. The immediate threat to Lincoln’s life shifts toward the capital’s approach. A perilous pursuit continues along the track.

Mrs. Gibbons reveals she is a Pinkerton undercover agent, and that Allan Pinkerton’s report helped persuade Lincoln to travel incognito on the train as the ailing Mr. Gibbons. This revelation reframes the mission as a covert operation rather than a public spectacle. Lincoln’s safety depends on remaining unseen until Washington is reached.

As the train reaches Washington, Lincoln muses that a President can arrive for his inauguration like a thief in the night. Kennedy’s efforts have kept him safe and delivered the nation to the capital. The scene closes with a wary sense of triumph amid ongoing danger.