Grant and Lincoln's invitation

[SSlater]

General Grant's choice of trains may have been dictated by previous arrangements for assistance along the way. The trip began in Washington on the B&O. At Baltimore the B&O turned west (toward Ohio) Northbound travelers were hauled by horses from the downtown Camden Station, to the President's Street Station where it was attached to another Line that headed for Philly. Now this train ran as far as the Susquehanna River, where the train was put on barges (Plural) and floated across the river, to be reassembled on the other side. From there they ran into Philly, where they disembarked and rode horse drawn ambulances, provided by the U. S. Army, from the Station to the Delaware River, where they boarded a Ferry Boat to New Jersey. Here they boarded New Jersey trains. (Maryland trains could not run on New Jersey tracks - different gauges). At the end of their run, there was someone there to meet them, including some local officials, who wanted to Greet their Hero.
Someone who was of the social stature of General Grant was not going to be left to fend for himself. Luggage handling - finding food - finding Latrines at any stop, etc. etc. was provided. If all of this was prearranged, then General Grant stuck with that train, and something running hours later was out of the question. (IMHO)