"Andy ain't a drunkard."
- Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural on March 4, 1865 was held on a miserable, windy, rainy, and muddy day in Washington, D.C. The inaugural ceremonies were planned to be held outside, but were moved inside to the Senate chamber because the weather was so bad. The Senate chamber was muggy and sticky, and it was a very uncomfortable place to be.
Andrew Johnson, President Abraham Lincoln's new vice president, was in poor health during the weeks prior to the inaugural. He’d been suffering from typhoid fever and his travel from Nashville to Washington only added to his health problems and discomfort.
Shortly before the inaugural ceremony began, Johnson was feeling especially ill. He downed three glasses of “medicinal” whiskey to prepare himself before entering the uncomfortable Senate chamber. When the booze kicked in, the inaugural "fun" began.
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