On October 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln spoke at Lincoln in Logan County, Illinois, before a large and enthusiastic Republican mass meeting that drew at least five thousand people, with some estimates higher. Special trains arrived from Springfield and Bloomington carrying supporters, and delegations came from communities across the county and beyond, including Atlanta, Mount Pulaski, Middletown, Sugar Creek, Delavan Prairie, Williamsville, and Elk Hart, many bearing music and banners. A procession stretched for more than a mile, and among its features were German supporters carrying a banner declaring Lincoln their choice and two carriages with thirty-two young ladies representing the states of the Union. Lincoln, introduced by S.C. Parks, spoke for more than two hours in front of the courthouse and was praised by newspaper accounts as eloquent and forceful in exposing Stephen A. Douglas's inconsistencies. The gathering was portrayed as one of the largest and most enthusiastic meetings of the campaign in a county regarded as an important battleground in the Senate contest.