The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-12-06

"Many were the comments upon the pecu-
liarities of their visitors, and Notwithstanding
the high respect and esteem in which they
both held Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Shields, they
could not restrain playful jests upon each
others supposed admirers. One day when
the objec. of Mr. Lincoln's visit had been
mercilessly rallied upon the grace and ele-
gance of her supposed lover, she determined
Upon having her revenge by practical expe-
riment. Accordingly, when the future hero
of Cerro Gordo called that evening, ne was
requested to take seat ana did take one
that was standing in delightful proximity to
that occupied by his fair entertainer. But
hardly had he sat down, when, with a bound,
he stood upon his feet again. Something
sharp had rendered the seat uncomfortable.
The evening passed off pleasantly, and the
wooing, doubtless, progressed most happily.
until few days after Mr. Lincoln was seen,
now in the supreme court library, now upon
the State House steps, now at the street cor
ner, at the hotels, and everywhere, entertain
ing delighted crowds by reading some dozen
verses having for their object the little Incl
dent of the sitting down and getting up in
haste The reading of these verses produced.
as the newspaper reporters say, 'roars Of
laughter The verses were not only capital
poetry, but the poetry lost nothing of its ef
feet by being sung by the poet himself. OF
course it was not long before this matter
reached the ears of Shields, and what had
been joke up to that time, was a joke no
longer. We pass over what followed, and
come to the results. Shields challenged Mr.
Lincoln. There were those who believed
that the verses had been indited by farer
hands than Lincoln's, but he had read them
to thousands as his own, and it was impossi-
bic for him to back out by throwing the re-
sponsibility upon another, and that other a
lady. SO he accepted the challenge. Gen
Whitesides,at lat that time treasurer of state.was
the second of Shields, and DIR Merr.man and
Mr. Butler, the present state treasurer, were
the friends of Mr. Lincoln.
AT that time, Bloody Island in the Mis-
sissippi, nearly opposite st Louis, was the
universal field for all affairs of honor. The
seconds met to arrange the terms of meeting.
The place and time were agreed upon readi
y; but when the weapons were named, old
Gen WhiteSide was utterly as.onisheG. Mr.
Lincoln, having the choice of weapons, select
ed long cavalry swords, the two principals to
be placed opposite each other; that between
the combatants there should be erected rail
barrier four feet and u half high, and all
blows to be exchanged over this barrier, each
party of course to be at liberty to approach
as near the barrier or to keep as distant from
it as he might choose, but not to Jump over
OK around it. These extraordinary terms
were at first indignantly rejected, and their
proposal denounced as evidence OF cowardice :;
but Mr. Lincoln would offer no others, and
Mr. Shields was forced to accept them or 50
without fight. He chose the former, and
the parties all proceeded to Bloody Island,
where, just as they We're about to engage in
the due, and after the fence was made friends
interceded, and the actual fight was prevent
ed. This was Mr. lncon's first known ex-
perience as duelist, arG his most intimate
friends have not heard of his engaging in the
business since, though it is said that in that
affair he assured his friends that he placed
great reliance on rail fence How tha, re-
lance has been proved to be well founded,
last years campaign will serve 10 SHOW"