Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-04-23
From the Cincinnati Commercial.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN's DUEL.
THE CAUSE OF THE QUARREL, AND HOW 1T
TERMINATED.

bright as she was beautiful, and as spirited
and witty as she was graceful and good. If
do not name her, it is because in her place
in my heart she is too we'll hedged around
by love and reverence to be brought forth
and presented to the profane gaze oil the
public. AS the wife of senator, whom all
good men and women, too, delight to honor,
her conserving and purifying power has
since been shown to the world by the infin-
ence it has had in helping him keep his life
pure and noble
This maiden, whom | will call Anna, be-
cause must call her something, was the
friend and confdant of Miss Todd, the af-
flanced OF Mr. Lincoln, who had, not so
very many years before this, left off split
ting rails to try what skill he might have in
splitting hairs in lawyers office in Spring
field Judge Shields was likewise dweller
in the town at this time, and irequenter OF
the society in which the two "bright, par
ticular stars, already mentioned, shed their |
radiance. But his moral character was not |
altogether immaculate, report said. For
this, or some other reason, Anna was not |
inclined to regard him with lavor.-
Once upon a time, however, circumstances
compelled her TO accept his escort from an
evening party to her fathers house. Her
spirit was moved with Indignation by a
trifing incident which occurred on the way,
and she determined upon securing revenge.
| A day or two afterward some verses APP
peared in the literary luminarY of the place,
the name of which Father Time has, or, at
any rate, have, dropped from the scene.
The verses were addressed to Judge S. so
obviously, that he who ran could read,
though his name did not appear. They were
witty and sharp, and, though everybody
knew at once to whom they referred, every
body did not know who wrote them. Among
the unfortunate ones to whom, in this case,
ignorance was not bliss, was the distin-
guished individual to whom they were ad-
dressed, who might naturally be supposed TO
have more than common interest in having
ignorance supplanted by knowledge, in con-
verting the unknown into the known. He
set about the accomplishment of the desired
end, but soon found that the pursuit of
knowledge on that line was emphatically
following after 1t under difficulties. He went
to the editor, or printer, perhaps the quality
was comprised in one person, and, after the
manner of the old man IN the spelling-book,
first tried gentle measures, which, not avail
ing, in imitation of the same illustrious ex-
ample, he proceeded to try what virtue
there was in severe ones, which soon brought
the editor down, and he confessed that the
verses were handed to him in the handwrit-
ing of Miss Todd. He did not tell him, be.
cause he did not know, that she had only
: copied them from the manuscript of her
friend Anna.
Judge s. ungallantly attacked the sup
. posed writer in rejoinder, which appeared
10 in the next issue OF the same paper. Spring
field was moi so large then but that every
= body knew his neighbor's business as wei
'' as he did himself, If not little better. Th'
matter was discussed at every tireslde, ant
came in with the dessert, if not before, a
every dinner table.
- - It was well known that Miss Todd wa
, betrothed to Mr.. Lincoln, and every princl
Il Pile of law and equity demanded that h
should be her defender against all wronl
= and injustice. He would be no loyal knigh
~ if he should suffer his lady-love to be pull
40 lcly attacked and he not come to the rescue
He, therefore, took up the cudjel In her be
half. and the result was q challenge fror
- Judge Shields to meet him in single comba
-, and undo the wrong that had been done, b
ho the pleasant operation of the one sheddin
oo the others blood. Whatever may have bee
Mr.. Lincoln's feelings about dueling in th
abstract, in this particular case there SCENE
os to be no choice left him but to accept IL
=. challenge. Miss Todd was Kentuckial
- The friends with whom she lived were {
!. the same ilk. Mr.. Lincoln, himself la
~ been Graded under the same sky. I'll
Al. mere semblance of pusianimity was SOM
an thing that must be put far from him. II
IN. accepted the challenge, and having the rigl
hs of choice in regard to weapons, selecte
be broad-swords.
,or But the laws of Illinois are very stringel
IVA in regard to dueling, That kind ofsalve fl
,n mans wounded honor was not among Il
ii. prescriptions contained in its code. Yea
1;s before this the legislature had declared due
ber ing capital offence and one unfortuna
III violator of the statute had died at the han
I'd of the hangman. Thenceiorth common mi
=, pocketed the offences which the law wou
b;s not vindicate. The chivalry, when insulte
am had to nurse their wrath until they could G
nv into Missouri, or at least to Bloody islam
in. half way over the Mississippi.
bas This was before the railroads with tn
iron horses and fabulous speed had waken
the echoes in that region. Springfield W
w respectable two days journey from Alto
an, the nearest accessible point to the Mississip
in. As nothing else could be done, these t.
d;.. chivalric defenders OF injured innocence C
=, lected their swords and other traps, a
.or started on slow coach, with the priYile
,orn of having, by the way, nice long time
80 which to think Of the pleasantness of kill
orr, or being killed, and what might come the
hr.. after. At last the journey ended, as
,or, things earthly must, and they arrived
cana Alton.
, - There were no steam ferry-boats th
NJ The Charons of that day had to find moi
.sLo power in their own sinewy arms. Eve
- thing was favorable to reflection The I
was abundant not only for ''sober, sect
I. thought" to try Its power, but that mum
had chance to multiply itself into Il
: a. sands, and grow soberer all the while.
-" nothing moved the combatants from Il
steady purpose. The Father of Waters
; 1"N nronitioue. and they were ferried safely