St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-06-20
Abraham Lincoln's Duel
\ FOEGoTTEN INCIDENT RECALLED |
TIE WALWORTH TRAGEDY.

. \ f'H'r'l len IN tlDENl RECALLED Bl
TIE wALwORTH TRAGEDY.
Strangely enough. the murder &"
/ Mansfield /. Walwurth by his son re-.
calls the story of Abraham Lincoln
/ duel. The mother of Frank WulworlI
/ Is the daughter of Col. John J. Hardin
who saved Mr.. Lincoln from thc remol :,
/ which would have oVcI>hadowed hi,
/ life if he had killed Gen. Shields Col
Hardin WAS prominent whig politi-
( rI;iH. and WAS esteemed the ''braveSt
MAN in Illinois. He was killed at the
/ battle of Bucua Vista. and in his death
| fairly earned the distinction which his
admiring friends had given him while
| living. Mr.. Lincoln was his intimate
/ friend. and both men We're gifted with
Il large sense of humOr. which they
turned to good account.
The hostile meeting ct Nh Lincoln and
General Shields was brought about in
this way: \ witty Young lady wrote Il
communication for one of the Spring
field papers. in which there were sever
al passages which the General WAS
pleased To consider as personally of
frn>iVc. He was Il testN lriSlman. who
had great deal of troublesome digni-
t.. and could never appreciate il joke
II his own expense. lie WrLr forth
with To the newspaper office and de
nlanded the name of the correspondent.
and. this being refused. he gave the
editor three days in which Ia make MP
his mind. either to refer him To the
writer "r l." take Il whipping himself.
lie poor man WIS gleatly Y distressed.
He did not like tn hc guilty of the un-
gallant act of hctrayiug his lady con-
tIihutor. and he did not care to have
fight with ten. Shields. who was Il
much stronger man. In this dilemma.
lac came To Mr. Lincoln and told him
,f his trouble. The LAWYER took the
matter into consideration. but he could
think of no stratagcm for the relief OF
his friend. At last he said to him.
when Shields comes around with
his club. tell HIM that Abe Lincoln
wrote the letter. The editor acted
upon the >uggeStion. and. when the
ilatc politician appeared. ready to carry
his threat into execution. he was polite
lr requested I" call upon Abraham
Lincoln for satisfaction.
This put Il new face upon the matter.
Gen. shields knew better than To come
foulimg about MI. Lincoln with his
cane. Ii, WAS AT that time Il great.
lnug armed. muscular fellow. good
natmcd. hut rc>ulutr. and when the oc-
c;,>iou demanded he could deal ~ur!
blows with his fists - made his auIago-
ui>t> think that splitting was his
pa>timc. If h'. had been attacked bl
Gcn. Shields and had supposed that it
would add anything tu the hum"I of
the night. h" would haN" bent his a>>aIl-
ant uNct III nu.r ami administered
punishment after the manner of con
>cicutiou> m"thcr>. But attri all hi>
threatening and hlu~ter ten. Shields
cniIli not back ont without >ubiecting
himself To- ihc ridicule of his tuwlI>inen.
50 h, concluded I" challenge Mr. Lin
coin The challenge Wis accepted. hut
I" the great di~mal nt the challenger.
hh.hdm named long swords aS the
weapons. He had no skill III the Use
of the sword. but with his tremendous
reach "t arm and great muscular
strength he would have cut off ten.
Shirld>> head before he got himself i'll
to r">iti"n tnr one at his scientific
thIu~t>.
The time and place Of meeting were
glurmd rllll with his second. and there
being some bushes in the plot selected
for th,. fight. he set to work to clcaI
them away with Il hatchct. While he
WAS engaged III this. other gentlemen
came ou the field. aud the, were 80
struck with the ludicInu> scene that
they ruUlh not refrain tIoIn laughter.
just then col. Hardin appeared, aud.
approaching the humorous >iItati"n.
he appealed 10 both p.uti,~ not t" make
fools Of themselves. with such effect
that they went home WithuHt fighting.
Mr.. Lincoln often said afterwards that
his participation III this affair waS the
mo;Iuc>y act of his life.
Col. Hardin. althougi, lraccmakcr
on this occasion. WIS Il mau of great
rourag" and chiN Ihou> hearing. ii
the breaking ont of the MEXICAN V.u
he was put in command of the l~t IL
lin"i> volunteers. and died ON the bat
lr-irld of Bucna Vista. ~ already
stated.