The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-12-18

challenge, and without further circum-
locution fixed the
Time-Sunrise on the following morn
ing.
Place-The Allen farm, one mile north
of the present State House.
Weapons-Rifies.
Distance One hundred yards.
Positon-The parties TO stand with
their right sides toward each other the
rifles to be held in both hands horizon
tally and cecked. Neither party TO
move his person or his rife after being
placed, until the word fire.
Shields was not a little surprised at
the prOmptness with which his overtures
had been met, but protested that as a
State officer he could not fight within
the limits of the State. He also claimed
that the position would give his oppo-
nent the advantage, as he was left
handed. Mr.. Butler, with his friend,
the inevitable Dr. Merriman, was at the
place appointed, and at the time
designated, but failed to find any adj
versary.
There followed some rather caustic
criticisms on Shields declinatiOn OF a
meeting he had so ostentatiously in
vited, whereat he sent another note ac-
cepting the original terms; or, if that was
not satisfactory, he would "go out to
some lonely place on the prairie and
fight, without seconds, and beyond the
danger of molestation.
Butler replied that he had once offered
him battle. which was refused, and ne
would now have no more TO do with him.
So the affair ended, so far, at least, as
the principals were concerned.
THE SECONDS THIRST FOR GORE.
But the seconds took up the affair
where the principals laid it down. In
the course of the correspondence con-
nected with the unpleasantness between
Shields and Butler, in which White
sides and Merriman had acted the
part of seconds, the former had
severely censured the course of
the latter, who responded that "the
arrogant, dictatorial, rude, and ungentle-
manly character OF the note preeluded
all further correspondence on the sub
ject." Strangely enough. Abraham Lin
coin was the bearer of this message, and
thus repaid the services of the man who
had served him in the same capacity but
day or two before.
To this note Gen. Whitesides laeoni-
cally replied
Meet me at the Planters House,
st. Louis, on Friday next, when you
will hear further from me.
DIR. Merriman aslaconically answered.
e" [ wish to know if you intend your
note as a challenge If SO, my friend
Capt. Lincoln will wait upon you with
the conditions of our meeting"
Whitesides responded:
" You shall have a note of the char
acter you allude to when we meet at the
Planters House, st. Lonis, on Friday
next
Merriman replied, denying the right
of the challenger to name the place of
meeting and suggested Louisiana, Mo.
Whitesides then called upon Mr.. Lin
coin and informed him verbally that he
could not accept that proposition that
he had business In st. Louis, and that
place was as near as Louisiana.
Merriman then dropped the matter.
Finding he could not force fight at
st. Louis, Whitesides sent note by the
hand of Gen. Shields offering to meet
his adversary at Louisiana, but MerTi-
man refused to reopen the matter 30
ended another bloodless battle Of the
1t is a singular fact that out of the af-
fair of Lincoln and Shields grew nearly
as many duels, or attempts at duels, as
have occurred in all the previous and
subsequent history of the State. It is
a little singular, too, that amid all this
bluster not sword was unsheathed or
a pistol cooked. The affairs did not
even end in smoke, for they did not
come that near to actual hostilities.