Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-05-24
The Celebrated Lincoln. Shields Duel.

The prominence given Gen. Shields
in the late Congressional squabble over
the Doorkeeper's place, says the Chica-
go Inter- Ocean, has brought to mind the
fact that he was one of the principals in
the celebrated Lincoln Shields duel in
1912. Shields was then Auditor of this
State, though quite a young man. In
that year the Springfield Journal pub
lished number of letters over the sig
nature of Aunt Becca," ridiculing
Shields, and declaring that he was
dandy who went 'foatin about in the
air, without heft or earthly substance,
just like lock of cat-fur WHARF cats
had been ightin'."
Shields was greatly enraged over these
letters, and announced that it the au
thor was discovered, he would have to
settle it with pistols. After this an
nouncement another letter appeared, in
which Aunt Becca" apologized for her
let the General squeeze her hand if he'd
say no more about it. She closed her
letter thus:
''If this should not answer, there is
one thing more l would do rather than
get lickin'. l have all along expected
to die widow; but, as Mr. S. is rather
good looking than otherwise, must say
| don't care if we compromise the mat
ter by--really, Mr.. Printer, can't help
blushin but lit must come out-1-
but widowed modesty-well, if | must,
| must-wouldn't he-maybe sorter, let
the old grudge drap if l was to consent
to be-be his wife? l know he is a
fghtin man, and would rather fight
than eat; but isn't marryin' better than
fghtin, though it does sometimes run
into it? And. | don't think, upon the
whole, Id be sich bad match, neither;
I'm not over so, and am just four feet
three in my bare feet, and not much
more round the girth; and for color, |
wouldn't turn my back to nary gal in
the Lost Townships. But, after all,
maybe I'm countin' my chickens before
they're hatched, and dreamin' of matri-
monial bliss when the only alternative
reserved for me may be a lickin jeff.
tells me the way these fire e-eaters do is
to give the challenged party choice of
weapons, ETC., which being the case, I'll
tell you in confidence that l never fight
WITH nyuHlng DuG DrOOlnStlckS VI Hot
water, or shovelful of Goals or some
such thing, the former of which, being
somewhat like shillalah, may not be
so very objectional to him. l will give
him his choice, however. in one thing,
and that is, whether. when we fight, l
shall wear breeches or he petticoats, for
l presume this change is sufficient to
place us on an equality"
The author of the letters is said to
have been Miss Todd, afterward Mrs.
Lincoln, and then engaged to the future
President Whether Shields knew
this or not, the result was a challenge
to Lincoln, which the latter accepted.
There was a great deal of travelling
about, negotiating, etc, Lincoln stub
bornly refusing to make any explanation
or deny the authorship of the letters
until the challenge was withdrawn.
Finally, however, the matter was set
tied without any bloodshed, and the
principals went on their life journey,
one to the leadership of nation and a
martyrs death, the other to a Major
Generals commission, and noble mill
tary record in two wars.