The Osceola times., 1881-01-22
The shields-Lincoln Duel.
Kansas City Times.

nbl NGn. james NnltllS Was AuulloI
of the State of Illinois he was one of the
popular young men of the city of Spring
field, and was always with the young
people in their pleasure parties. 1t was
during the time the General was state
Auditor that the memorable duel oc-
Cured between him and Mr.. Lincoln.
The writer of this was then resident OF
the State of Illinois and was an eye wit
ness Of the conclusion of that affair.
The cause of the challenge from Shields
to Lincoln was the publication III a
weekly paper called the SangamOn jour
nal, published by Simeon Francis, of Il
piece of poetry in which Gen. Shields
was held to ridicule. The General was
very sensitive and no sooner did he read
the article than he visited the printing
Office and demanded of Cinnamon" rs
Mr.. Francis was called by everybody in
those days, the name of the author.
Francis was as a fat, pompous, Ignorant
man, with the largest bump of self esteem
il was possible to raise on any one head,
but he was taken aback by the impetuous
manner of Shields demand for the name
of the author. Now, the article had been
concocted by two or three of the young
ladies of the little town-among them
being Miss Jayne, afterward the first
wife of Lyman Trumbull, and Miss Todd,
aitcrward Mrs. Lincoln--so that Mr..
| Francis hesitated rs to what he should
say. Finally, in answer to the threat
that unless the name of the author was
given he would be held personally re-
sponsible, Mr.. Francis requested till next
morning to consult with the author.
! This was agreed to, and Gen. Shields
went away nursing his wrath. Francis,
| in his extremity, consulted Mr.. Lincoln,
and he, thinking that it was only a tenn
| pOrary excitement on the part of Gen.
| Shields, that would cool down after few
| hours thought, said: ooh, tell Jimmy !
am responsible for it' In the primitive
times of this occurrence there were no
| mistcrs but preachers of the gospel, and
| these only got the title rarely. Every
| body was Jimmy, Abe, Ben, etc. On
| calling the next day for his answer, Mr.
| Lincoln's name was given as the author
and forthwith an angry challenge, de-
manding retraction and apology or salts
| faction, was forwarded to Lincoln. The
| latter on receiving it at once went with
| it open in his hand, to the State House
and in the office found the Auditor
"Why, Jimmy" said Mr.. Lincoln, you
don't understand this; let me explain"
81 can have no conversation with you,
sir" was the answer. MY friend will
receive any communication you have to
make" Finding the General so implaca-
bic, Lincoln went to his office, but for
some days refused to answer the chal-
lenge on account of the warm friendship
previously existing between them. In
the meantime mutual friends endeavored
to heal the breach, for singularly enough
everybody but Shields knew the authors
of the offensive article. All efforts at
peace, however, were unavailing, and Mr..
Lincoln finally said: "If Jimmy must
have a fight, all right" While these at
tempts at settlement were being made
some ten days or two weeks elapsed, and,
supposing that if any duel should be
fought it would be with rifles, as Mr.. Lin
coin was known to be an expert with
that weapon, Gen. Shields went daily to
the grove north of the town, just above
where Hon. b. :. Edwards now lives,
and practiced for an hour or two with Il
rife. As the constitution of the State Of
Illinois contained severe penalties
against duelling it was deemed neces-
sary, after the challenge was accepted
to 90 to the State Of Missouri to fight
The nearest point to Springfield was at
Alton, - miles distant, and to this city
one bright morning started the combat
ants in separate private conyeyances,
there being then no railroads. Each
party was accompanied by seconds, sur
geon and a friend or two. At Alton the
Shields party was augmented by DR.. +.
NJ Hope, well-known physician of that
city a warm personal friend of Shields
and a leading Democrat. He urged
Shields to abandon the project then, in
sisting that il would only bring ridicule
on him and on the Democratic party; but
nothing could move the General.
The two parties made arrangements to
cross the Mississippi river into Missouri.
The only available means at that time
was a ramshackling old ferryboat pro-
PEELED by two horses; owned by man
named Chapman. With the combatants
and several citizens of Alton who had
got wind Of the affair there were as many
as 80 persons to cross, and this large ac-
ccssiOn of business quite Overpowered
Chapman, SO that he gave boy permis-
sion to ride over on condition that he
would beat the horses to induce them to
do their work.
Up to this time there had been no no.
tice given by the challenged party of a
choice of weapons, but early that morn
ing visit to the State arsenal. then a
part of the State penitentiary, which was
located at Alton, revealed the fact that
among the arms of the State were certain
sabers of the old-fashioned kind. with
iron scabbards, and as the parties were
about to embark it was announced that
the weapons to decide the fight were
"brOadswords en- barriers"
Shields was furious; the extreme dis
parity in size between him and Lincoln
was sufficient to throw the greatest ridi-
cule on the whole proceedings, and his
friends could do nothing to avert the
chance of turning the whole thing into a
farce. The parties went over the river,
and there the Counsels of DIR, Hope and
John J. Hardin prevailed, and the mat
ter was settled without resort to arms.
Gen. Shields would have stood up before
Lincoln or anybody else. lie was is
brave as any man that ever lived, and as
honest as he was brave. The writer saw
him when he was brought back from
Mexico with an cscopcta ball through
his lungs, and chronicled his wonderful
escape from death by that wound. Gen
Shields was deserving better reCogni-
ton than he received at the hands of the
government.
A Rabbit Story.