New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-05-13
New Light on a Memorable AZ.
fair BY a Member Of the
Party.
Meeting on the Field Between
the Mart red President and
General Fields
Prevented by Threats of a
Spanking-A New Method
of Peacemaking.

sil.= VI CCtCCluUh1llSs -+'-5-s~ Vi.
KANSAS CITY, May IL. The journal
prints the following from it's Topeka
correspondent William G.. Souther,
who claims to have been a witness of
the historic duel between Abraham Lin
coin and Gen. James Shields, has relat-
ted to a Journal correspondent what
purports to be the missing data Of that
event. Heretofore but meagre details
of what actually took place when the
duelling party crossed the Mississippi
river have been published, and Souther
now fills in that most important part Of
the days proceedings. Souther, who is
70 years old, has for the past IS years
been clerk in the office of the auditor
of the Santa Fe railway system in this
city, though the greater portion Of his
life has been spent as printer and
newspaperman. Up to the time Of the
arrival Of the duelling party at the Al
ton ferry, the story he tells is very sim
liar to the ones heretofore printed, but
from there it differs widely. Souther
relates that in order to witness the duel
he agreed to drive the horses which pro-
PEELED the ferry boat carrying the dis
tinguished party.
Arriving on the opposite shore, says
Souther, which was a wilderness Of tim
Der, spot partially cleared was selected
as the battle ground Shields took a
seat on a fallen log on one side of the
clearing and Lincoln seated himself on
another at the opposite side. The Sec
onds then proceeded to cut pole about
10 feet long and the stakes were crotched
at the ends. The stakes were driven into
the ground and the pole laid across the
crotches SO that it. rested about three
feet above the ground. The men were
to stand on either side Of this pole and
fight across it. A line was drawn on
the ground on both sides three feet
from the pole, with the understanding
that if either combatant stepped back
across his own line it was to be consid-
cred a giving up of the fight.
Hope Labored Hard.
After all these arrangements had
been completed the seconds rejoined
their principals at the different sides Of
the clearing and commenced to- talk in
low tones. Along with the Shields
party was DR.. T. M. Hope of Alton
He was very much opposed to the duel
and reasoned with Shields for long
time. AS a result of his talk several
notes were passed between the seconds.
Lincoln remained firm and said Shields
must Withdraw his first note and ask
him whether he was or not author Of
the poem in The Journal. When that
was done he said he was ready to treat
with the other side. Shields was in
flexible and finally DR.. Hope got mad
at him. He said Shields was bringing
the Democratic party of Illinois and
himself into ridicule and contempt by
his folly. Finally he sprang to his feet,
faced the stubborn little Irishman and
blurted out:
Was Too Much for Shields
Jimmie, you Cd d-n little whip
persnapper, if you don't settle this I'll
take you across my knee and spank
you" This was too much for Shields
and he yielded. A note was solemnly
prepared and sent across to Lincoln
which inquired if he were the author of
the poem in question. Lincoln wrote a
formal reply in which he said he was
not, and then mutual explanations and
apologies followed. I watched Lincoln
closely while he sat on his log, awaiting
the signal to fight. His face was grave
and serious. could discern nothing of
'sOld Abe as we knew him. I never
knew him to go so long before without
making a joke, and believed he was
getting frightened. But presently he
reached over and picked up one Of the
swords, which he drew from it's scab-
bard. Then he felt along the edge of
the weapon with his thumb, like a bar
Der feels the edge of his razor, stretched
himself to his full height, stretched out
his long arms and
Clipped or Twig From a Tree
above his head. There was not another
man of us who could have reached any
where near that twig, and the absurdity
Of that long-reaching fellow fighting
with calvary sabres with Shields, who
could walk under his arm, came pretty
near making me howl with laughter.
After Lincoln had cut off the twig he
returned the sword to the scabbard with
sigh and sat down. But I detected
the CLEAN in his eye which was always
the forerunner of one of his inimitable
yarns, and fully expected him to tell a
side-spltter there in the shadow of the
grave-Shield's grave. After things
had been adjusted at the duelling ground
we returned to the ferry boat, every
body chatting in the most pleasant man
ner possible" 49,. :'z..