New-York tribune., 1896-05-25
LINCOLN'S FAMOUS DUEL.
THE STORY OF HIS MEETING WITH SHIELDS
TOLD ny AN EYEWITNESS
Toneka correspondence Of The Kansas city Journai

Topeka correspondence Of The Kansas city journal
There is among the respected and venerape c,bo ho
zens Of Topeka man lincoln and General
James Shields Peculiar interest mas ot iaie % oeJn
aroused in this affair through history oi WIKI
The author frankly admits that but meagre detaalls
be procured OF what S Wysssnp River and
stakel on nghtlng grounds on rs De solate oahhs
- ,he yhoe transaction and not only does ne sup
ply the missing historical data but ne reIabtts ' t
story with oId-fashsoned directhess WHO" i
XII first 10 the gentleman who tells the story
three and he came 20 Topeka In 1869 For ne Iast
sixteen years he 'as been clerk IN the on.oe 9 Gi
beadguarfers building. though the greater portion
OF his llfe has been spent as printer ana news
'"!I, was; said Mr. souther "on the morning Of
September -. 1913. that Shields ana .hcol @
I'm Alton ! was then a printer ana reporter on
ne A',@" 10 ,b coS,ing duel which made me resolve
fast a. the Franklin Hous" and about W. IN tne
owuc,l and run BY a man by the name OF chapman;
The boat VAS propelled by two horses which worked
I made arringerncnts with chapman TO drive these
horses 4 Young fellow by the name OF Broughton
making Ilst ten OF us In all. "a | remember.
"Lincoln ana his party sat AT one side OF the boat
phlngs when looked brlgerent about the equipment
long cavalry sabres "hich lay on tn aeTk' Gi'
i,,e' hrtwecn The opposite sides and everything
proceeded as socmny and decorously as at
"Arr:ying on the opposite shore. which was
s,,',sI a. IN, batiesronnd Shields took a seat
upon a fallen log on one side OF the little clearing
and Lincoln enscOnced himself on another AZ the
pole about twelve feet long. and two stakes with
ground and the pole laid across the crotcheS. so
that IL rested about three feet above the ground.
pole and fight across IT, \ line was drawn on the
ground on both sides three feet from the pole.
.I..ut. .tfIf
stepped back across his line IT was to be con-
sldeed giving HP OF hG sh TniS M ,yS you otbs sse
all the time. as neither could get more than three
feet away from the pole & and the the Swords seemed TO
After all these arrangements had been com
peied the seconds rejoned their prncipas at '9e ne
talk In low Along with the Shields party WAS
a voice like a steam calliope He was very much
opposed the duel and reasoned with Shlcl DIS Tor
a long time. As "A result Of his talk, several notes
were passed between the seconds. II intensely
udlcrous 20 me to see those men handing notes to
each other instead Of talking out whatever they had
Lincoln remained firm. and said that Shields
must Withdraw his first note and ask him whether
or not he was the author Of the poem in The Jour
nal When that was done he sait ne was rehdy
and finally, Or. Hope got mad at him. He said
Sa S6s and Ta 6msrP SrPfn @ d4 and consmPt BY his
folly Finally. he sprang to his feet, faced the stub
little whippersnapper. II you don't settle this will
take you across my, knee and spank you This was
Hope woud have carried his threat into execution
If he hadn't. \ note was solemnly prepared and
sent across Lincoln which inquired II he was the
author OF the poem In question. Lincoln wrote
formal reply In which he said that he was not. and
then mutual explanations and apologies followed.
II watched Lincoln closely while he sat on his
log awaiting the signal fight. His face was grave
ana serious. | could discern nothing suggestive OF
'Old Abe as knew him. | never knew him
10 go so long before without making some sort of
toke and began to believe he was getting fright
ened But presently he reached over and picked up
one of the swords which he drew from its scabbard.
Then he felt along the edge OF the weapon with his
stretched himself to his full height stretched out
his long and clipped off a twg from tree
above his head with the sword. There wasn't
other man of who could have reached anywhere
near that twg, and the absurdty OF that long
reaching fellow fighting with cavalry sabres with
little 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
10 its scabbard with sigh. and sat down. but |
detected the gleam I'm his eye, which was always
the forerunner OF OF his inmltable yarns. and
fully expected him TO tell sdesDliter right there
in the shadow OF the grave-Shieldss grave
After things had been adjusted at the dueng
Chatting in the most friendly manner possible. But
II must have been an awful trial 10 Lincoln to hold
in and not Josh the life OF Shields Before
started back John Broughton got log and put II
at one end of the ferry-boat and covered Il with a
red shirt In such manner that IL looked like the
recumbent figure OF a covered with blood.
when we reaoned Alton the landing crowded
the duel. When they say the dummy at tho end OF
the boat they almost crowded into the water TO see
who II was that had been slain. | enjoyed this
scene though It clearly offensive TO Shields"