Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-05-15

Historical Duel which was Fought
In sss3.

Journal from Topeka, Kan, says
William {. Scuther, who claims L
have been an eye witness to the histori
cal duel between Abraham Lincoln am
General James Shields, relates to tbs
correspondent what he purports TO b.
the omissing historical data" Of the his
torical event lie tells an interesting
story, which differs materially from tho
published accounts Peculiar interest
has OF late been aroused IN this affair
through a history Of Lincoln, running
in one Of the periodicals, In which the
author frankly admits that but meagre
details can be procured of what actually
took place when the dueling party
crossed the Missouri river, and staked
fighting grounds. Now comes the To-
peka man with detailed story of the
whole transaction, In which he supplies
the missing historical data.
Souther is 20 years old, has for the
past eighteen years been a clerk In the
Office of the auditor of the Santa Fe
railway, though the greater portion OF
his life has been spent as a printer and
newspaper man. Up 10 the arrival of
the duellins party at the Alton ferry, the |
story he tells is very similar to the 9TH
or heretofore printed, but from there It
differs widely.
III was on the morning of September
"a, IS43" says Mr.. Souther, "that Shields
and Lincoln arrived at Alton was
then printer and reporter on the Alton
Telegraph, and had received an intima-
tion of the coming duel, which made
me anxious TO see Il II possible. The
dueling party took breakfast at the
franklin house, and about 1890 In the
forenoon proceeded to the ferryboat
which was owned ard run by man by /
the name of Chapman. The boat was ,
propelled by two horses, which worked ,
around a windlass at one end of the I
boat deck, and ! made arrangements S
with Chapman to drive these horses.
Arriving at the opposite shore, which
was wilderness of timber, a spot part
~ cleaned was selected as the battle p
ground. Shields took seat on a fallen o
log on one side of the clearing, and Lin I,
coin seated himself on another at the ;,
opposite side. The seconds then pro.
essded to cut a pole about twelve feet y
lsng, and two stakes we're crotched In ~
the end. The stakes were driven into IN
the ground and the pole laid across the
erotshss ~ that Il resied about three .,
feel above erousd. TIE msa were to 81
stand on either side of VI. pole and fight al
across IT, A line was drawn on the m
ground on both sides three feet from h,
Ihs pole with the understanding that Il su
either eonbatant stepped back across In
ais swn line, II was to be considered a an
yiyisg up OF the fight, So
After all these arrangements had he
sesn eempletsd the seconds rejolned Nj,
heir principals at the different sides of ,ir
he clearing and commenced to talk In IN
ow tones. Along with the Shields m
arty was DIR. T. NJ. Hope, of Alton. lie .s
vac very much opposed TO the duel and 90,
easoned with Shields for a long time. n,
As result OF this talk several notes "a,
'ere passed between the seconds. an,
Lincoln remained firm and said D..
hields must withdraw his first note and
* whether or not he was author of the
Dem In the Journal. When that was q
one he said he was ready to treat with Low
he other SIDE. Shields was inhexible TN
nd finally Or. Hope got mad at him. 90,
e said that Shields was bringing the an,
rmocaatic party of Illinois and him Zoe
~ to ridicule and contempt by his fol- an,
?. Finally he sprang to his feet, faced r,el
lie stubborn little lrishman and blurted me
1t; eJimmie, you g d. little whip. owe
,rsnapper, If you don't settle this l will car
ke you across my knee and spank Mr.
,u" This was too much for Shields ,,d
I'd he yelled A note was solemnly mot
-epared and sent across to Lincoln, said
hioh inquired if he was the author of whi
e poem In question. Lincoln wrote ma,
formal reply IN which he said he was v,h.
ot, and then mutual explanations and owe
,ologies followed 10
II watched Lincoln closely while he at,e
i or the log awaiting the signal to fight. c,,v
Is face was grave and serious. could "a,
seearn nothing suggestive of old Abe. all
we knew him. never knew him to w.