The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-02-24


teoerate and every son of Il Confed-
( crate from the Potomac to the Rio
/ Gronde as one OF the two generals
whom Stonewan jackson licked in
! Inherent fights in sight of each other
| and on the same day. is about to have
! monument erected to his memory
/ by the national Government. 1t should
/ be said that General Shields is best
/ known ut the North, proba bly,, as the
! only man who ever defeated stone
! wall Jackson in battle.
But the monument is to be erected
! over the grave of General Shields be-
/ cause he is the only man who ever
! represented three States in the Senate
| OF the United StateS-not all three at
/ one and the same time. but at differ
/ emit periods in his varied and decided
/ ~ stormy career.
/ General Shields was also distip
| guished as having once challenged
/ braham Lincoln to a duel, though
/ the rencontre never took place, though
! both parties were on the way to the
/ field OF honor when the intervention
/ of mutual friends brought about an
adjustment OF the difficulty.
General Shields was born at Dun
cannon, ireland, in 1910. He was a
! fighter from his youth M for IL is
recorded that while still a little how
/ he called an Englishman who fought
AZ Waterloo a liar because he said
the English soldiers displayed great
Nalor I'm that memorable contest. The
D y
not permit him to allow 10 pass nm
noticed any eUlogy Of the soldiers Of
"PerhdiOus Albion" so he called the
Englishn/1n a liar and the challenge
/ tsally went Cpr-<Her field. and leveIod
pistols. The word to FIRE was given
and each pulled the trigger. bat moi
ther weapon exploded. The flint
LOCKS would not work. Each COM
oatant was picking his flint for anoth-
er trial when friends appeared and
stopped the duel. The veteran and the
hoy afterwards became close friends
and young Shields received his first
military lessons from the soldier who
had fought Napoleon at Waterloo.
Came TO United States i'm 1926.
Young Shields emigrated to the
United States in 1926, and though but
sixteen years Of age. entered the ARM
soon after reaching the country H.
nae had considerable experience as a
soldier under the stars and strines
when the Mexican War broke out. AT
Cerro iordo and again at the storm
ing or Chepultepec, he distinguished
himself, and when the struggle ended
ne was wearing the title of brevet-
major general.
He was elected to the Senate OF
later elected to the Senate from EIiS'
souri,, whittier he had removed. and
removing later to Minnesota. was
elected to the Senate from that State
~ was while State Auditor of Illi-
hols, along in the forties that an an
onymous letter, making all manner of
run or shields as regarded his personaJ
appearance, appeared in a Springfield
newspaper. The editor said Lincoln
was the author. Shields sent ATr III
coin challenge, and IL was accen1ad
MI; Lincoln as the challenged party
uhder the code, having the right 70
TTmoose weapons, named broad swords
dneIIS was an iHthois statute against |
law against the practice and the mar
yes started Tor designated spot IN
that state. each accompanied nv sec
onus. But friends succeeded in re
so3rlnE the friendly relations formerly
subslsting, and after having gone some 4
way on their journey to the field they
returned home.
When the war broke out Mr.. Lin
coin made Shields a brigadier general I
He made IL pretty we'll IN Tho 49,,
until sent TO the Valley OF VirVinia ~
check Stonewall Jackson. about 10 en-
ter upon his famous VALLEY C,ayn-
paign.' Indeed. General Shields made
4 me start towards the accomplish
lust after Jackson had been assigned
20 command the Army of the VALLEY
u virginia. he fell back before tha
Z nSo OF General Banks. numberinp
9'UUV men. General Banks reported |
TO Washington that jackson was ..in
-ull retreat from the Valley" and he
immediately started a column across
ne mountain to attack the army OF
, releraI Joseph f. Johnston. which
vas retreating from Manassas
But neither Banks nor Shields had
earned Jackson. The latter imme-
ilatelN turned about. marched eis-',
cen miles in the forenoon, and with
100 men engaged General Shields.
yltn 1,oOO men. near Winchester. at
Nerhstown. 1T was a terrific FIGHT
ND GENERAL Jackson had to retirc
Win mis-, command. but he made sus n
n Impression on the enemy that Gen
raj Banks recalled the column sent s
attack General Johnston. General
ackson moved his army into a strong
osltlon at Swift Run Gap. and when r
'eherai Ewei arrived with his COM >
land he left that officer to watch ,
'anks. while he took his command 4
VI OF the ken OF the world for some s
'eeks. until he sent the famous dis I
atch from Mcdowell. w. Va to Al
liant General Cooper at Richmond: {
200 pressed our arms with victory Z
MCDOWELL yesterday" This meant n
mao defeated the advance OF Cen i
raj Miiroy. The battle was a rout !;
Cut On at AIIddIetown. =
General Jackson then rushod his n
rmy to unite with General EweiI's u
'mmand at Luray. crumpled up Gem =,
al Banks flank at Front Royal, cut "
y tnat oft1cer's retreating column at 81
looletoWn. capturing many prison
s. and on May 25th, engaged General 81
anks' army at Winchester, routing n v
nd driving the enemy back across e.
lie Potomac. General Jackson vas
bout to start into Maryland in pur- j:
lit when he learned that General III
remont from the west and General =
aniels from the east, were marching "a
form a junction I'm his rear at Stras- =,
Irg. ai
He at once started his arnv to pi
owe to prevent his two opponents Ell
ON uniting. 1t was while executing *
is movement that the celebrated OF
'tonewall Bridge" composed large n
OF Scotch-Irishmen from Rock III
ioge and Augusta counties at the 10
'ad OF the Valley. marched ffty-twoI
lies In one day. A member Of the ST
berty Hall Volunteers coroosrS, in