Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-02-13

He was melancholic, constitutionally so; in
clined, In such a matter, we know, to the most
morbid view. The upshot was, at all events,
that on New Years day, 1841, the very day, as
one account has 1t, which had been set for the
wedding, he broke the engagement. According
to Herndon, one of his biographers, who was also
his law partner, he broke it as publicly as pos
sibly by failing to make his appearance on the
appointed wedding day. The engagement was
broken, no doubt of that; but Herndon's account
Of its breaking is not well authenticated
Lincoln took this trouble deeply to heart. He
abandoned his business and went away to forget
1t the following summer, making a visit with that
purpose to his old friend Speed in Louisville, KY.
From this trip he returned in a better frame Of
mind. This, perhaps, because he had been called
upon there to counsel with and resolve some
doubts of Speed regarding his own approaching
marriage. Lincoln and Miss Todd remained I'M
reconciled for a year and a half. In the summer
of 1912 they were brought together Unexpectedly
by mutual friends, and met secretly several
times later at the house of Mr.. Simeon FrancfG
At length the engagement was renewed. Thla
came about through a circumstance of serio
comic features in which they both had part.
This circumstance Is a story in itself. 1t in
wolves, besides the two principles, James Shields
the same afore referred to as one of Miss
Todds admirers. He was an Irishman of ability
and courage, as he afterward proved on the bat
tleield in the Mexican war, when, to cleanse a
wound through the lungs, a silk handkerchief
was drawn through his body.
At the time of the Lincoln affair Shields was a
leading Democrat Of Illinois and held the office
of auditor of state. He was a quick, impulsive
man, whose disposition put him often on the
defensive with the Wing leaders, for the Repub-
lican party was then unborn. OF these Wing
leaders in that state Lincoln then was one. Now,
1t was the custom at that time to carry on much
political controversy through the press by means
of personal communications such as we know
now as Letters from the People" Great space
and attention were given these in the newspapers
in that day.
Just about that date Lincoln furnished such a
letter to a Springfield paper; it was signed Aunt
Rebecca," and in it Shields, whose vanity and gal
lantry often made him a mark, was most unmer-
cifully ridiculed. 1t made a hit, this letter, and
Miss Todd and a friend, its real authors by the
way, followed 1t up with another and with some
doggerel rhyme, which reached the paper in the
same manner as the first.
Springfield laughed loudly at these communi-
cations-not 80 much at the matter of them as
at the anger displayed by Shields. He acted
promptly, sent a friend at once to the editor of
the paper to demand the name Of the writer Of
the articles. Dueling then was still a common
incident of public life, and the editor called upon
Lincoln, who, unwilling to bring the ladies into
the affair, gave his own name as the author.
While he was at fremont, on the law circuit.
fifteen days later, two friends of his overlook him
and advised him that Shields was on the way
following him up to challenge. Shields and a
friend arrived shortly, and Lincoln was soon in
receipt of a written demand for the satisfaction
due a gentleman" in a full, positive and absolute
retraction. This may prevent" the missive said
further, Consequences which no one will regret
more than myself"
Lincoln refused to apologize. Seconds we're i'm
mediately named-Whitesides, editor Of the paper
in which the matter had appeared, for Shields;
E.. H.. Merryman for Lincoln. The seconds talked
of peace, but Whitesides refused to discuss such
a settlement with his principal. why" he said,
he'd challenge me next, and as soon cut my
throat as not!"
That night they all went back to Springfield
with Lincoln's preliminaries to follow, since he
was the challenged party, namely these:
Weapons, cavalry broadswords.
Time, Thursday evening at 5 o'clock.
Place, within three miles Of Alton, on the CD
posite side Of the river Mississippi.
On the End of September, 1912, they were al
upon the ground. The arrangements for the af
fair we're about completed when the party wal
Joined by friends. Among them was Colone
John II. Hardin. who knew Lincoln we'll. H.
had been warned Of the fight by Eliza Lott. who
had heard Of it when the duelists stopped Il
breakfast going out. Colonel Hardin and the rest
managed to satisfy Shields that Lincoln was mo-
the author Of the articles, but was shielding an
other, and to aid the seconds in settling the trou
BILE with honor" as the phrase is, ito all con
cerned."
Less than two months later a marriage licens,
for Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd was issued
Miss Tarbell describes the event as almost i'm
promptu.' The ceremony interrupted meeting
of the Episcopal Sewing society at the house o
Miss Todds sister, the Mrs. Edwards alread,
mentioned.