The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1913-02-06

i
He was melancholc, constitutionally SO: in.
clned. in such 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 It.. 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 1t as publicly as pos
sibiy by falling 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 we'll authenticated
Lincoln took this trouble deeply to heart. He
abandoned his business and went away to forget
1t the following summer. making 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 year and 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 Francis.
At length the engagement was renewed. This
came about through circumstance of serio-
comic features in which they both had part
This circumstance is story in Itself. It in
wolves, besides the two principles. James Shields
the same afore referred to as one of Miss
Todds admirers. He an Irishman of ability
and courage. as he afterward proved on the bat.
tlefeld In the Mexican war, when, to cleanse a
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 quick, impulsive
man, whose disposition put him often on the
defensive with the Whig leaders, for the Repub-
lican party was then unborn. or these Wing
leaders in that state Lincoln then was one. Now.
It was the custom at that time to carry much
political controversy through the press by means
OF personal communications such as we know
Toff f~nv fhA DAN rlap TNmoAb
and attention given these in the newspapers
I'm that day.
Just about that date Lincoln furnished such
letter to Springfield paper: 1t was signed Aunt
Rebecca," and in it Shields whose vanity and gal
lantry often made him a mark was most unmer.
cifully ridiculed. It made hit, this letter. and
Miss Todd and friend. its real authors by the
way followed 1t up with another and with some
doggere1 rhyme, which reached the paper in the
same manner as the first.
Springfield laughed loudly at these commune
cations-not much at the matter OF them az
at the anger displayed by Shields. He acted
promptly, sent friend at once to the editor OF
the paper to demand the name OF the writer of
the articles Dueiing then was still common
incident OF public life and the editor called upon
Lincoln. who. unwilling to bring the ladies into
the affair gave his own name IS 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 MIN up TO Cnaueng0. shields ana q
friend arrived shortly, and Lincoln was soon in
receipt OF written demand for the satisfaction
due gentleman IN 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 were I'M
mediately named-Whitesides, editor OF the paper
In which the matter had appeared, for Shields;
E. III. 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 next and ais 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 op
posite side OF the river Mississippi
On the End of September 1s43 they were all
upon the ground. The arrangements for the at.
fair were about completed when the party was
Joined by friends. Among them was Colonel
John H. Hardin. who knew Lincoln we'll He
had been warned of the fight by Eliza Lott who
had heard OF it when the duelfsts stopped to
breakfast going out. Colonel Hardin and the rest
managed to satisfy Shields that Lincoln was not
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 TO all con-
cerned.
Less than two months later marriage license
for Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd was issued.
Miss Tarben describes the event as almost ina-
promptu The ceremony interrupted q meeting
Of the Episcopal Sewing society at the house of
Miss Toddss sister. the Mrs. Edwards already
mentioned S.