The Elbert County tribune., 1913-02-07

He was melanchoic. constitutionally SO: in
clined. in such matter, know to the most
morbid view The upshot was. at all events
that on New Years day. 1871, 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 bographers who was also
his law partner. he broke II publicly as pos
sibly by falling to make his appearance on the
appointed wedding day The engagement
broken. no doubt of that; but Herndons account
OF Its breaking is not well authenticated.
Lincoln took this trouble deeply to heart He
abandoned his business and went away to forget
II the Following summer. making visit with that
purpose to his old friend Speed in Louisville KY
From this trip he returned in 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 un-
reconciled for year and half In the summer
or 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 renewed. This
came about through a circumstance OF serio-
comic features In which they both had part
This circumstance is story in itself. 1t in
wolves. besides the two principles. James Shields
the same afore referred to OF Miss
Todd's admirers He was an Irishman OF ability
and courage. as he afterward proved on the bat.
teheld 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 once
OF auditor of state He quick impulsve
man, whose disposition put him often on the
defensive with the Whig leaders, for the Repub-
Hcan party was then unborn or these Whig
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
letter to a Springfield paper; 1t signed Aunt
Rebecca. and In 1t Shields. whose vanity and gal
lantry often made him mark most unmer
cifully ridiculed. 1t made hit. this letter, and
Miss Todd and 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 the first
Springfield laughed loudly at these communi-
cations-not much at the matter of them as
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. Dueling 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 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 written demand for the "satisfaction
retraction. This may prevent" the mssIve said
further. Consequences which no one will regret
more than myself"
Lincoln refused to apologize. Seconds were i'm
mediately named-Whitesdes. 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
settlement with his principal Why" he said,
he'd challenge next and as soon cut my
throat mott"
That night they all went back to Sprin gdeld
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-
poslte side Of the river Mississippi
On the End OF September 1s42 they were nil
upon the ground. The arrangements for the az
fair were about completed when the party was
Joined by friends. Among them was Colonel
John II. Hardin. who knew Lincoln we'll He
had been warned of the fight by Eliza Lott. who
had heard of 1t when the duelIsts 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" the phrase is. ito all con-
cerned."
Less than two months later marriage license
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 of
Miss Todd's sister the Mrs. Edwards already