Evening star., 1944-03-26
Capital Sidelights
By Will p. Kennedy.

By Will p. Kennedy.
Who wrote the Aunt Rebecca let
ters?"
More than century ago they pro-
voked challenge to duel from Gen.
James Shields of Illinois, an Irish i'm
migrant who later served in the United
States Senate from three States, to
Abraham Lincoln. The time was 1912
Lincoln, then young lawyer, and
Shields, then State auditor, both living
at Springfield, actually went with their
seconds to the field of honor" 3 miles
from Alton, Mo. Miss Mary Todd, to
Wnom Lincoln was engaged and whom
he later married, was the mysterious
author OF several sarcastic letters about
Gen. Shields, signed Aunt Rebecca"
and published in the Sangamon Journal.
Shields called upon the editor, demand
Ing the name of the writer. and was
told "A. Lincoln" The future President
cnlValrously assumed responsibility to
shield the young woman 1t was alleged
that she based her letters on some of
Lincolns jokes Shields challenged Lin
coin, who accepted and named terms
under which neither could do the other
any physical damage, cavalry swords of
the largest size as weapons; position.
plank 10 feet long, 9 to IL inches
broad, firmly fixed on edge on the
ground between them, neither to step
over it on forfeit of his life, also "a line
drawn on the ground on either side of
the plank, and parallel to it, at the
distance OF the whole length of the
sword and 3 feet additional from the
plank; the passing of his own such line
by either party during the fight shall
be deemed surrender of the contest"
Neither possibly could have touched
each other under these stipulations-
and mutual friends settled the argu-
ment to the honor of both principals
without hostilities.
But Lincoln soon was called upon to
act as second to DR.. Prettyman, who
had been his second, when challenged
by Gen. Whiteside, who had been
Shields second. That projected duel
also was settled without blood letting.
Lincoln came to Congress and Shields
went to Mexico. At the start of the Civil
War Gen. Shields hurried pell-mell from
California to offer his sword to the
Union cause and his old adversary,
President Lincoln, promptly gave him
an important command.
A duel that ended tragically was that
in which Senator David c. Broderick of
California was mortally wounded by
David S. Terry, who resigned as chief
justice Of the Supreme Court Of Cali
fornia to meet him on the field of
honor" in 1859. Broderick was born in
Washington, February 4, 1920, while his
father, an immigrant from Ireland, was
employed as stonecutter on the Capitol.
He had been an unsuccessful candidate
for Congress from New York and later
was president of the California State
Senate.
The unselflshneSs of some of the ac-
tivities of members of Congress is il
lustrated in the hard work of Repre-
sentative Alfred ]. Elliott to have Con-
gress provide home-school for its
page boys. Now serving his eighth year
in the House, Mr.. Elliott never yet has
appointed page, but he feels that
there is moral obligation since Con-
gress encourages these youths from all
over the country to come to Washington
that a decent home should be provided
for them under proper supervision. Mr.
Elliott for many years has been active
in welfare work and is member of the
California State Welfare Board He
has been secretary-manager of the Tu-
lare-Kings Counties Fair since 1929.
Lafayette Square was not-as tradi-
tion has it-named by George WASH
ington, who is said to have written
that name on the square fronting the
Presidents Palace on the original Len
FAINT map. A voluminous manuscript
history of Lafayette Square, sponsored
by Gist Blair, states that: "Its name
has come from the people and arose
after Lafayette's visit to the city in
1924" The George Washington BIZ
centennial History points out that the
original L'Enfant map in the Library
OF Congress bears no such designa-
ton, either in Washington's hand or
any other" and that Lafayette Square
or Park was not known by that name
until Is years after the death of WASH
ington." The square originally was
part of the White House gardens, which
extended southwark from H street to
the Monument Grounds, with no street
cutting through as Pennsylvania avenue
now does. 1t was known as Presidents
Square, at least until 1922.