It was not generally known before the publication of Dr. Holland’s
biography of Mr. Lincoln, that he was once engaged in a “duel,”
although a version of the affair had been published previous to his
biographer’s account of it, which, however, the few who saw it were
disposed to regard as a fabrication.
One evening, at the rooms of the Hon. I. N. Arnold, of Illinois, I met
Dr. Henry, of Oregon, an early and intimate friend of Mr. Lincoln’s.
Mr. Arnold asked me in the course of conversation if I had ever heard
of the President’s “duel” with General Shields? I replied that I might
have seen a statement of the kind, but did not suppose it to be true.
“Well,” said Mr. Arnold, “we were all young folks together at the time
in Springfield. In some way a difficulty occurred between Shields and
Lincoln, resulting in a challenge from Shields, which was at length
accepted, Mr. Lincoln naming ‘_broadswords_’ for weapons, and the two
opposite banks of the Mississippi, where the river was about a _mile_
wide, for the ‘_ground_.’”
Dr. Henry, who had listened quietly to this, here broke in, “That will
do for a ‘story,’ Arnold,” said he, “but it will hardly pass with
me, for I happened to be Lincoln’s ‘_second_’ on the occasion. The
facts are these. You will bear me witness that there was never a more
spirited circle of young folks in one town than lived in Springfield
at that period. Shields, you remember, was a great ‘beau.’ For a bit
of amusement one of the young ladies wrote some verses, taking him
off sarcastically, which were abstracted from her writing-desk by a
mischievous friend, and published in the local newspaper. Shields,
greatly irritated, posted at once to the printing-office and demanded
the name of the author. Much frightened, the editor requested a day
or two to consider the matter, and upon getting rid of Shields went
directly to Mr. Lincoln with his trouble.
“‘Tell Shields,’ was the chivalric rejoinder, ‘that I hold myself
responsible for the verses.’ The next day Mr. Lincoln left for a
distant section to attend court. Shields, boiling over with wrath,
followed and ‘challenged’ him. Scarcely knowing what he did, Mr.
Lincoln accepted the challenge, seeing no alternative. The choice of
weapons being left to him, he named ‘broadswords,’ intending to act
only on the defensive, and thinking his long arms would enable him to
keep clear of his antagonist.
“I was then a young surgeon,” continued Dr. Henry, “and Mr. Lincoln
desired me accompany him to the point chosen for the contest,--‘Bloody
Island,’ in the Mississippi, near St. Louis,--as his ‘second.’ To this
I at length consented, hoping to prevent bloodshed. On our way to the
ground we met Colonel Hardin, a friend of both parties, and a cousin of
the lady who was the real offender. Suspecting something wrong, Hardin
subsequently followed us, coming in upon the party just as Lincoln was
clearing up the underbrush which covered the ground. Entering heartily
upon an attempt at pacification, he at length succeeded in mollifying
Shields, and the whole party returned harmoniously to Springfield, and
thus the matter ended.”
This version of the affair coming from an eye-witness is undoubtedly
in all respects correct. It subsequently came in my way to know that
Mr. Lincoln himself regarded the circumstance with much regret and
mortification, and hoped it might be forgotten. In February preceding
his death a distinguished officer of the army called at the White
House, and was entertained by the President and Mrs. Lincoln for an
hour in the parlor. During the conversation the gentleman said, turning
to Mrs. Lincoln, “Is it true, Mr. President, as I have heard, that you
once went out to fight a ‘duel’ for the sake of the lady by your side?”
“I do not deny it,” replied Mr. Lincoln, with a flushed face; “but if
you desire my friendship you will never mention the circumstance again!”