Abraham Lincoln Legal Papers

Abraham Lincoln was not only a lawyer, but a dueler as well. Or as it stood, was in fact challenged to a duel. Lincoln published a letter under a pen name to Springfield’s Whig orientated newspaper, the Sangamo Journal. In this issue in September of 1842, he alleged that Illinois State Auditor James Shields character was less than stellar. Lincoln wrote a memorandum of dueling instructions to Elias Merryman on September 19, 1842. In this he stated that he did write the “Lost township” letter which was in the journal but stated that it had no allusions to Shields. Lincoln also announced that he wrote the article purely for political effect, and had no intention of harming the character of Shields. Lincoln was in the Illinois General Assembly at the time and had contact with Shields.

The interesting point of this letter, which occurred while Lincoln was a lawyer and legislature is that he outlined the ways in which the duel would occur. The first weapons of choice were to be Cavalry broad swords. The second position would occur on a plank that was ten feet long. Lincoln even states that there was to be a line drawn on the board that either party should not pass unless that party were to kill the other. The time of this duel was to occur on a Thursday afternoon.

James Shields was the state auditor and because of his job believed that the  “Lost Township” letters were aimed directly at him. The duel never occurred and later Shields was a brigadier general in the Mexican War and the Civil War. He also served in the Senate for Illinois, Missouri, and California. He was the only man in the Senate that represented three states. Lincoln chose Elias H. Merryman, to whom he wrote the dueling instructions to, as his second. Merryman was a Springfield physician at the time. It is important to note that the broadswords of the type that Lincoln called for in the duel were quite heavy, and the wielding of those instruments would have caused the other to tire quickly. Luckily, they never met with broadsword in hand. On September 22, 1842 the two met on what Lincoln called the“field of honor” and they with their friends resolved the quarrel.

Abraham Lincoln was not one to shy away from contention, though he was ever cool in the face of fire. He was known as a teenager as having brawn and strength for the tussles he had gotten into with a local gang of ruffians. A determined self-made man like Lincoln, was not afraid of a tussle. The only reason that this letter still exists, is that Thomas S. Pinckard found it in 1862 and sent it to the President’s secretary John G. Nicolay. Lincoln, was able to draft this letter with couth and understanding. He even attempted to placate Shields by stating that if he had known that Sheilds would have taken it as an offense he would never have written it. Lincoln even offered to have Shields peruse and approve future documents. He was not only a fair lawyer but a great statesman.

Comments are closed.