Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln were to be married on January 1, 1841, at the Edwards' mansion. Mary's sister, Mrs. Ninian Edwards, was hosting the marriage. On their wedding day, Mary Todd stood at the Edwards' mansion clad in her bridal robes in anticipation of the wedding. The guests had gathered, and the feast prepared, but the bridegroom did not come. Mrs. Edwards said,
"Lincoln and Mary were engaged, everything was ready and prepared for the marriage, even the supper. Mr. Lincoln failed to meet his engagement."
At this time, an auditor for the state said he would not take the state's script (paper money) to pay taxes. He wanted payment in silver. Abraham Lincoln wrote a sarcastic letter to the editor of the Sangamon Journal on September 2, 1842, and used the pen name Rebecca. Lincoln's article angered the state auditor, James Shields. Mary had dated James Shields and knew he was a fighting man. James Shields was easily provoked.
Mr. Shields went to see the editor of the paper and asked for the name of the person who had written the article. The editor could see Shields was upset. Shields told the editor he wanted an apology and would get satisfaction. The editor told him Abraham Lincoln had written the article. Shields had business out of town, and for the time being, he let the matter drop.
When Mary saw the article in the paper written under the pseudonym Rebecca, she recognized Abraham's writing style. Mary saw her chance to get revenge on Abraham Lincoln, and James Shields was the man to do it. She wrote a letter to the editor, using the pen name Rebecca and poking fun at James Shields. She wanted to instigate a fight between Shields and Lincoln.
Unknown to Mary, James Shields was out of town. When her first letter to the editor did not produce the desired effect, she turned up the heat by writing another letter and another. When James Shields returned to town, he discovered a new series of letters ridiculing him.
Shields believed Lincoln was writing these letters to ridicule and humiliate him. Unknown to James Shields, Mary Todd deliberately created this hostility to get revenge on Abraham Lincoln.
James Shields wrote a letter to Lincoln dated September 17, 1842.
A. Lincoln, Esq.
In two or three of the last numbers of the Sangamon Journal, articles of the most personal nature, and calculated to degrade me, have made their appearance. On inquiring, I was informed by the editor of that paper that you are the author. I have become by some means or other, the object of your secret hostility. I will not take the trouble of inquiring into the reason of all this; but I will take the liberty of requiring a full, positive, and absolute retraction of all offensive allusions used by you in these communications. This may prevent consequences which no one will regret more than myself.
Your obedient servant,
Jas Shields
Lincoln's response on the same day:
Jas. Shields, Esq.
Your note of today was handed me by Gen. Whiteside. In that note, you say you have been informed, through the medium of the editor of 'The Journal,' that I am the author of certain articles in that paper which you deem personally abusive of you and without stopping to inquire whether I really am the author, or to point out what is offensive in them, you demand an unqualified retraction of all that is offensive and then proceed to hint at consequences.
Now, sir, there is in this so much assumption of facts, and so much of menace as to consequences, that I cannot submit to answer that note any further than I have, and to add, that the consequence to which I suppose you allude would be matter of as great regret to me as it possibly could to you.
Respectfully A. Lincoln
For several weeks, Shields was demanding satisfaction. Dueling was illegal in Illinois. He proposed they go out of state to fight a duel. Letters went back and forth between Shields and Lincoln, between their seconds, friends, and supporters. It was the talk of the town. James Shields put Lincoln in an unwinnable situation.
Finally, Lincoln wrote to Shields, "I did write the 'Lost Township' letter which appeared in the 'Journal' of the 2d inst., but had no participation in any form in any other article alluding to you." Lincoln's note cooled tension between him and Shields.
Lincoln was able to keep Mary Todd's name out of the conflict, and it saved her from any embarrassment. After things calmed down, the wife of the newspaper editor, Eliza Francis, decided to play matchmaker. She invited Abraham and Mary to a party. At the party, Abraham and Mary began speaking to each other.
Mary began to renew her desire to marry Abraham Lincoln. On November 3, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd discussed marriage. Mary Todd wanted to get married right away, and Abraham agreed.
The Edward family realized they would have to accept Lincoln if they wanted Mary to remain in their lives. They offered to host the wedding at their home. The next day, on Friday, November 4, Abraham obtained a marriage certificate. They planned to be married that very evening.
"Lincoln and Mary were engaged, everything was ready and prepared for the marriage, even the supper. Mr. Lincoln failed to meet his engagement."
At this time, an auditor for the state said he would not take the state's script (paper money) to pay taxes. He wanted payment in silver. Abraham Lincoln wrote a sarcastic letter to the editor of the Sangamon Journal on September 2, 1842, and used the pen name Rebecca. Lincoln's article angered the state auditor, James Shields. Mary had dated James Shields and knew he was a fighting man. James Shields was easily provoked.
Mr. Shields went to see the editor of the paper and asked for the name of the person who had written the article. The editor could see Shields was upset. Shields told the editor he wanted an apology and would get satisfaction. The editor told him Abraham Lincoln had written the article. Shields had business out of town, and for the time being, he let the matter drop.
When Mary saw the article in the paper written under the pseudonym Rebecca, she recognized Abraham's writing style. Mary saw her chance to get revenge on Abraham Lincoln, and James Shields was the man to do it. She wrote a letter to the editor, using the pen name Rebecca and poking fun at James Shields. She wanted to instigate a fight between Shields and Lincoln.
Unknown to Mary, James Shields was out of town. When her first letter to the editor did not produce the desired effect, she turned up the heat by writing another letter and another. When James Shields returned to town, he discovered a new series of letters ridiculing him.
Shields believed Lincoln was writing these letters to ridicule and humiliate him. Unknown to James Shields, Mary Todd deliberately created this hostility to get revenge on Abraham Lincoln.
James Shields wrote a letter to Lincoln dated September 17, 1842.
A. Lincoln, Esq.
In two or three of the last numbers of the Sangamon Journal, articles of the most personal nature, and calculated to degrade me, have made their appearance. On inquiring, I was informed by the editor of that paper that you are the author. I have become by some means or other, the object of your secret hostility. I will not take the trouble of inquiring into the reason of all this; but I will take the liberty of requiring a full, positive, and absolute retraction of all offensive allusions used by you in these communications. This may prevent consequences which no one will regret more than myself.
Your obedient servant,
Jas Shields
Lincoln's response on the same day:
Jas. Shields, Esq.
Your note of today was handed me by Gen. Whiteside. In that note, you say you have been informed, through the medium of the editor of 'The Journal,' that I am the author of certain articles in that paper which you deem personally abusive of you and without stopping to inquire whether I really am the author, or to point out what is offensive in them, you demand an unqualified retraction of all that is offensive and then proceed to hint at consequences.
Now, sir, there is in this so much assumption of facts, and so much of menace as to consequences, that I cannot submit to answer that note any further than I have, and to add, that the consequence to which I suppose you allude would be matter of as great regret to me as it possibly could to you.
Respectfully A. Lincoln
For several weeks, Shields was demanding satisfaction. Dueling was illegal in Illinois. He proposed they go out of state to fight a duel. Letters went back and forth between Shields and Lincoln, between their seconds, friends, and supporters. It was the talk of the town. James Shields put Lincoln in an unwinnable situation.
Finally, Lincoln wrote to Shields, "I did write the 'Lost Township' letter which appeared in the 'Journal' of the 2d inst., but had no participation in any form in any other article alluding to you." Lincoln's note cooled tension between him and Shields.
Lincoln was able to keep Mary Todd's name out of the conflict, and it saved her from any embarrassment. After things calmed down, the wife of the newspaper editor, Eliza Francis, decided to play matchmaker. She invited Abraham and Mary to a party. At the party, Abraham and Mary began speaking to each other.
Mary began to renew her desire to marry Abraham Lincoln. On November 3, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd discussed marriage. Mary Todd wanted to get married right away, and Abraham agreed.
The Edward family realized they would have to accept Lincoln if they wanted Mary to remain in their lives. They offered to host the wedding at their home. The next day, on Friday, November 4, Abraham obtained a marriage certificate. They planned to be married that very evening.
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