★  Shields, James

James Shields

Born: May 10, 1806
Shields.jpg


Birthplace: Altmore County, Tyrone Ireland

Father: Charles Shields 1752 – 1812

Mother:
Anne Catherine Marshall 1778 – 1834

Wife: Mary Ann Carr 1835 – 1928
(Buried: Saint Marys Cemetery, Carrollton, Missouri)​

Children:

Mary Shields 1862 – 1869​
(Buried: Saint Marys Cemetery, Carrollton, Missouri)​
James Shields Jr. 1867 – 1877​
(Buried: Saint Marys Cemetery, Carrollton, Missouri)​
Katherine J. Shields 1871 – 1901​
(Buried: Saint Marys Cemetery, Carrollton, Missouri)​
Dr. Daniel F. Shields 1876 – 1960​
(Buried: Saint Marys Cemetery, Carrollton, Missouri)​

Occupation before War:

1826: Immigrated to the United States from Ireland​
Attorney in Kaskaskia, Illinois​
1836: Illinois State Representative​
1839: Illinois State Auditor​
1843: Judge of Illinois State Supreme Court​
1845 – 1847: Commissioner of General Land Office​
1845 – 1847: Surveyed land in Iowa to start an Irish Colony​
1846 – 1848: Served in Mexican War rising to Brigadier General​
1847: Grapeshot hit him below right nipple and passed thru his back​
1847: Wounded during the Battle of Chapultepec, Mexico
Shields 1.jpg
1849 – 1855: United States Senator from Illinois​
Opposed Slavery Supporter of land grants, railroads, homestead Act​
1851 – 1855: Senate Chairman of District of Columbia Committee​
1851 – 1855: Senate Chairman of Military Affairs Committee​
1854: Author of A History of Illinois from its commencement to state
1855 – 1858: Inspector of lands in Minnesota​
Founder of Shieldsville, Minnesota​
1858 – 1859: United States Senator from Minnesota​
1858 – 1859: Senate Chairman of Revolutionary Claims Committee​
1859 – 1861: Engaged in Mining Venture in Mexico​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1863: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​
1862: Fractured his left arm and injured his side​
1862: Wounded in the Battle of Kernstown, Virginia​
1862: Promoted to Major General but promotion was withdrawn
Shields 2.jpg
1863: Resigned from the Union Army Official resignation in March​

Occupation after War:

California State Railroad Commissioner​
Farmer and Lecturer in Carrollton, Missouri​
1868: Unsuccessful Candidate for United States Congress​
1874: Missouri State Representative​
1876: Proposed but declined Doorkeeper of U.S. House​
Fundraiser to Provide Aide for Yellow Fever Victims​
1879: Missouri State Representative​
1879: United States Senator from Missouri​

Died: June 1, 1879

Place of Death: Ottumwa Iowa

Age at time of Death:
73 years old

Burial Place: Saint Marys Cemetery Carrollton Missouri
 
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So it was this James Shields who challenged Lincoln to that duel where broadswords were the chosen weapon. Lincoln was 6'4" and Shields was 5'9". The broadsword would have been to the advantage of the taller man and Shields was very aware of that fact.
 
So it was this James Shields who challenged Lincoln to that duel where broadswords were the chosen weapon. Lincoln was 6'4" and Shields was 5'9". The broadsword would have been to the advantage of the taller man and Shields was very aware of that fact.
Likely it would've been impossible for them to have come up with "broadswords" on the Illinois frontier - my understanding was that it was supposed to be regulation U.S. cavalry sabers, which would be either the U.S. M.1833 Dragoon or M.1840 Dragoon, the latter commonly known as the "wrist breaker." Since Shields was the challenger, the choice was Lincoln's and it's impossible not to imagine there was more than a little sarcastic humor in his choice!

More relevant to and revealing about Shields' character was his claim to have "defeated" Stonewall Jackson in the First Battle of Kernstown. Although it was Shields who commanded the Federal force at Winchester, he managed to get wounded again, this time by a shell splinter from one of the three guns of Robert Chew's Battery of horse artillery accompanying Turner Ashby's Rebel cavalry in a skirmish the day before the actual battle. Shields spent the next day in bed in town while his subordinate Col. John R. Kenly fought and defeated the outnumbered Stonewall. Kenly had earlier fought and defeated a force led by Robert E. Lee in what became West Virginia, giving HIM the right to claim to be the only Union commander to defeat both Lee and Jackson in battle!
 
Likely it would've been impossible for them to have come up with "broadswords" on the Illinois frontier - my understanding was that it was supposed to be regulation U.S. cavalry sabers, which would be either the U.S. M.1833 Dragoon or M.1840 Dragoon, the latter commonly known as the "wrist breaker." Since Shields was the challenger, the choice was Lincoln's and it's impossible not to imagine there was more than a little sarcastic humor in his choice!

More relevant to and revealing about Shields' character was his claim to have "defeated" Stonewall Jackson in the First Battle of Kernstown. Although it was Shields who commanded the Federal force at Winchester, he managed to get wounded again, this time by a shell splinter from one of the three guns of Robert Chew's Battery of horse artillery accompanying Turner Ashby's Rebel cavalry in a skirmish the day before the actual battle. Shields spent the next day in bed in town while his subordinate Col. John R. Kenly fought and defeated the outnumbered Stonewall. Kenly had earlier fought and defeated a force led by Robert E. Lee in what became West Virginia, giving HIM the right to claim to be the only Union commander to defeat both Lee and Jackson in battle!
I agree that it was cavalry sabers and not true Broadswords. It makes one wonder why the term "Broadsword" is used to tell and retell the story of the duel.
 
Shields was nominally in command of the Federal forces that gave Jackson a run for his money at Port Republic. Erastus Tyler commanded on the battlefield. Shields was a way back trying to bring troops forward from Luray.
 
Shields was nominally in command of the Federal forces that gave Jackson a run for his money at Port Republic. Erastus Tyler commanded on the battlefield. Shields was a way back trying to bring troops forward from Luray.
Shields had become spooked by rumors that Longstreet with a large force had taken the train from Richmond to Gordonsville and was marching to cross the Blue Ridge near Luray so he held half his division around Luray to meet this imaginary opponent while the other half of his division fought at Port Republic
 
Shields had become spooked by rumors that Longstreet with a large force had taken the train from Richmond to Gordonsville and was marching to cross the Blue Ridge near Luray so he held half his division around Luray to meet this imaginary opponent while the other half of his division fought at Port Republic
so in both cases Shields did not fight Jackson...
 
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