It seems ridiculous now, but even the smallest of grievances in the 19th century could lead to someone yelling “guns at dawn!” It even happened to Abraham Lincoln.
The future president was challenged to a duel in September 1842 by a man named James Shields. The trouble began when a satiric letter to the editor was published in The Sangamon Journal, a daily newspaper in Illinois where Lincoln was living at the time. Signed by “Rebecca,” the letter accused Shields, the Illinois state auditor, or being “a ballroom dandy.”
That was a serious insult. Worse yet, it wasn’t the first letter in The Sangamon Journal to poke fun at Shields. When he found out that the real authors were Mary Todd—Lincoln’s fiancée—and one her friends, he was furious, and challenged Lincoln to a duel.
Lincoln accepted because he had to defend his lady’s honor. He also felt he had to, because he’d written the first in the series of published anti-Shields letters. His was much more sedate—it was critical of Shields’ support of a risky state economic plan. (Lincoln had also signed his letter.)
The two parties agreed to meet on Sunflower Island in Missouri on September 22—dueling had gotten so out of hand in Illinois that it had been banned statewide. Lincoln knew he wouldn’t stand a chance at besting Shields, a skilled marksman, if they used pistols. But as he was the acceptor of the challenge, and not the instigator, he got to choose the rules, and he called for duel to be fought with swords.
Nevertheless, he was eager to end the dispute without any bloodshed. He came up with a plan: When Shields showed up for the duel, Lincoln broke out his sword and quickly sliced a large branch off a tree, proving his superior strength and reach, hoping to spook his opponent. Instead, it reportedly nearly brained Shields. Mission accomplished: Shields, realizing that the duel may not end so well for him, called the whole thing off. He and Lincoln patched things up and were later spotted politely chatting after their return from the island.