e left with Butler. If Shields would withdraw his
first note, and write another asking if Lincoln was the author of the
offensive articles, and, if so, asking for gentlemanly satisfaction,
then Lincoln had prepared a letter explaining the whole affair. If
Shields would not do this, there was nothing to do but fight. Lincoln
left the following preliminaries for the duel:

"_First._ Weapons: Cavalry broadswords of the largest size,
precisely equal in all respects, and such as now used by the
cavalry company at Jacksonville.

"_Second_. Position: A plank ten feet long, and from nine to
twelve inches broad, to be firmly fixed on edge on the ground,
as the line between us, which neither is to pass his foot over
on forfeit of his life. Next, a line drawn on the ground on
either side of said plank and parallel with it, each at the
distance of the whole length of the sword and three feet
additional from the plank; and the passing of his own such
line by either party during the fight shall be deemed a
surrender of the contest.

"_Third_. Time: On Thursday evening at five o'clock, if you
can get it so; but in no case to be at a greater distance of
time than Friday evening at five o'clock.

"_Fourth_. Place: Within three miles of Alton, on the opposite
side of the river, the particular spot to be agreed upon by
you."

As Mr. Shields refused to withdraw his first note, the entire party
started for the rendezvous across the Mississippi. Lincoln and
Merryman drove together in a dilapidated old buggy, in the bottom of
which rattled a number of broadswords. It was the morning of the 22d
of September when the duellists arrived in the town. There are people
still living in Alton who remember their coming. "The party arrived
about the middle of the morning," says Mr. Edward Levis,[2] "and soon
crossed the river to a sand-bar which at the time was, by reason
of the low water, a part of the Missouri mainland. The means of
conveyance was an old horse-ferry that was operated by a man named
Chapman. The weapons were in the keeping of the friends of the
principals, and no care was taken to conceal them; in fact, they were
openly displayed. Naturally, there was a great desire among the male
population to attend the duel, but the managers of the affair would
not permit any but their own party to board the ferry-boat. Skiffs
were very scarce, and but a few could avail t