To this he steadily
held, even refusing to answer the question as to the authorship of the
letters, which Shields finally put. It was inconsistent with his honor
to negotiate for peace with Mr. Shields, he said, unless Mr. Shields
withdrew his former offensive letter. Seconds were immediately named:
Whitesides by Shields, Merryman by Lincoln; and though they talked of
peace, Whitesides declared he could not mention it to his principal.
"He would challenge me next, and as soon cut my throat as not."
This was on the nineteenth, and that night the party returned to
Springfield. But in someway the affair had leaked out, and fearing
arrest, Lincoln and Merryman left town the next morning. The
instructions were 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.
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