Mr. Lincoln Would Not Be Amused

[Rob Wick]

Roger,

I did a quick, cursory glance into Tarbell's papers and found nothing on Shields in terms of her own thoughts. The way she handled it in the biography was more a picture of how Lincoln was willing to do something so Mary wouldn't become involved in the controversy, so I think one could safely say that she didn't believe Lincoln exhibited malice so much as was willing to sacrifice himself (if the duel had been much more serious than it turned out). Add to that her description of how just about everyone in Springfield saw Shields as more of a comical character than a serious foe, and I think one could see that she believed it to be a harmless blip in an otherwise malice-free life.

Best
Rob