The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-24
VicksburS.
leorresponseoce Of the Hersld.I
EIsKsnupo- March II

FIskssUR0, March ", lS42.
Sm'ou'-o -Grophi@ Singular Geological
Description Of a duel in The West-Honor on The
banks Of the Mississippi.
DEAR BErNErr:-
Our legislature having tried in vain to ~legislate
themselves into some degree oil responsibility, at
length, in utter despair, adjourned on the 18th uIt.
and our friend Beesancon, being relic red from his
public duties, resolved TO legislate himself out Of
his fisulty with Tompkins; for which purpose.
he and his friend repaired 10 vicksburg. Being
fond of the sports OF the turf, cock. pit, and others
Of a similar nature, l put a clean shirt in my pocket
and followed them, though | was not so ~oste.ta-
tious as to charter a car for the purpose, which
some of the parry very magniloquently did.
Il il a strong propensity We have, to run after
duels and other executions; to scan the c~sunten-
ance ola fellow being who stands upon the brink Of
eternity 10 read The working Of his features, and
gather some information respecting that bourne 10
which he is ssing to watch the rising of the
curtain witch is about to be lifted for his exit, and
strive to catch a glimpse hey ond. But though this
be impossible, it is still interesting to know what
are the feelings of one, placed in a position which
we must sooner or later occupy. Aud in this re-
sPect we have in tho Southern States, a great ad"
vantage over yon of the North. With you a duel
is 4 very %niggardly affair. None but the seconds
and surgeons are permitted to be present.-Bat
here, the whole country may attend if they choose
and there are seldom less than four or five hundred,
in attendance.
The papers have already informed you Of Bee
sancon's sue cess that is, he succeeded in lepi sla.
ting himself out Of The scrapc. Having weighed
the matter well in his mind, the opposite party
were given to understand that DR.. Hogan was to be
his sub.second. New Doctor H.. having fought
duel and hit his man, fought two or three street
| fights and threatened a great many more, is an
doubtedly a man of honor but he is, as you know,
the editor Of a paper, and uses very ungentlemanly
language-such as "bank thieves" "bond thieves,'
.sWindling Gotten speculators," and other degra-
ding epithets, which he is in the habit OF applying
| with great liberality and not much determination;
all of which is voted to be very tolerable and net
to be borne," aud consequently Dr.. H. is not to be
recognized as a gentleman. AS was probably fore
seen, the DR. was objected 10, and Beesancen, de-
lighted to have an opportunity OF exhibiting his
frmuess and decision Of chaiacter, persisted to the
end of the chapter in-''no doctor, no duel" Firm
ness and decision saved him, as II has many others
in equally critical circumstances. His second,
however, Col. u. s. Cook, not being perfectly sat-
isfed with this specimen Of legislation on the part
of his principal, determined to have a little fight on
| his own hook, he, therefore, rencws the challenge
in his own name, which being accepted, after some
delay, occasioned by the illness of TOmpkIns, the
parties met on the morning Of the 18th instant, on
the Louisiana side of the river opposite to Vicks-
"Och ! now Pat Foley, honey, why can't you be
after stayin' at home and lettin' the jusllsrs alonsf
know you'll come back kilt and murdered by
them bloodthirsty divils. See there's enc OF 'em
owl know he's one, just goin' to the boat, by his
big whiskers; nobody but bloody juellers wear such
w6iskers as them; and, blessed father look at his
gun, faith its twins!'
0Be aisy. now, darlint, that's no jueller, it's the.
railroad %jintleman. Be aisy, now, and don't make
a Judy of yourself; amt all the world goin' over
don't you see the Jerry boat IS crowded! And
.I-.-,s- L. .tao,,hoat fhatse rarrvIno the We hnlo
world! By the powerssshe's g%oin'to push off,and'
Away ,prang Master Foley, regardless of the
fears OF his darling wife, and away l sPrang, star
tied by his exclamation, and fearful OF being left be-
hind. All the world did indeed seem to be as
sembled on board the board, and from the multitude
of arms of various kinds one would have supposed
it was a general duelling party. A sudden demand
for toll caused much disnay among the passengers,
for in their haste to secure a passage a large proper
tion had neglected to provide the means of paying.
and 50 no credit could be given, the only resource
was to pledge a shot pouch, pc sder horn, PEN
knife, pencil, or something Of the kind.
or any portable article except his ''holy word Of
honor that the money should be Gas good a.
goold." The man gravely shook his head, and
pointed to a board, on " Which n as; W.; s s% ssd the
"fork up, sir" Master Foley looked distressed;
Frightening up, he called upon his friend, ''Maior-
Hlrst, will you be after paying the like Of two bit.
McCardle? Och Major Miller, lend me the loan
Of two bits? Judge Pinokard-". Just then his
eye was caught by the whiskered gentleman whom
jueller. 'Och faith sure the railroed will give
me a lift this morning. His appeal was success
full, and, amid a roar of laughter the boat showed
of.
sit will be,a blosdy fight, sir,' said a red nosed
gentleman, as he cooily patted his snuff box with
his fore finger, "a I'D bloody fight; Cook will
shint q ,h .as viii Ris' b nSs' tall Il at a. ,h t~e dSst 0 fire. Or What u; sn say
you-twot to one Cook drops first shot?' Ozone,
sir, FIVE to ten; and I'll 60 you an even ten neither
is hit the first fire TomPkins is a good shot, be-
lieve; bat it is his first affair, and sixty yards 10 4
long distance"
Agood many bets were made by the time we arriv-
ed at the opposite side OF the river, where we feand a
narrow strip oflsnd ele waited hut q few inches above
the water, which is now unusually high, and in
many places overaows the bank! Along this mar
row causeway we passed in Indian file for about
ground, We turned to The left and entered a wood
where we found another vast assemblage of people
who had preceded US to "the dark and bloody
eroupd'-the scene Of many q conflict between the
chivalrous spirits Of the South. | had scarcely
time to secure an advants yeous position on a falIen
log, when my attention was arrested by q fine portly
gentleman Of commanding figure and noble eoun-
tenance, a rifle resting upon his shoulder, adj
vancing from a small party at a considerable dis
lance from the crowd. This was Governor Run
.els, the second of Mr.. Tompkins: In loud voice
he called fer Mr.. Bremen, which was promptly
answered by a very gcnteel looking young man
who approached from a d. ferent direction, and who
was the second Of o Cook. Gov. Runnels then
turning to the spectators end gracefully lifting his
Panama hat, and displaying q forehead on whose
fair front the Gsds seem TO have set their seal, adj
dressed them in the following words "Gentfe-
men, you are not perhaps aware that you have ap-
preached this feld contrary to the articles of agree
msnt between the gentlemen interested neverths-
less your presence will not be objected TO on our
part, so long as due order and decorum are OBJ
served by you" Col. Bremen then stepped for
ward and in n loud voice said. "Gentlemen it was
expressly understood between myself and Gov.
Runnels that there should be no witnesses to his
fight, except those belonging to tSe party how
ever, on condition that you retire to the distance Of
one hundred yards from TIE line, | shall interpose
NO obstacle to your witnessing the scene" The
spectators. although with regret, yet obsyed the