Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-10-18

MeSSfS. Lea n DianCnard, OF InllaueIpHla,
in few days, We annex short extract,
being letter from Mr. Writ relating to the
unfortunate duel between Decatur and
Barron
To Judge Carr.
WAsHlSeroN, April 2, 1920.
thank YOU, my dear friend, for your
short letter, which would have sooner
answered but for causes beyond my con-
troll. Instead Of attempting TO give you an
account of The quarrel between our la
mented Decatur and Barron, l propose to
send you, in this, copy Of their cores
pondence, which we are promised from
the lntelligencer press tomorrow. De-
catur showed me this correspondence, in
confidence, late last fall, SO far as it had
then gone and used every effort TO pre-
vent the fight, which he was very far from
wishing to bring on, but which he consid-
cred as forced upon him in such way
that there was no avoiding it but by disa-
vowing what he had really said and Thought
Of Barron aud Of this l need not say he
was incapable. He did not approve Of
duelling.
He then passed to his own case. Fight
ing, he said was his profession, and it
would be impossible for him to keep his
station and preserve his responsibility
without showing himself ready lat all times,
10 answer the call of any one who bore
the name Of gentleman.
After my return from Baltimore, heard
nothing more of it till he was brought
home MORALLY wounded; and then saw
him, alone, and looked at his dead face,
marked, as it still was with the last traces
Of his departed spirit, could not help
saying--"What is life, and what all the
glory that this world can give?" The So
liIoquy is not very novel one, indeed.
l have made it, in common with others, a
thousand times before. but never felt its
force till then; for never, till then had l
seen the corpse Of such man. You knew
him, believe, only as hero. l ought
10 have made it my business to bring yo"
to know each other individually. Could
| have forseen such an event as this,
would have done so. But what good would
it have done? 1t would have made you
feel his loss the more sensibly, for you
would have mourned instead OF merely la
menting, the loss Of. hero. They both
fell at the shot, which was SO simultaneous
that the repor, Of two pistols could not be
heard by those who stood out Of sight,
though close within ear shot. This heard
from Commodore Porter, who was stand
ing thus with Rodgers. He exclaimed
Immediately, Zone of them is killed, for
there is only one shot" Very difieren.
Decatur was apparently SHOT deau, lie re-
yived after while, and he and Barron
held parley as they lay on the ground.
Doctor Washington, who got up just then,
says that il reminded him OF the closing
scene Of a tragedy-Hamlet and Laertes.
Barron proposed that they should make
friends before they met in Heaven, for
he supposed they would both die immedi-
ately.) Decatur said he had never been
his enemy, that he freely forgaye him his
death though he could not forgive those
who had stimulated him to seek his life.
One report says that Barron exclaimed,
"Would to God you had said thus much
yesterday!' l, is certain that the parley
was friendly one, and that they parted
in peace. Decatur knew he was to die,
and his only sorrow was that he had not
died in the service Of his country. 1t is
believed that Barron will recover--though
this is far from certain. The papers will
tell you every thing as to Decatur's fune'
raj procession, &c.
Give our love 20 your freside, for Isup
pose this snow has reached at least t
Winchester. And may Heaven bless yo,
all, and keep you warm and comfortable
Your friend. VIM. WHIT.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM KossurH.-
The following is letter from Kossuth Il
Count Casimer Batthyany, the Minister o
Foreign Affairs:
DEAR CouSr: You will receive thi
letter from Col. Won Kalhany, who i
charged to communicate my wishes TO o'
verbally. The apprehensiors stated +
, you at Szegedin, on June %, have bce1
realized. Gorgey's conquest of Ofen wa
The last CLEAN OF the setting sun Of tn
) Republic, for Immediately aflerward Dem
: binski was defeated in the north, and Per
, ezel in the south; then Gorgey fell int
his fatal position at Comorn, and, finally
BEN was compelled to retreat before Lu
J ders. My slender hopes OF being able
l by resorting to extraordinary measures,
: give our cause more favorable turr
: have been wholly destroyed by the shame
: full ingra,itude OF Gorgey; for the sudde
: revelation and execution Of his plan:
i which had loug perceived and feared
: was treason to the cause of the nation
It and inflicted on me, and through me Q
:, the Republic, death-blow. Our misto
e tune has cost US 100000 cannon ball
J. and flight already become dangerous,
II the grave Of SO many glorious victories
: Our cause is now utterly lost; the i'll
mense ia.igues have lately undergol
have wearied my spirits and shattered II
II bodily strength; sigh for repose. NJ
!" greatest consolation, in my present crit
: cal position, is the knowledge that tho
&c most dear to me after my native land-n
=, family-are in safety. go tonight wi
ID Csanyi and Horvath to Lugos, where | sh
le expect your verbal answer through G.
IS Won kalhany. In the meantime, acce
- the assurance Of my profound respect.