Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-23
Waskiugtou geutinsl.
Letter from Colonel Schouler of the Cincinnati
Gazette.
A Pistol Fight at the Kentucky Fair.

Letter from Colonel Schouler of the Cincinnati
Gazette.
Pistol Fight at the Kentucky Fair.
LEXINGTON, KY, Sept. IA, l854-The gen
eral harmony of the pleasant scene on the fair
grounds to-day was interrupted by brutal
tight, the facts concerning which are as follows:
] did not witness the fight, as / had left the
grounds a few minutes before it took place, but
saw the wounded combatants as they were
brought from the "6ed of their fame fresh and
cory" and deposited in separate rooms at the.
Phoenix House
1t appears that personal feud had existed
for nearly a year between Thomas Buford, OF
Fayette county, and George III. Thomas, OF
Mount Sterling, in Montgomery county. They
were both between the ages of twenty-five and
thirty years, and belonged to good families.
The original difficulty occurred at billiard
room. They met this morning in Lexington,
and l understand that they had fisticuff fight
in the forenoon, somewhere on the fair grounds,
but were parted before either had been seri
ously injured.
About two o'clock this afternoon they met
again close to the amphitheatre, in the centre
of the fair grounds, each armed with one OF
Colts reyolvers. When within about fifteen
PAGES of one another they deliberately aimed
at each other and fired. Neither shot took
effect They continued to stand and fire until
each had fired six rounds. Buford's fourth fire
sent a ball into Thomas's thigh, which caused
him to stagger very little, though he did not
fall, but stood his ground and fred two more
shots at Buford
the act of drawing his knife to advance upon
his opponent when young man, a friend of
his, named Ferguson, handed him another
pistol, charged with powder and ball, to try his
luck again. This was seen by Captain Buford,
brother of the young man engaged in the
ARRAY, who Immediately clinched him and fell
upon him, and was in the act of giving him a
very decided pummelling when young Buford
advanced with his knife, and, as Ferguson lay
on the ground, he scalped him in true Indian
style.
His head was dreadfnlly cut, and the blood
flowed profusely. In the meantime, Thomas,
who had been wounded in the thigh, had been
conveyed to a carriage and driven to the hotel
he was shortly after followed by carriage con-
veying Ferguson to the same place. happened
to be at the hotel door when the carriage drove
up and Ferguson stepped out; his head and
He walked up to his room, however, without
assistance, when physician was sent for and
the wounds were dressed.
Thomas also had his physicians in attend
ance, who examined his thigh and extracted
the ball, and bound up his wounds" Neither
Thomas nor Ferguson are dangerously hurt.
So much for the wounded, who were parties to
the fight The Fair grounds were crowded
with people all the time this infamous transac-
ton was going on, and it is almost miracle
that number of innocent persons were not
killed or seriously injured.
As it was, little negro girl about ten years
old was shot in the mouth by one of the men,
and negro man, who was hundred and fifty
yards from the scene of action, was wounded in
the arm with ball. i have also heard that
horse was hit 1t was first reported that the
negro girl was killed, but l have since ascer-
tanned that, although severely wounded, she is
still alive and is likely to recover.
There is great deal of Indignation ex.
pressed here in regard to this fight, and if
stray shot had killed respectable lady or
gentleman known and respected, / really be-
lieve that the three combatants, Thomas, Fer
guson and Buford, would have been hung up
by the neck without judge or jury. As it is,
nothing has been done about arresting the par
ties, and probably they will pass unwhipped Of
justice.
The parties are known here as "game men,"
and as belonging to fighting families. The
father Of young Thomas killed a man several
years ago IN hight. Ferguson Is young
man who had handsome fortune left him, and
he has been abroad and has some time been
Improving himself in European travel He
is very tall and has an effeminate foreign air.
He has devoted great attention to his nous.
tach, his hair, and indeed, his whole outward
man. The loss of bis scalp will vex him sorely,
Captain Buford is in the dragoon service, and
is strong, athletic man.
To give you an idea how deliberately the
shooting went on, once or twice the pistol cap
snapped, when the party would take a cap
from his vest pocket, present it and blaze away
again.
The exhibition Of horses to-day was very fine
and the array of beauty in the ampitheatre
greater than ever. There were couple Of fine
showers this afternoon. US.