Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-27
tied to insure fatal result &c both than

Hated to insure fatal result tc both than
those which lad been previously objected
Ito-but, desperate as ts:ey were, since they
were clearly within Mason's letter Of n, :,
structions aad perhaps were not considered
as calculated to establish dangerous pre-
cedent," they we're finally, with some mod
i6cations, accepted. The distance, twas
agreed, should be twelve feet, instead Of
ten. and single ball was substituted Tor
buck-shot.
In extenuation to the unusual terms Of
combat proposed By M'Carty, it is said he
was extremely averse to fighting his cousin !.
| and desired to escape the acceptance Of the
challenge, il he could possibly do 50 without
mourning the iaaputation Of cowardice and
that he could see 10 other means Of escape
than by naming such terms az Mason s
friends were not likely to agree to. Mason
appears to have been aware Of his desire to
avoid conflict; for in his cor respondence he
seems to have apprehended some difficulty
in extracting from him pledge to fight -s
This pledge, it seems, was given; but even
the desperate terms finally proposed did moi
have the designed effect Of causing them to
be rejected.
On Friday evening. the 18th Of February,
the parties drove out to Rladensbprg, ac-
companied BY their friends, that they might
be more convenient to the ground on the
following morning. The intervening time
was spent in completing their preparations.
One man remembers that his father, a
blacksmith, was called up at midnight to re-
pair one Of the muskets. He suspected the
purpose for which it was intended to be
used, and sturdlly refused to mend it.-liis
scruples. however, were finally quoted and
he was induced to try his craft upon It by
being told that it was to be used in q shoot
ing match that was to take place the follow
| ing day, and so it was; but the worthy
blacksmith little know the stake that was to
be shot for
On Saturday morning, the 9Th Of Februa-
ry, 1919, at 8 o'clock, the parties met. The
contemplated meeting it is said, was gener-
| ally known at Bladensburg, and many Of
the citizens accompanied or followed them
to the ground to witness the encounter. It
was showing violently at the time.
Tie ground selected for the combat was
not Che usual path near The read, tut anoth-
er end similar path just around the point
of the hill Oil the right. about two hundred
yards from the bridge, Mason had on, at
the time, large overcoat with long skirts;
M'Carty notwithstanding the severity of
The weather. presented himself stripped to his
shirt, with his sleeves rolled up, that he
might have free use Ct his arms. The pre-
llminaries having been arranged, the parties
we're placed M Carly facing up the brook,
and Mason down--and thcss, at the word.
with the n.uzzlas of .lleir guns alniost III
contact, both fired. Mason fell dead, his
life literally blown ovt Of him. N'Carty
was severely wounded, his antagonists bali
entering his left wrist. aud tearing its way
through the muscles Of his arm towards his
shoulder That both were not killed, seems
to be but little less than raiEicle.
Mason's musket is said TO lave caught in
the skirt CT bis long oyercoat, as lie was in
the act Of raising it to bis shoulder and to
this accident, as it unsettled bis aim il, Is
thought MCarty was indebted for lis life.
Mason never spoke from the time he
took his position On the ground. lie lay
nearly as be fell On lis person were found
letters to lis relatives and friends in regard
to the disposition of his body in case Of lis
death. Three distinct wounds were discoy:
cred in his left side, besides one il bis left
elbow. This circumstance at FIRST gave rise
to suspicion Of foul play on the part Of
Carly; but by post naortem Gamma
ton it was asccrtained that. the ball had
81 olv ho boI
into three parts, each Of which had entered
the body. These parts we're weighed, and
were found to correspond nearly with the
weight Ct the ball that Lad been agreed
upon.
The seconds Of General Mason conclude
their account, published at the time, by
saying THAT the affair, although fatally,
was honeratly Terminated and that the de-
pertinent Of the friends GIN Carly Through
out the whole business was perfectly correct
For several days afterwards the spo. ex-
hibited melancholy evidences Of the terrible
conflict. The ground was dark with gore
and the bushes for some distance around,
were despatched with gore, and hung with
shreds Of clothing, and fragments Of flesh,
blown from the slain by the force Of the ex-
plosion.
M'Carty recovered from the wound in his
arm, but never from the more fatal wound
inflicted upon his mind by this unnatural
encounter. He had escaped death, but he
could got escape the recollection Of that
fearful field IF lis after Life car be taken
as furnishing any indication Of bis feelings,
bitterly did he repent that be had been in
duced to swerve from his original determi-
nation not to engage il this contest. We
have been told, by those who knew Kim,
that from that hour he was changed, and
that the laws against duelling are provided
With 20 penalties SO terrible as those he
suffered to Che end Of his existence.
The True Lady.
Thomas JeFersop's idea Of what we're the
accomplishments Of true lady It will be