The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1858-04-07
l3.'

, structon OF Doth.
With this object in view, in accepting the
challenge his first proposal is said TO have
been that he and Mason should leap togeth.
er from the dome of that Capitol. This was
declined as wholly unsanctioned by the
Code. He next proposed "to fight on
barrel of POWDER" (which was objected
to-" says the seconds, fas not according
with established usages, as being without
example, and as calculated to establish
dangerous precedent" He next proposed
to fight with dirks in a hand to.hand en-
counter. This was also declined for a like
reason: His final proposition was to fight
with muskets, charged with buck shot, at
ten feet distance. These terms were hard
ly less calculated 10 insure a fatal result to
both than those which had been previously
objected to; but, desperate as they were,
since they were clearly within Mason's
letter of instructions, and perhaps were not
considered "as calculated to establish dan.
gerous precedent" they were finally, with
some notifications, accepted. The dis.
lance, il was agreed, should be twelve feet,
instead of ten, and a single ball was sub.
stituted for buck-shot.
In extenuatioa of the unusual terms of
combat proposed by M'Cany, it is said that
he was exceedingly averse to fighting his
cousin, and desired to escape the acceptance
OF the challenge, if he could possibly do
so without incurring the impuation of COW.
ardice; and that he could see no other way
of escape than by naming such terms as
Mason's friends were not likely to agree to.
Mason appears to have been aware of his
desire to avoid a conflict; for in his cores
pondence he seems to have apprehended
some difficulty in extracting from him
pledge TO fight. This pledge, it seems,
finally proposed did not have the designed
effect of causing them to be rejected.
On Friday evening, the 5th of February,
the parties drove out to Bladenburg. accom-
panied by their friends that they might be
convenient TO the ground on the following
morning. The intervening time was spent
in completing their preparations. One man
remembers that his father blacksmith,
was called up at midnight to repair one of
the muskets. He suspected the purpose
for which the weapon was 10 be unsed, and
sturdily refused to mend it. His scruples.
however, were finally quieted, and he was
induced to exercise his craft upon it by be-.
ing told that it was to be used in shooting
match that was TO take place the following
day.
And so it was; but the worthy black.
smith little knew the stake that was to be
shot for.
On Saturday morning, the 9th of Febru.
ary, 1919, at 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
10 the ground to witness the encounter. II
was showing violently at the time.
The ground selected for the combat was
not the usual path near the road, but anoth-
er and similar path just around the point of
the hill on 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, and with his sleeves rolled up, that
he might have the free use of his arms. All
the preliminaries having been arranged, the
parties were placed-M' Carly facing up the
brook, and Mason down-and then at the
word, with the muzzles of their muskets
almost in contact, both fired. Mason fell
dead, his life literally blown out of him
M'carty was severely wounded, his antag-
onist's ball entering his left wrist, and tear
ing its way through the muscles Of his arm
toward his shoulder. That both were not
killed seems little less than merice.
Mason's musket is said to have caught in
the skirt of his long overcoat, as he was in
the act of raising it to his shoulder; and to
this accident, as it unsettled his aim, it is
thought M'Carty was indebted for his life.
Mason never spoke from the time he
took his place upon the ground. He lay
nearly as he fell. On his person were found
letters 10 his relatives and friends in regard
10 the disposition of his body in case OF his
death. Three distinct wounds were discov-
cred in his left side, besides one in his left
elbow. This circumstance at first gave rise
10 suspicion of foul play on the part of
MCarty; but by postmortem examination
|
the elbow bone, and had been split into
thee parts, each of which had entered the
body. These parts ware weighed, and were
found TO correspond nearly with the weight
of the ball that had been agreed upon.
The seconds of General Mason conclude
their account, published at the time, by
saying that the affair, although fatally, was
honorably terminated" and that the deport-
ment of the friends of M Carly, ''throug ghout
the whole business was correct"
For several days afterward the spot ex-
hibited melancholy evidences of this terri
BILE conflict. The ground was dark with
gore, and the bushes, for some distance
around, were despatched with blood, and
hung with shreds Of clothing and fragments
of flesh, blown from the body of the slain
by the fnrna Of tle o-sPivsioI.
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 ne
could not escape the recollection. OF that
fearful field. II his after life can be TAKEN
as furnishing any indication of his ieehngs'
;; bitterly did he repent that he had been m
l duced to swerve from his original de'ermi-
: nation not TO engage in this contest. we
, have been told, by those who knew him,
IL r l. ba GhannAd