Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-09-24
SS1uuutaiu 99emutrat.-


the memory OF The great departed as wen az on De-
half OF the living II 10 dIspassiOnate statement
aud one for the truth Of which the paper itself is
responsible:
SAN FRANcIsco, Sept. IA, 1859.
EprroRs OF rae DAILY MoRNINo CALI accept
the medium, kindly offered, which your columns
afford, 10 place On record clear, comprehensive
aud unAd0rned statement of the late unfortunate
injecting" between the Hon David c. Frederick
and Chief Justice Terry. | will premise that was
on the ground asa spectator. | knew nothing Of
the prelIminarlcs, and was 80 Ignorant in this re-.
spect, that up to the moment the adversaries took
position OI the field, MAS unaware Of the distance
determined upon, and was impressed that the prin.
cipals we're IL rieel and frS With this exOrdiunl
presume your readers will perfectly understand
Nhat my statement is one 0f fact, given under the
conviction that aperfOrning high aud Solemn
duty.
IScIDENTs PREvioCS TO THE ARRIVAL on TnE cRorNO.
Al SIX O'Clock, large party Of gentlemen, in bug.
Ges aud other conveyauces, arrived near Mr.. Davis
Ranch, about one mile and u half u the south Of
the sOuthernmOst extremity " Lake MERGED. Al
this pOn-all having indefinite notions If the place
vf meeting-ihey were met bv carriage returning,
containing two partisans Of Mr.. Terry, who seemed
- have been searching unsuccessiulv for the ren.
deLvuus, and 10 have given II up. The whole pro
ccSsiun wAA about To return to town, when DR..
Hammond, IN gig. was seen TO approach in the d.
rrctlOn in which We had come. Know ing that the
Doctor was one "f Mr.. Terry's physicians, we felt
satisfied that the place Ut meeting could not b. far
distant. We determined TO f,ll"W the Doctor, and
therefore, all wheeled c0nveyAnceS The Doctor
hcsiiatci when he he was acting Us cic,rone for
procession Of duel ground hunters, and descend.
I'd from my wagon to approach him. under the mis-.
apprehension that the Doctor was Major Hammond,
formerly Collector Of this Port. The close reScIn
bance Uf the br thcrs will make this fur pdA ex.
cusAble In mdcr to pass uH the mistake with u
flourish, approached the retiring parties and u, Hde
sImc seasomhble inquiry. The malignant feeling nf
some men against Mr. Dr0derick can be imagined,
when, during the c"nvcrSa'i"n. the II The tW0 Ucc1
pantS II the coach expressed Wish that he would
lie carried from the field corpse. VI course. 81
diabnlical hope, given III unc' nth terms could on.
-iv rnanHte Ir' lost " all eIttuouS telling
or manly consideration.
THE rLAcG OF APPOINTMENT ForSD
The Doctor proceeded. and the crowd followed -
In u few minutes Ne arrived at Davis Ranch, where
eur leader stopped. The " hole procession hIiched
up their animals aud pppr"Lchcd the bluff ranch.
gro. who vas icrdiug III, cattle, in order Ia CLEAN
some information. In answer to INV inquiries, he
SAID that NJ carriages had passed hi, house duInR
the morning, except the one We had nverhaurd. =
Al this moment, a very Chri"us conversation toDk
r!A'" between Mr.. Davis who was dressed in a
c";t"n blouse, and equipped With large sired pitch
frk and uu lndi\ ldu"l ~ho had Z, idcnlly driven
vii night IN search 1T the field.
Have YOU any ~hlskt IN your house," inquired
the new c"ncr.
IL have not" replied the rnnch"ro.
"lt night be scrvIccaGl e On this occasion" said
the other.
4
occasions: this is not one, aud therefore Il had It,
would Mt produce Il
About this time several vehicles came ly,ng ihro
the pass, and stopped vi place some distance be-
N0nd where We Wcir. | soon became satisfied thai
these men we're hr IMPORTANT ones 0f the occasion
Mr Mckhbln. 81 Sheriff C"nn-th> il hiS repu
ted name. itnAI be Coulter Scnat,r Frederick aud
one ar two r,rspnll freud, dcs GUIDED from theiI
vehicles. Judge Terry, who was accompanied b,
Mr. Calhoun Brnham aud Col. Thomas Ila,cs. 81
san Fran, i>cu a. seconds, uhd Mr.. :, II. BrnukS
Controller ccc' us field cuuuscli"r. and DR. Allvttr
as Surgeon aud general Gdvser--tpr the Doctor i.
AAid To be q most experienced acknowledgements
ARMED and jrmncd from their c"nvryanceS.
rt> -nIrrioS or 1Hr FIELD.
IT,. 6clI the entrance To- whi,h is few hundred
Yards A,pih II DAVIS house. was entered through
gap tc,wc,n two iAnS. 4 fence had Ia be Jumped
b.; r. Reaching i!'c Gr uni The dell where The
duci Was t,nGni /, surrounded b. hills and undulA
Eus ground EgrrsS can b. had from, it-as lar II,
nrutcd -nnt hv twa level outlets. viz through
the opening lead NJ t. Davis RAnch. aud dIrecil,
south iruu the ground its"ii, up gllch. liuw la
this gurh run, Know not, bat It alIeAr,d I" I''
Connect With rAvin" cnc'rthng the e"stcrnnIo,
hill forming the ain. hIihcItre Wh:rc the TRACED,
WAS enacted.
DEPNRr,RE ron rnG FIELD.
Immediately upon the nrrva! Il both principal!
AMI their seconds. winch was almost instantaneous
Mr. Frederick prnrrrdrd ny the gap aud "ccup!~C
his SIDE uf III" hcld. Mr. Terry and lis friends dl,
the SANE The nrmorcr with the cases II pistols
to"k position at the northern point Of trAng
formed by Mrssrs. Bruderick onsihe east Terry Or
the west, and the arnlnrcr On the north. The en-
pockctrd PLAIN IN which the affair occurred permit
ted "f about sufficient level ground for the require
ments OF The occasion.
PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS.
When all hands arrived on the ground, I counted
MT particular account, seventy 0me men -inclu
ming principals present. Mr.. Tcrrys seconds anC
advisers were constantly with him. l noticed par
ucu!arly, that when Bcnham and Az ctle were at
tending Ia outside" matters Mr.. Brooks kept cloS'
To his friend, and cnnVcrscd with him in lvcl,
tome. On the other hand. Mr.. Frederick seemed t.
he absorbed in matters disconnected it'll the issue
and vas talking earnestly with Mr.. Haskell and
gentleman, whose name am unucqualnIrd with. =
During this time MIR Frederick was c"0l and self
poSsesaed hisaniagonist seemed ngIiAied, and meas
ured the ground in his direction with uneas,
and anxious trend. The seconds approached th,
Armorcr. examined the weapons. turned severn
times and pOnted t0the white marks that had beer
placed On the field u establish the distances. Mr
Mckibbin, IN examining the pistols. snapped 4 cap
with an AR Of sati>fIci"n. lie seemed to lunk AS i
the pistol suited him. Sumo conversation Was had
Mr.. Benham Tor Aylcue AIN not certain which.
approached Terry. said something TO him, in reply
IL which Terry seemed to smile, and became NOR,
calm than before. As the affair WAS now approach
ing the crisis every eye was turned on the combat
Anis.
THE MEN FACE TO FACE.
Dir. Drodcrick' = friends held q short and earncs
with Mr. Terry and moved to tine side. An OflicA
expression notified the cnnIhatanS "a take their rel
alive POSiiinnS The distance was marked white
and appeared to mn observer, nutdeiUuSv close. =
In fact more than one man present uttered the ejac
NlatOn that IL was dow nrght murder 10 allow mel
10 shoot 81 each other ut ~ short distance. TIN
principals, however, took their positions Dir. BrOd
erick divesed himself first IT n dark brown palctot
and cast his eye along the ground separating hin
from Mr. Terry.
the APPEARANCE OF rHR MEN
Al this munent took pains TO closely scan IN,
coumienance 1t both cOmbatunts. Mr.. TerTy's lip
were compressed, his cOuntenAnce dArkly snllnw
and his WhOe appearance betrayed that IL q maj
without fear as well ns without religious restraint
Wan and ALienuaied, he St,Md Q siOlid monumcn
on the field Of conflict. Mr. Is. could not have breI
distinguished by tile stranger as principal. Will
his hands folded behind him, be held earnest con
tersation with Mr.. Haskell. lie would occasional
turn, scan the crowd and rest his eye upon SOM
recognized countenance. The muscles Of his fac
were strong, and his visage unrelaxcd in any par
ticular: Ills lips. when not cOnversng, were cum
pressed and his whole bearing was that of . maj
who was about TO meet great issue aud who wa
firmly prepared for it.
JUST PREVIOUS TO vIRINo.
Having digressed somewhat, in order to give you
readers full account OF what occurred, return (
the principals aud their seconds At the point wher
left them, Messrs BrOderick and Terry, bein
divesed " their Overcuats, were told to take yer
Ncal position by Mr.. Benham. The seconds the
arranged upon the weapnns-how this was done i
NnknOvn e9OLhers--And Mr. BenhAm taking pistol
RsOceedsd 70 Judge Terry and placed it in hishand
behind him, connected both hands, stood for u ina
ment ~ mat position and then rested his weapon O
ps !ett hand 10 ttOnt. Mr.. Frederick. ON ben
hanoed Tue pistol, anxiOIsly examined il, and OF in