Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-07-18

of = calamity that haz afflicted US beyond express.
sicE A neighboriss Postmaster came to this
oskaa. With complaint against the Lynch,
a. 4 towards himsslf a. an officer. and b.
W. our satscribsfass his Office. Having bern
fss4asntly annoyed With complaint. from our sub
scribers st that point. and tho evidence of the
Postmaster in question being so direct. We pub
llished the substance of his charge and our own
views upon the subject. Whether We did right or
wrong is i'm Material but seeing what has occur
red. we deeply regret that We ever made the pub
Ilcatinr But we made no alluson to the editor
of the Repa5iiean rs such for this would have been
q departure from the line Of conduct we had pre-
scribed to ourselves. Wereferrcd to the govern
ment Of the Pos, Office, believing that it is the
right Of every citizen and especially of every
journalist 10 criticize the official conduct Of any
public officer. We gave the authority for tho
charge We made. and the question at Issue was
me properly botween the author of the charge
and the Lynchburg Postmaster. Nobody, We pre-
sumo. will Imagine that George W. Hardwicke.
who is not the Postmaster. nor in any legitimate
lor propsr manner connected with tho post Office.
next issue of the Republican succeeding that of
the Vrgin,dn in which the complaint was made
con tanned ioully abusive article Of u.s. in which
the terms ungeutlemanly. malignant, low and
were applied to us. Was this act
chivalrous or manly in George w. lardwicke
when he knew that We were held in bonds? Our
llatbented brother did not think SO, and in the
next issue Of tho Trgnian he published card
dsnouuoiog thu condpot of my assaiant. It's l.
be regretted that he alluded the deceased ather
of IIardwi.ke. hut to this he eoaded by rhe
fact that our respec liability had been t,cce impea
ched by the said uardwieke. lie saw his err.r
aud promptly retracted expressing through the
same medium his reere. that he Ind made Surh
an ailusion. will no be blamed, and his memory
DO reproached for taking up our quarre.? Dd
not ws---who had sustained an almost paternnl
relation TO him for seventeen years, when.
at ages varying from three to fourteen years, til"
care and education OF our brothers had devol,ed
upon us, -staud in u more sacred revelation Ia
him than did the business associate Of George !"
Iardwicke to himseltl After the publication Of
our brothers card, it was reported to us that Ge.
W. Hardwicks said. 'he must die;" whilst be
and hs nephew were reported to have been secp
about the streets. as though they were watchns
for somebody. But no formal demand was malc
upon Joseph Button. and no intmaion was given
him directly from the Messrs. iIardwcke. that
they contemplated an attack upon him. Sr"s
were out, however. to report his walks upon the
streets, and one Andrew j. Ddake testified il
Court that he had been employed to watch his
movements. and that he did report them Mt the
very time just preceding the attack. We, in
company with our brothers, aud the Rev. Mr..
Hammond, left the pUgndn office. at onr usual
dinner hour, between and . O'clock on Satur-
day, the 23l day of Juno We went by usual
route down Main Street, und when arrived nj
the intersection Of 9th street. on which the Rerub
licap ofhce ~, Robert Button who WINS in the rear
Of us, noticed the Messrs lIardwckc standing in
frpnt of the Republican Office manlfcstng such ind
cation Of excitement rs 10 attract his attentionnhd
observed that they started of Immediately to
wards Church street tho next running parallel
with Main on which we werc) and passed hnr-
riedly DOWN that street as il to intercept US. AT
the same time, William Hardwcke was heard tn
shy. ''let us go down and meet him" When We
Main, Robert Button passed up that street T.,
Church, on which tho Messrs. IIurdwcke were
walking In the same direction "a ourselves and
p ,sscd them about midway between | lth AMI l2h
streets. A he did this he observed each of those
persons draw pistol partially from under their
vests Our r'ute WAS To pass up l2th street iinm
Main intp Church, and thence to our homo. Wien
Robert who had preceded those parties. reache
9Th street, he crm.ei diagonnlly to the othor sile
aud ravo us signal rs we wereprocedinS up l2'h
from Main street, Turning round Immediately
after he saw Gorge W. IIariwicke pointing "a
pistol at him NJ he thought from the corner Of
Church and 18th streets. when, drawing his own
weapon on llariwickc the latter retreated into
tho deep recess Of Doct. Gilmsr's door. BY
this time. our brothers. George aud Josenh,
who were some distance in advance of Us,
had reached tho opposite corner from whrrr
their assailants stood, when Gsorgs W.
Hard wcks emerged from the door and posted
himself behind IN iron Hrsplug at the corner,
which completely projected his person from ;c
ahots aimed q. HIM. He leveed his pistol IN the
stem Of the rlag and from that secure position he
shot Joseph Button, who stood full from, with II
large tree in his rear behind which he scornel
to seek protection from his assailants.--both Of
whom were firing at him. but fell in his tracks
defending himself like brave man. Coming uE
and occupying position near the middle of
18th Street. and at an obtuss angle from the con-
tending parties, We drove George W. Hsrdwieko
from his position behind the plug. into tho recess
of DR.. Glmer's door, from which he tried ineffsc.
tually several times to fire upon us. but. finding
Jour pistol aimed at him, would as often Withdraw
ibis person under cover.