Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-01-11
Duels and Deadly Fights.
BY A S0UTHERNER.

By i HOUTHERSER.
Whatever the moralist may say, or pop
ular opinion may be, there IS no class Of
sensation" Of reading more eagerly pur-
sued than such as detail scenes of violence
and bloodshed The "Duello" has pre-
vailed among all races, civilized and barba-
rian, from the rcmotest antiquity, and is
not likely to be eradicated, while men are
urged By hot passion, or ideas of puncti-
ious honor prevail in professions and COM
muDities. | read, recently, in newspa-
per, chronological sketch of the numer-
Gus duels which have been fought upon
the renowned fighting ground at BIadcns-
burg: and propose to throw together a
/ brief account of several duels and affrays
that Lave taken place in our country at va
rious times, giving facts as | heard them.
without pretending to miDute accuracy.
have not the newspaper item alluded
to before me-but believe that there is
some error in the account of the duel be-
tween Mason and McCarty, Gin 1929
think and there are some facts omitted.
which will add
Mason and McCarty were brothers-in-law
Mason a man of hot and irascible tenn
per-McC Carly of resolute but better
controlled disposition, For some offence
Mason challenged McCarty, who objected to
a deadly combat with one SO closely rela-
ted to him, and offered to apologize An
apology was refused and McCarty notified
that he would be forced to fight, unless he
proceeded with the challenge McCarty
then named his terms, that both parties
should sit upon a keg of powder and then
fire it. This was rejected, by the seconds,
as barbarous. McCarty then proposed
that both should 90 upon the cupola of the
Capitol at Washington, and leap from it
hand in hand,-but this was also pronoun-
ced iDadmissible. He then named nus
kets, loaded with two balls, and eight pa
ees-saying that he should kill Mason.
which be did, being unharmed himself
The newspaper accounts say that McCar-
ty's hair became white soon after, which |
suppose is a mistake l knew him ten
years after the duel, and his hair was then
brown, with no signs of being gray. and
was so long as to fall upon his shoulders
An incident in the subsequent life of
McCarty exhibits the determined charac-
ter Of the man. Somewhere about twen-
ty-fve or thirty years ago, and before the
pre-emption system had modified the rule
and hig igh-handed way which prevailed in
the disposal of the public lands, Colonel
McCarty, with three or four friends, went
from Virginia to attend public land sale
On the day before the sale, the squatters
in that region, according to the energetic
system of the independent and very useful
class of our fellow citizens, notified all
strangers present Of what lands they would
be allowed to bid upon, and that any at
tempt to bid for any others would be sum-
marily settled, at the peril of the intruding
bidder, and they we're not men who trihed,
or often failed, in that kind of patriotic and
public duty.
At the moment the auctioneer was about
to commence the sale, Colonel McCarty
stepped forward and requested moment S
delay. He then stated to the crowd-and
there was no lack of fierce, bearded faces,
or those pleasing arguments, rifles, pistols.
and knives, around-that he had been
warned not to bid for certain lands, now
about to be offered for sale; that he rec
ognized no authority but the law of the
land; that he should allow no man to con-
troll his rights by threats and thea an
nouncing himself and friends by name and
as from Virginia, he added that they in
tended to bid for whatever lands they saw
fit, among those about to be offered, and
any man attempting violence would do SO
at his peril. He then drew brace of pis-
tolls; bis friends did the same, AMI the
bidding commenced. The Vrginians bid
as they pleased for the forbidden lands,
but no fight ensued.
An instance resembling in its circum-
stances, the duel between Mason and Nc
Carty, occurred near one of the Virginia
court houses, and while the court was in
session, some years ago, between DR..
Branch Z. Arthur, distinguished actor
in the early struggles of Texas, and of an
eminent Vmginian family, and q young rel
ative. The young man, for some rather
slight cause, challenged DR.. Arthur, who
endeavored to avoid duel, for the same
reason which made McCarty unwilling to
fight Mason. The young man, in this case,
peremptorily, and with threats. demanded
a meeting, which was finally conceded
They fought in a grove at FIVE PAGES, the
sound of the pistols interrupting the pro-
ceedings of the court The young man
was shot dead at the first fire. Archer af-
tervards fought knife duel, in Texas,
with Spaniard-their left hands tied to-
| gether-and killed his antagonist. He
was one Of Gen. Houston's most bitter and
unsparing foes, but never could bring cold
San Jacinto'' to fight
It is stated of the celebrated Bowie, that
be settled an amicable controversy with a
Spaniard, about the relative merits Ct his
terrible famous-knife. and the Spanish long
knife, by knife duel-their left arms tied
together At the word, Bowie by a pow
erful jerk, turned the Spaniard around,
passed his knife into lis body and turned
1.-THE Spaniard sinking down a dead man
Bowie then coolly severed the cord, and
let the dead body fall with as much indif-
ference as though it had been hog. This,
tf course. was most satisfactory and con-
vincing proof that he had the best of the
! controversy.
The newspaper account | have men
toned also alludes to a duel at Bladens-
burgh between Ridgeway and Daniels,
which resulted agreeably to all concerned