Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-01-11

mond Wing, and Thomas RitchIe, Jr., son
of the celebrated Thomas Ritchie, for TWEEN
/ ty years the contestant editor Of the Rich
mond Enquirer, in the political newspaper
/ field. with Pleasant. 1t was the fatal close
Of bad feeling, which had been some
thing for some years, although there can
be no doubt that outside friends were more
active than the principals, in stimulating
the matter to death struggle.
! Pleasants had been challenged. few
years before the encounter at Manchester.
by William Z. Ritchie, .Sr. The CHALLENGE
was accepted-the terms being, at Clarks
! Springs, abouta mile from Richmond-two
shot guns, loaded with twelve buck-shot-
twelve PAGES, the guns to be placed, un-
cooked, upon the ground, at the feet of
the principals, to be raised at the word
and fired at will. The duel was to have
taken place at five or six o'clock in the
morning, but by the ezertions Of two d,s-
tinguished citizens, was fortunately got in
shape for adjustment, about two hours be-
fore the affair was to come off.
The settlement was just and honorable
to both parties, but there was lingering
bitterness, that finally led the younger
Rltchie (Thomas) to charge Peasants
with cowardice, editorially. This led to
the fight, for it was not formal duel, al
though the terms were settled, and seconds
were upon the ground The parties w-le
to stand sixty yards apart, armed as they
saw fit; Peasants had a revolver in his
pocket, two pistols in his belt, a sword
cane, and | think, bowie knife Ritchie
was armed with seven pistols in his belt,
and a short Roman sword At the word,
Peasants commenced the advance, and
was directly fired upon by Rltchie, who
stood in his place and fred deliberately,
using a stick or cane, held horizontally as
rest While advancing under fire, Pleas
ants discharged one pistol, but otherwise
made no use of his arms, until he came in
front of Ritchie, when he exclaimed, Now
you know | am no coward - then fired
his other belt-pistol, made pass Or two
with his cane sword and fell. Five shots
had struck him wounding him mortally.
lie died in about three days.
Another sad affair occurred in Richmond
not far from the time of that of Peasants
and Ritchie, in which T. Marvin Hoyt was
shot by William Myers, in his bed, early in
the morning-oEe shot entering the groin,
and another lodging in the forehead-the
latter causing death in about three weeks.
| mention this case because Myers and
Ritchie were pursued with the profoundest
remorse, and each lived but two or three
years after their palms had been stained
with mortal blood.
Twenty years ago, and still later, the
| town of Vicksburg used to have regular
''sensations'' from fights between the edi-
tors of the Wing and the Sentinel. Eve
ry week or two they were upon the streets
with their guns. shooting at each other.
! The editor of the Sentinel was an irishman
by birth, and from Philadel phia. His
writings were virulent in the extreme, and
his relish for fight was seasoned even
above that degree of zeal which so celebra-
ted the vivacity of 'Donnybrook Fair. }"
He was finally removed to more serene
existence, in street fight with a young
gentleman named jackson, who went ali
the way from New Orleans for the purpose
| of shooting him, which he did. The tone
of the Sentinel was not abashed in bitter
ness by this little accident-but it always
had its fighting editor, who chivalrously
encountered all comers-occasional whip
ping OUT or manning an adversary; but
three or four of them event up in sue
cession while engaged in this pleasing pas
time
4 duel which came off about twenty
years ago, between Gholson and Prentiss,
in Mississippi, created considerable sensa-
tion at the time, in the region where it oc-
CURED. The origin was political Difficult
ty-Gholson being an ardent Democrat
and Prentiss a stout Wing. Gholson was
noted duelist, had killed his man more
than once, and was "dead shot" Prem
tiss had no laurels Of the kind, but was
kaown as a man Of great nerve and reso-
luton. The affair." as is usual in that re-
gion, was witnessed by large number of
enlightened and highly interested critics,
and this was a case Of superior excellence
and attraction. Among the betting fra
ternity, Gholson chad the call, y bat some
bets were made that both men would fall :;
and this showed the sOunder Judgment
for at the first fire Gholson leaped three
feet from the ground, with ball through
his heart and Prentiss, wheeling around,
fell also, but only from a Slight flesh
wound. A gentleman who had seen many
duels and witnessed this, told me that
Prentiss was the only man be ever saw &C
into duel without any sign Of discompo-
sure. and with entire calmness.
The latest dual, the particulars Of which
have come to my personal knowledge, oc-
Cured in Georgia last June. 1t was be-
tween lawyer of Warrenton, named
Nelms, and doctor residing in distant
county. Nelms was a member Of the
Charleston Convention. and for his course
there the indignant goyereigns in the Doc
tors neighborhood burned the lawyer in
efigy To bot haste and wrath he pro-
ceeded to the scene of his disgrace, and
offered reward for the discovery Of any
one of the offenders The Doctor assum-
ed the responsibility-a challenge went
forth and was accepted-terms, slot-gUns,
load with buck shot-distancc, forty
yards The parties and friends repaired
to the private battle ground near Charles
ton-,the doctor plebottomizing the lawyer
with FIVE buck-shot and escaping himself
from harm The last I heard Of the mat
ter, Nelms, who was not badly hurt, was
| nuriuor hincn1f for tbn rurnosa of oivinU