, 1863-11-17
DESPERATE FIGHT WITH
a DESEKTEIk.
Remark nblc Case OF Pluck and COOL
ness.
H.. gives the follo1lng account Of desper.
ate fight with deserter:

H.. gives the folloxlpg account Of desper.
ate fight with deserter:
Mr. Geo. " MiddlecoG, of Nokomis, act
lng under proper authority to arrestdesctters,
had very desperate encounter on the Sd Of
this month, With deHctter, BY the name of
David Brown. usually known Us "Dave, )"
from Foyette county, but Who has been hAug-
log argued II the northeast part Of thls cool-
". Mr. Mtdd1ecof was at Henderson's Mill
at Audubon, with bis brother, on the after
loon Of els ion day. Brown, who was walk-
Ill off to the timber, Was pointed out to
Midd1ecGf ns deserter, aud he concluded be
would arrest him. he succeeded in osersak-
irg him. having previously accosted him,
took him By the tight hand, and. holding It:
yes. that ras what they called him. Middle
coff then informed him he had au.horitY to
arreet ceferterr, and seized him by the other
hand, aId d called for assistance. Brown eail
be would 90, but wanted frat to see his
fiien6s. Mtddlccoff then started back TO-.
wa:ds the mil, ~hen Brown succeeded In
1.lEer y bich was in mis- coat pocket aud en-
ceayored to cock It. In this he succeeded,
getting both haIds to the pistol, but Middle.
&C e with both his hauds, turned the muzzle
aside. "A struggle then ensned Of about a
isa.ed lIs bold Of the pistol with the len
has d, sud With this pulled out small aelG-
cooking pistol, and was 10 The act Of 4 ring
this wien Mlddlecoff seized it with his right,
ussbirg down, the hammer, and Hrcnchcd
the small pistol from bis hand, and threw it
ing to ditciaTee tie revolver, aad did In fact
discharge one barrel, but mitsed MiddlecofF,
who Has holding cit The revolver with his
left
When the EMAIL pistol was disposed Of,
Brown made five or six attempts to get hold
# > .dsfger With big left, the handle Of
which VIA e1pcsed 10 prevent this Middle
cof released lila hold with the left, and With
both hands PARTED these attempts to obtain
tie dagger. During thls struggle TOR the
dagger, Brown WAS et1iking MiddlecoF over
the htad with the revolver Colts improyed),
and IL flfcted several severe wounds. In the
ecft1le Midclecoff fell on one knee, bis antag-
head, but he recovered and thsn concluded It
was about time to begin to do some fighting
on his own account. He thrust his right
har in bis cost pocket, and jerEed out his
own pistol Smith q Wesson}, but not until
sfter two or three Efforts, it having dropped
though aid become fast in the lining Of the
the pocket lining vi b It, cooked it wit6 his
thumb, p1tsented It. ard endeayored to pull
the trigger, but net being in practice, pulled
too high, otherwise Brown would hava teea
settled. Browns time, it seems, had not
come, tor he strusk hts opponents pistol
with Lis own, but by the concusston, both
pistols wers knocked ont Of the respective
haIds that held tLtm, and took no further
part In the fight. Brown made 1uuge for
the pfsfo OLE, but Was thWartea in that attempt
also. He now bethought him Of his legs,
and bace them carry him a#ay from the
scene OF action, but his fate WAS like that OF
Tam O'Shanter's mare, for he lost his coat
tajl BY fortunate grab OF his antagonist
The parties ran Up some steps, whea Md
dlecof seized BraWn's coat BY the elbow,
tore It of also, aid by renewed e1e.tfous
seized him by the efoulder and stopped him.
Brown teen tEied the go1gtng game. Mid
dfeccf eejzed lin by the hair, and gave him
an oye1harded LICK on the head which brought
rile grappled by Browns hand, which he,
however, ELocked Of, and by a feW blows
rendered him he1pless. At this stage Of the
fight Middlscof p brother came up, aud the
dtlerter Fas tied, and In due time taken to
Nokomfa, where the wounds Of both we're
cuts on the head, and several very seYere
blows in the face, the marks Of which vet aD.
pear, but at the time Of this writing Is ready
tor dnty again, which ne warrant him not to
ehirB. he is fifty years old, aud weighs
abont 1G0 pounds, While Brown Is only twea-
ty.two, vigorous and active, and few pounds
lees IN weight. The deeerter was duly brought
t. Hslstero, and taken by Deputy Provost
Marshal Eccles to Alton and placed In sdur-
ance y'le:" We hope be will receive the re-
ward he justly me1lts
Tie light Was one Of the most desperate
ne bare almost ever read Of, and eyinced the
settled determination Of Brown not to be
TAKEN i be conll prevent it by taking the
lie Of the Terson nho should make tie at-
tempt III. mddlecof Is entitled to great
credit for this GOODNESS and o perseverance,
which We do not believe would have been ex-
ercised By one nan In hundred under SINH
lar circumstances. Any question about his
cou1age ore definitely fixed. and desasters
note Of II.