St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-02-18
a SCRAP OF HISTORY.
General JncksoM's Duel with Col.
Dickinson.

Dickinson.
From Parton's life Of Andrew Jackson.
lately issued by Mason. Brothers, of New
York, we extract The following account of
his ducl with Dickinson, was quite Z young
man. of acknowledged courage, in good Pc
cuniary circumstances, and left a lovely
and highly educated wife and several smull
children. Jackson's second in tho duel was
| General Overion, who was. then, and al
!. ways had been. strong personal and ,po-
!itical friend. MIR. Parton says:
Dickinson's second won the choice Of po.
sition, and Jackson's the Office of giving
the word. The astute Overton considered
this giving the word lnatter of great i'm
''portance, and lie had already determined
how he would give it il the lot fell to him.
The eight PAGES were measured off and the
men placed. Ali the polic cness of such
/ occasions was very strictly and elegantly
performed; '=Jackson was dressed in II loose
frock coat, }uttoned careleSsly over his
chest, auI concealipg in some degree the
extreme slenderness Of his. figure. Dick
inson was the younger and haudsomer man
of the two. l'ut Jackson's' tall, erect fig
ure and the still intensity OF lis ucE,eanor,
it is said, gave him a nAdst superior and
| commanding air, as &c stood under the tall
poplars. on this bright May morning, 81
iently wai.ing the moment Of doom.
! :::Aso you rcady?" asked Ovcr,on.
Il am ready" replied Dickinson.
81 AM ready" said Jackson.
! These words were no sooner pronounced
than Oyerton, with sudden sho;,, cried,
using lis old country pronunciation,
''Fere!''
Dickinson raised h;s pistol quickly and
fired. Ovcrton was. looking with anxiety
| and dread at Jackson, saw a puff Of dust
fly from the breast Of his coat, and saw
him raise his left arm and place 1t tightly
! across. his chest. lie is surely hit, thought
Overtoc, ind in bad place, TOO bu, no,
! he does not fall. Erect and grim as fate
he stood, his teeth clcncied, raising his
pistol. Ovcrton glanced ut Dickinson.
Amazed at the unwonted failure Of his aim,
and apparently appalled, at the awful fl e
| ure and face before him, Dickinson had uu-
| consciously recoiIed pace or two.
|, ''Great Gou !" he falteied, have missed
! I!m?:' 49,.
'sBack to the mark, sir" shr,cked Over.
! ton with his hand upon his pistol.
! Dickinson recovered his composure. step
ped forward to the peg; land stood with his
eyes averted FROM his antagonist. AL this
WAS the Il orA~ o. {; moment, though 1t re-
oG1res MAJ words 20 tcllit. :.
General Jackson took deliberate aim, and
pulled the trigger. The pistol nci her
snapped nor went off: lie looked at the
trigger, and discovered that-it had stopped
at half cock. He drew it back to its place,
and took aim second time.
| lie fired. Dickinson's face Elanched
he reeled his friends rushed toward him,
caught him in their arms, .and-gently seat
ed him on the ground, leaning against
bush. His trowsers rcdlened. They strip
ped off his clothes. The blood was gush
| ing from hiS side III y torrent And alas!
| here is the bail, not near the wound, but
above The orposi,e hip, just under the skin.
=! The ball had passed through the body, be-
! low the ribs. Such wound could not but
| be fatal.
| Overton went forward and learned the
condition Of the wounded man. Rejolning
his principal, he said, ''He won't want any
| thing more of you, General and conduct
ed hlm from the ground. They had gone
hundred yards, Ovcrton walking on
| one side of Jacksod, the surgeon on the
other, and neither speaking word, when
tllc surgeon observed that one cf Jackson's
shoes was full Of blood.
T. My God! General jackson, are you
| hit p he exclaimed, pointing to the blood.
"0h: l belicyc,' replied Jackson, 'ihat
he has. pinked me a little. bets look at
ii. But say nothing about it there point
ing TO the house ~:
lie opened hi. c5nt. Dickinson's aim
bad been perfect. lie had sent the bal!
precisely where lie supposed Jackson's
heart WIS lying. But the thinness of his
body, and tine looseness sf his coat, COM
bined to deceive Dickinson. Tie ball had
. only broken rib or Two, and rahed the
the breast bone. 1t was somewhat pain
ful, badlooking wound, tut Eeitlser severe
nor dangerous. and he WAS able to ride to
the tavern without much incouyenience.-
! 'Upo: approaching tl,3 House, he went up to
one 5f the negro women who. was churn-
ing, ard asked her If the butter had come.
She saidit was just coming.
| He asked her for some buttern,:lk.-
While she'wasSg getting it for him, she OBJ
served him, she observed him furtiveiy
open his coat and look within it. She saw
that lis shirt was soaked in b!oo,'. and she
stood susing in blank horssr At the sight
dipper in hand. He caught her eye, and
has lily bu;ton.d his coat agai,,::;;:; She DIP
ped out quart measure full Of butterinilk,
and gave it 10 him lie drank it off at a
draught; then went in, took off his coat,
and had his wound carefully examined aud
dressed. That done, he dispatched one Of
his retinue to DR.. Catlett to inquire respect
ing the condition of Dickinson aud to say
that the surgeon attending himself would
! be glad to,scontrihutc his aid toward Mr.
Dickinson's relief. Polite reply was re-
turned that Dickinson's case was past sur
gerry. In the course Of The day General
Jackson sent y bottle Of wine to Dr.. Cat
lett for the use Of his patient. .
( But there was one qualification which
jackson could not, even in snc! c;rcum-
stances, graistlii Avery old friend of
General jackson write: to me thus s'Al-
though the General had been wounded, he
did not desire it should be Known until he
left the neighborhocd, and had, therefore,
concealed it ut first from his own friends.
His reason for this, as he once stated TO
me, was, that as Dickinson considered him
SELF the best shot III. the world, and was
certain Of killing at the first fire, he did
| not want him to have the qualification even
Of knowing that be had touched him" 81
-'t1 expect" said young physi,ian, on
v I, ~