The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1864-10-08

life on those terms, not one in thous-
and. He bought coffin and shroud,
and arranged his affairs for immediate
DEATH The day before the duel, his Sc
cond, captain III the army, took him
out of town and gave him long drill IN
the wheel and fire exercise. The pupil
was inapt, could not get the knack Of
wheeling. If he wheeled quickly his
aim was bad !; if he wheeled slowly there
was no need of his wheeling at all, for
his antagonist was as ready with wheel
as with trigger from old practice at West
Point. Lee said the captain, ''you
must wheel quicker, oryou'ye Io chance.
Stimulated bv this remark, Lee wheeled
with velocity, and fired with such success
US to bring down neighbour riding
along the road.
Lee sent his coffin and shroud to the
field. Mrs. Aston accompanied her hus-
band. " / have" she said, "to see Lee
Reed shot"
| The men were placed and the seconds
one. In wheeling swiftly, the light cape
of Alston's coat touched the hairrtrigger,
and his ball whistled over Reeds head,
who stood amazed with his rifle half pre-
sented. TIE word ttoo recalled him to
himself; he fired and Aston fell, pierced
through the heart. Mrs. Aston hew to-
her fallen husband, and found the ball
which had slain him. In the sight and
hearing alalI the witnesses of the duel,
her dexFnusband bleeding at her feet,
she lifted the ball, aud with loud voice
and fierce dramatic gesture, swore that
that ball should kill Lee Reed.
In the afternoon, ten of the Aston
party, headed by Lewis Aston, the bro
ther of the deceased, drew themselves up
rifle in hand, bowie-knife and pistol III
belt, before the hotel in which the adhcr-
ents of Reed were assembled, congratu-
lating their chief. They sent in message
! challenging ten of the Lee party to come
out and fight them in the public square.
Much parleying ensued which ended In
the refusal Of the Lees to accept the III
| vitation.
| A few days after, Lee was seated at the
table of the hotel, in the public dining
room, at which sat men, ladies, and chill
dren-a large number-Dr. Mccormick
among them. Willis Aston entered,
| took his stand opposite Lee, drew pis-
| tol, and shot hlm through the liver.
! The wound was not mortal. After some
months of confinement Lee was well
! again, and went abroad as usual, the
! bloody-minded Aston still loose among
the people. They met at length III the
stxeets of the town, and Aston shot HIM
again, this time intiicting mortal
wound.
Then there was the hideous farce OF a
trial. Every man in the courtroom ex.
cept two, was armed tothc teeth. These
two were the Judge and the principal
witness, DIR. McCormick.-The Jurymen
all had rifle by their side in..tne jury
box-twelve men, twelve rifles. The
prisoner had two enormous horse-pistols
protruding from his vest. The specta-
! tors were all armed the Lees to prevent
! o rescue in case of conviction, the Ais
tons to protect their man Ill case OF ac-
quittal.
! That night, the trial not yet concluded
the prisoner deemed it best to escape
from prison.-He went to Texas met on
the road an old enemy whom he shot
dead in the saddle and on reaching the
next town, boas.ed of his exploit to the
murdered mans friends and neighbours.
Thirty of them seized him, tied HIM to
O tree and shot him, all the thirty firing
ut once to divide the responsibility among
them. And so the brute's career was
! fitly ended