The Shasta courier., 1864-05-07
SHASTA COURIER.
lFrom Parton's Life ofButler.l
A Southern Duel.


The rrincipals of the duel were Col. Au
ru>tu> Aston, a. graduate of West Point. anC
Colonel. Lee Reed planters both chief mer
in their country politicians of course long
standing bitter feud between the families
aggravated by political aspirations and dis
appointments; the whole ecountrysympathiz
ig with one or the other-eagerly, wildly
smypathizing. At length one of the Alstor
party on slight pretext, challenged Reed
which challenge Reed refused to accept; II,
man but Aston for his pistol Another Al
stonian challenge, and yet another he de
clined. Then Aston himself sent chal
lenge-Alston the best shot In a State whose
citizens cultivated the deadly art with the
zeal of saints toiling after perfection Thi:
challenge Lee instantly accepted Weapon
the rifle, hair trigger, ounce ball. Men tc
stand at twenty PAGES. back to back; to
fire as soon as they pleased after the word;
the seconds to continue countingas far as FIVE
after which no firing.
Lee was slow portly MANA good shot if
he could fire in his own way without the pre-
liminary wheeling. He regarded himself a
dead man; he felt that he had no chance
whatever of his life on such terms, not one
in thousand. lie bought coffin and a
shroud. and arranged his affairs for immedl
ate death. The day before the duel his second
a captain in 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 sknack of the wheeling. If he
wheeled quickly his aim was bad; if he
wheeled slowly there was no use of his wheel
ing at all for his antagonist who as ready
with wheel as with trigger from old practice
of I tba
you must wheel quicker or you We no chance
Stimulated by this remark, Lee wheeled with
velocity, and fired with such success as to
bring down a neighbor riding along the road
Lee sent his coffin and shroud to the field.
Mrs. Alston accompanied her husband .
have come" she said, 'to see Lee Reed
shot,
The men were placed, and the seconds
counted one. In swiftly wheeling, the light
cape of Alston's coat touched the trigger
and the ball whisted over Reeds shead who
stood amazed, with his rifle half presented
The word two recalled him to hi mself; be
fred, and Aston fell, pierced through the
heart. Mrs Aston flew to her fallen hus-
band and found the ball which had slain him
In the sight and hearing of all the witnesses
of the duel. her dead husband bleeding at her
feet, she lifted the ball, and 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 Alston, brother to the de-
ceased, drew themselves up, rifle in hand
bowie knife and pistol in belt. before the hotel
of which the adherents of Reed assembled
congratulating their chief. they sent in a
message challenging ten of the Lee party to
irbt mi
square. Much parleying ensued, which end
ed in the refusal of the Lees to accept the in
vitation.
A few days after. Lee WAS seated at the ta-
bic of the hotel in the public dining room,
at which also sat men. ladies and children
a large enumber-Dr. Mccormick among them
Lewis Aston entered, drew a pistol and shot
him through the liver. The wound was not
mortal. Alter some months of confinement
Lee was well again and went about as usual,
the bloody minded Aston still loose among
the people. They mee at length in the streets
of the town, and Aston shot him again, this
time inflicting mortal wound
Then there was hi1eous farce of a trial,
Every man in the courtroom, except two
was armed to the teeth. These two were
Judge and the principal witness, DR.. McCor-
mick. The .jurymen all had rifle at their
side in the jury box-twelve men. twelve ri
fes. The prisoner had two enormous horse
pistols protruding from his vest The spec
tators were all armed-the Lees to prevent
rescue in case of conviction. the Astons tc
protect their man in case of acquittal.
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 ole
enemy whom he shot dead in the saddle
on reaching the next town. boasted of hi,
exploit to the murdered mans friends anC
neighbors. Thirty of them seized him. tiet
him to tree and s. ot him-all the thirt,
firing at once, to divide the responsibility
among them. And so the brute's career
was fitly ended.