St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-02-18
A SCRAP or HISTORY.

3 a., S 80.
A SCRAP or HISTORY.
General Jacksott's Duel with Col.
Dickinson.
From Parton's life Of Andrew Jackson
lately issued by Mason. Brothers, Of New
York, we extract The following arcoun; Of
his duel with Dickinson, was quite 1 young
man. Of acknowledged courage, in good pc
cuniary circumstances and left lovely
and highly educated wife and several small
children Jackson's second in the duel was
General Over.on, who was then, and al
ways had been. strong personal and po-
litical friend. Alr. Parton says:
| i Dickinson's second won the choice of 20.
| sition, and Jacksons the Office Of giving
| the word. The astutc Overton considered
this giving the word matter Of great i'm.
lp0rlance, and lie had already determined
how he would give it if the lot fell to him.
The eight PAGES were measured off and the
men placed. Alithc politcness Of such
occasions WAS very strictly and elegantly
performed; jackson was dressed in a loose
frock coat hu;toned ,carelessly over his
chest, :aul concealing in some degree the
extreme .slenderness Of his. figure. Dick
inson was the younger and hapdsomer man
of the two.- but Jacksonss. :,.ll, erect fig
ure and the still intensity of us dcE,eanor,
it's said, gave him. a :n,dst superior and
commanding air, as 1,o stood under the tall
poplars, on this bright May morning., 81
| lently waiting the moment Of doom.
. ::::Aso you ready ?" asked Ovcr,on.
Il am ready" replied Dickinson
II am ready, said Jackson. 4
These words were no sooner pronounced
lhan Oyerton, with q sudden shou-, cried,
using Ills old country pronunciation,
q Dickinson raised his pistol quickly and
fired. Il Oyerton was. looking with anxiety
and dread at jackson, saw u puff of dust
fly from the breast Of his coat, and saw
him raise his lett arm and place 1t tightly
across. his chest. He is surely hit, thought
Dverton, lind in 4 bad place, 100; bu, no,
he does not fall. Erect and grim as fate
he stood, his teeth clenched, raising his
pistol. Overton glanced at Dickinson
Amazed at the unwonted failure Of. his aim,
and apparently appalled, at the awful Il g
ure and face before him, Dickinson had UNI
| consciously recoiled q pace or3two. 81
The falteIed, have missed
! !l!m ?'i',ssss4 ~i.,tf} t.tt
..sBack to the mark, sir!!n slir,eked Over
ton with his hand upon his pistol.
Dickinson recovered his composure. step
ped forward to the peg sand stood With his
eyes ayerted frorHahis antagonist. All this
,ssrs.s tire ork7 of {. moment, though It re-
qlares ma..gwords 70 tcllit.
+ General Jaeksonftonk deliberate aim, and
Ipulled the trigger. The pistol nci her
snapped nor went off He looked at the
trigger, and discovered thal~it had stopped
at half cock. He drew itlback to its place,
and took aim q second time
1 lie fired. Dickinson s face Elanehed !,
| he ireelcd; his friends rushed toward him,
caught him in their arms, and gently seat
| ed him on the ground, leaning against q
bush. His trowsers redeemed They strip.
ped off his clothes. Tie blood was gush
ing from his side ii, torrent And alas!
here is the b, Ill, not near tho wound, but
i:above; The opposite hip, just under the skin
! The ball had passed through the body, be-
low tie ribs Such a wound could not but
be fatal. G2
Overton went forward and learned the
condition Of the wounded man. Reforming
his principal, he said, ..He won't want any
thing more of you, General" and conduct
ed HIM from the ground. They had gone
q; hundred yards, Ovcrton walking, on
one side of Jackson the surgeon on the
other, md neither speaking a word, when
tire surgeon observed that one cf Jackson's
Eshoes was full Of blood. 4R s3a5:@
G,<l H-rr.
hit = i,eiexclailncd, pointing to The bloed.
@'oh! Il believe, replied Jackson, "that.
he has, pinked me a little. bets look at
Pr. But say nothing abou. it there point
ing to tue lhonse.zs a.t::s 81! r'
IL He opened his cont Dickinson's aim
bad been perfect. lie had sent the ball
precisely where lie supposed Jackson's
| heart was lying. But the thinness of his
body, and the looseness 81 his coat, COM
binedto deceive Dickinson. Tie ball had
only broken rib ort two, and raked the
the breast bone. It was q somewhat pain
ful, baa-looking wound, tut Eeitker severe
nor dangerous, and he was able TO ride to
the tavern without -much ~inconvenience.-
Upon anproaching tl,e House, he went;up to
one Of, the negro women who. was churn-
ing, ard asked her If the butter had come.
She said'it was just coming.
He asked her for some buttern1;lk.
While showassget,ing it for''l,im, she OBJ
served him, she observed him furtiveIy
open his coat and look within it. She saw
that lis shirt was soaked in blood, and She
stood, eating in blank l,or,:sr At the sight
dipper in hand: lie caught her eye, and
has lily bu,tontd his coat again.. She DIP
ped out a quart measure full Of butterihilk.
and gave il to him He drank it off: ut a
|draught; then went in, took off his coat,
and had his wound carefully examined aud
dressed. That done, lie dispatched ono Of
his retinue to Dr. Catlett to inquire respect
ing tile condition Of Dickinson mud to say
that the surgeon attending himself would
be glad to,scQntribute his aid toward Mr.
Dickinson's relief. Polite reply vas re-
turned that; Dickinsons case was past sur
gerry In the course of the day General
j Jackson sent 4 bottle Of wineto Df. Cat: Z
lett for tile use of his patient.
& But there was. one qualification which
jackson could not, even in such circum-
stances graft lin. s, A. very old friend of
General Jackson writes to nae thus +. "a Ia
though the General had been wounded, he
did not desire il should be known until he
left the neighborhood. and had, therefore, &
concealed it at first from his own friends.
His reason for this, as lie: once stated TO
me, Was, Tint as Dickinson considered him
self the best shot in- the world, md Was
certain Of Killing ut the first fire, he did
Inotiwanthimto have the grat;fcatiOn even
of knowing that he had 1euched him s.
49, .. 80 81