Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-10-21

and an assortment of swords. He bowed
stiiiiy, to Captain Loyett. and Lieutenant
James, approaching the Yankee, asked him
if he was willing to fight with swords,
eff So" he continued, :" believe we can
suit you. We have brought with us the
small sword, a neat gentlemanly weapon
the cut ard thrust, good in a melee, and
which will answer, ,indifferently well in q
duel-and the broadsword or cutlass, which
is often preferred by those who are deficient
in skill in the use of arms, My friend,
Captain Bigbee, is equally expert In the
use of either. You have only to choose
AS the challenged party, you have an un-
doubted right to select your arms" ~ ~.
"Of that privilege am well aware" re-
piled Captain Loyett, "and mean to avail
myself OF it. should not fight with
swords" ~
= "T expected as much," resumed Lieuten-
ant James, and have brought with me a
pair Of dueling pistols, with long barrels,
rifle ,bores and hair triggers. What dis
tanee shall measure off?" = ,..,. -,.,,
"Oniy eight paces?" said Lieutenant
James, a, little surprised. "Very we'll" -
He then measured Off and placed his man
at his post. Then advancing toward Cap
tain Lovett, presented him with a pistol.
II do not fight with pistolsw
"Nottight with pistols-after refusing to
fight with swords! What brought you here
thenw
. "To fight!" shouted Lovett in a thunder
ing voice, which made the British officer
start. II am the challenged party, and
have the right to choose my weapons ac-.
cording to the laws of the daello, all the
world over, and you may rely upon 1T
shall not select weapons with which L am
not familiar, and with which my antagonist
has been praeticing all his life. Such pro-
ceeding on my part, is not only requiredby
the rules of honor, which after all is mere
chimera, but would be contrary to all the
dictates of common sense. No. 1 shall fight
with the weapons of honorable warfare,
with which have ever been accus toned,
Swords and pistols, indeed " r.fl ~ =
"But, my dear SIR" cried the iastonished
Lieutenant, 'we must proceed according to
rule in this business. What weapons have
you fixed upon?1a,.- OIL ags..-u. .lrg
! Doubtless in fancy's eye, he beheld before
him huge blunderbusses, loaded with buck
shot. .1 rt.. .uf ,....t.,.u
Capt. Lovett said nothing, but beckoned
to Starbuck, who approached with great
| alacrity, bearing the two harpoons. He
seized one of the formidable weapons, and
thrust it into the hands of Bigbee, who
seemed absolutely paralyzed with astoniAh-
| ment. 10 .- .a. -.r '... .... .s-..
"My weapon" said he, sis javelin,
such as the Grecian and Roman knights Of
ten fought with in olden times, a weapon
| which no man who challenges another
can refuse to fight with at the present
| day, unless he possesses mean and craven
spirit. .,g.asl --l .
Thus saying, he took the station assigned
him, at eight PAGES distant from his startled
antagonist. lie coolly barred his sinewY
arm-grasped the harpoon and placed him
self in attitude. "I'll bet," said he, casting
triumphant look upon his friends "a
smoked herring against asperm whale, that
I'll drive the harpoon through that fellows
midriff the first throw. and will finish him
without the aid Of lance. Mr.. Starbuck,"
| fiercely continued Captain Lovett, in loud
| and rough voice, such as is seldom heard
except on board Nantucket whaling YES
! sci, when shoal of whales is in sight
''stand by to haul the fellow in" lg .ti'-
| The mate grasped the end of the line, his
! eyes beaming with as much expectation and
| delight, as If he was steering boats bow
ron to an eighty barrel whale, while Captain
| Lovett poised his harpobn with both hands,
| keenly eyed the British Captain-shouted
| in a tremendous voice, snow for it," and
drew back his arm as if in the act of throw
ing tile fatal iron. 81. ~ .'''77o' ~
| The Englishman was a brave man
which is not always the case with bullies--
| ard he had often marched without finch
ling up to the mouth of cannon. And II
! he had been in single combat with an adj
| versary armed with sword or pistol, or
even dagger, or a Queens arm, he would
| had already unenviable notoriety as du-
elist, and had killed his man. But the har-
! poon was weapon with which he was al
together cquainted--and5the loud and
| eXulting tones of the Yankee Captains
voice sounded like summons to hisg grave.
I And when heF saw the stalwart I ankee
raise the polished iron, and pause for a
moment, as If concentrating all llhisstrength
| to give the fatal blow, panic of terror
seized him; his limbs trembled, his features
were of aghastly palor, and the,eOld sweat
stood in large edrops on ihis foreheatbIa He
J had not strength to raise his weapon; and
! when his grim opponent shouted ttnow tof
it." and shook his deadly spear, the British
officer forgetting his vows OF chivalry his
reputation as an officer and his honor as a
duelist, threw his iharpOOn on the ground,
fairly turned his back to the enemyy and,
| like a frightened courser, fled the field,
amid the jeers and jibes and hurrahs of the
multitude assembled by this time on the
spot. Phi a..- uu ~ ,l)si -. E ~
Captain Bigbee's dueling dayswere over
| No manwould fight with him after his adj
venture with the Yankee. He was over
whelmed with insults ridicule, and
SOON found 1t advisable to change into an
other regiment. But his story got there
4 before him, and he was soon sent to Coven.
try as a disgraceb man.. He was compelled
although with great reluctance, to quit the
service, and it may with great truth be said
that he never forgot the lesson he received
from the veteran whaler,nso long asdhis