Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-16
Written for the Chroniclel
The Last Free Fight in Clarksville,
BY OBSERVER.

As there are but few persons here Of the present
generation who have witnessed the excitement, or
modas operaadi, of q free fight, or even compre-
hend the meaning of the expression, beg leave to
give reminiscence of one TO which was an eye
witness from beginning to end, and can never be
erased from memory.
In the early settlement Of the country, there
was but little commerce. and the facilities for pro
noting it were very limited; hence, the people
had but little energy. They wanted but little of
this worlds goods, and with that little were con-
tented. Scattered throughout wooded and
thinly populated country, their greatest ambition
and pleasure was TO meet each other in crowds on
public occasions. Militia musters, the first day of
court and the election, were familiar phrazes, and
deeply impressed on the mind Of every man in the
berance of joy-almost everybody attended them,
whether on business or not, and Clarksvillc was,
Of course, the centre of attraction; not only TO the
citizens of Montgomery, but to the counties ada
cent Thither they repaired in great numbers at
stated periods. Drinking whisky was so universal
in those days, that every family kept it on hand,
not only for their own use, but to be prepared to
set it out to regale their friends and visitors, and
not TO do so was considered selfish and unfriendly
Hence all drank, some little, others much, and
many to excess; but man was never considered
to be drunk until he lay upon his back and felt up.
ward for the grass. At the stated periods alluded
to, immense crowds gathered together at the coun-
ty seat, all came on horseback and frequently two
or three on one horse.
| The public square was the place tc meet with
everybody. In the forenoon they extended to each
other the friendly grasp of hands; cnquirng after
each others health, of their families and friends,
but more especially drinking whisky and swapping
horses The jargon Of sounds became almost
deafening especially at the "groceries'-tipling
houses. In the afternoon the effects of whisky
became visible in the confusion of tongues, and
this was the preclude to- and portentous of free
fight.
On the first Saturday in March, ls36,-the first
election under the new constitutions might
have been seen two individuals in a dlapidated
condition, each holding on to a post respectively,
with death like tenacity, for long time they made
fruitesS efforts to exercise their bclligcrent pro-
pensitcs, tho the posts were not more than ten
feet apart, and they well knew that if they let go
their equilibrium would be lost. Finally one OF
the party made a desperate charge at the breast
works of his neighbor. This was the electric
spark which ignited free fgh; on a stupendous
scale. In few moments it was known to every
one on the square, and terrible rush made to-
wards the scene of action. Mechanics left their
work; clerks and storekecpers jumped over their
couxters; tcamsers left their teams and followed
suit. The fearful cxciment drew every one from
every quarter of the town. Snatchng up sticks,
brickbats and every other available missile, aud
I'pitched i'm The battle waxed hot and spread
with such unanmty of sentiment that 1t seemed
ms tho it had been caused by spontaneous combus-
tion One individual seemed to be more prominent
than any other in the crowd i, i. Re. He
was n respectable citizen of ClarkSvc, past middle
age, of large rotundity and portly mcin, neat in
dress, with ruhes largely prorudug from his breast,
aui armed with heavy black cane. Thus, he
voluntarily left his place of business, and sailed
forth TO mingle in the fray. Ills whereabouts in
the fight was always known by tie black cane,
ever and anon towering above the heads of the COM
batants like n threshing fail, and coming down
like sedge hammer upon the luckcss patcs OF
those who happened to be under it. The fight ac-
cnmulaed in fury, and in numbers from reinforce
ments momcntarily arriving AT the scene of action
and the crowd became immense. Pandemonium
itself might have bushed in contradstincon to
the roar Of battle. John Barleycorn who raised
the whirlwind did not neglect to direct the storm
His voice was heard above the confusion, and
clashing of sticks and brckbas like unto a serpent
of thousand tongues There were engaged in
the melee fathers, sons, brothers, magistrates, con-
stables, &C., everybody, each fully conscious thai
he was engaged in the laudablc cause of selCdc
.Jelce for each mans hand was compelled to b,
against every other man, as every other man
hand was against him, for there were no sides ic
be taken, each one fought "on his own hook
and, as a consequence, there was no rear, it wa
all front. The mighty mass Of bone and muscle
swayed TO and fro, and whirled like unto iores
in a storm, Brickbats, stones &C., flew thick an,
fast, and fell far beyond the scene Of action, unit
at last the fight had spent its fury physical strength