Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-01-18
Duels and Deadly Fights.

Duels and Deadly Fights
Whatever the moralists may
say, or popular opinion may be
there is no class of sensation
reading more eagerly perused thar
such as detail scenes of violence
and bloodshed., The "duello'' ha.
prevailed among all races, civil
lied and barbarian, from the re
motest antiquity, and is not like
ly to be eradicated while men art
urged by hot passion, or ideas of
punctilious honor prevail in pro
iessions and communities. Tread
recently, in newspaper, a chro.
biological sketch of the numerous
duels which have been fought up
on the renowned fighting ground
at Bladensburg; and | propose to
throw together a briet account of
several duels and affrays that have
taken place in our country at va
rious times-giving facts as l
heard them, without pretending
to minute accuracy.
| have not the newspaper item
alluded to before me-but / believe
there is some error in the account
of the duel between Mason and
McCarty-in 1929, l think-and
there are some facts omitted,
which | will add.
Mason and McCarty were broth
ers-in-law-Mason man Of hot
and irascible temper-McCarty of
q resolute but better controlled
disposition. For some of1ense Ma
son challenged McCarty, who OBJ
iected to a deadly combat with
one SO closely related TO him, and
offered to apologize. An apology
was refused, and McCarty notified
that he would be forced to fight,
unless he proceeded with the chal-
lenge. McCarty then named the
terms-that both parties should
sit upon a keg of powder, and then
fire it. This was rejected, by the
seconds, as barbarous. MeCarty
then proposed that both should go
upon the cupola of the Capitol at
Washington, and leap from it,
hand in hand-but this was also
pronounced inadmissible. He then
named muskets, loaded with two
balls each, and eight PAGES, saying
he would kill Mason-he did, be-
ing unharmed himself. The
newspaper account states that
McCarty's hair became white soon
after, which Isuppose is a mistake.
/ knew him ten years after the
duel, and his hair was then brown,
with no signs of being gray, and
was SO long as to fall upon his
shoulders.
An incident in the subsequent
life of McCarty exhibits the deter,
mined character of the man.
Somewhere about twenty-five or
thirty years ago, and before the
pre-emption system had modified
the rude and high handed ways
which prevailed in the disposal of
the public lands, Colonel MeCarty,
with three or four friends, went
from Virginia to attend public
land sale. On the day before the
sale, the squatters in that region,
according to the energetic system
of that independent and very use
ful class of our fellow citizens, no.
tilted all strangers present of what
lands they would be allowed to bid
upon, and that any attempt to bid
for any others would be summari-
ly settled, at the peril of the intru-
ding bidder, and tley were not
men who trifled, or often failed, in
that kind of patriotic and public
duty.
At the moment the auctioneer
was about to commence the sale,
Colonel McCarty stepped forward,
and requested moments delay.
He then stated to the crowd-and
there was no lack of fierce, beard
ed faces, or those pleasing argu-
ments, rifles. pistols, and knives
around-that he had been warned
not to bid for certain lands now
about to be offered for sale; that
he recognized no authority but
the law of the land; that he should
allow no man to control his rights
by threats; and then announcing
himself and friends by name, and
as from Virginia, he added that
they intended to bid for whatever
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