Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-11
"CHIVALRY."

Toe late skfrmish fu the Virginia
state Notwithstanding Match Be
tween Pollard, Tyler and Coleman
The House Of Delegates on ifs Nus
cIe-A Graphic Description.
[RichmOnd Jan. 5thl Correspondence New York
Il. Rives Pollard, not the historian, but
be who " seecked" on the dogs of war
from afar off during the palmy days Of the
~chiyafrous usurpation, and who explained
that Grant, Sherman ct al, of the Yankee
soldier persuasion, were Of no account, and
merely led ahordes of cowardly hire
lings," took it upon himself to enact the
whole part Of editor Of the Examiner, the
| toga of which he has assumed since the
death Of John N. Daniel, who did have
the courage to fight duels, but he (Pollard)
failed-ignominiously failed Nat. Tyler,
who has had the sonbriquet of " Unques-
tionable Nat" because he said "unques-
tionably not, once on atime when Daniel
aforementioned challenged him, and who
is now the chief bugler Of the Enquirer,
stood the brunt of a ~half-dozen shots from
said Pollard without being hit; Mr.. Will
liam D. Coleman, his coadiutor, was his
reserve and his powerful reinforcement
dur ng the action. The tactics and STRAIT
egy displayed by the chivalrous COM
/ battants was admirable, when con-
sidered from a bushwacking point
of view. Tyler was engaged in the
House Chamber, and Pollard lurked
bushwhsckerly around the stove of the
rotunda. 1t was known that Pollard had
threatened; but then the Examiner al
ways talks loudly. Tyler came out, ac-
companied by a friend, when the enraged
Pollard accosted him, subduing his pas
sion and with the usual polite and gentle
manly language for which the chivalry
are noted, added-HYou have insulted
me-" This was the tocsin and the bugle
note for the encounter. Enraged and
furious each party claims that the other
drew a pistol first. One thing is certain,
Pollard fired first, His courage oozing
out of his fingers ENDS caused theH ia
trembIe, and the shot sped harmlessly up
into the dome, while he made a rapid and
successful detonr to the rear of the marble
statue Of Washington. From this secure
position, which he seemed disposed to hold
at all hazards, he fired two more shots,
equally harmless as the first. At this
juncture the engagement seemed (which
and t'other," Tyler holding his pistol in
his hand, hesitating to shoot for fear of
injuriDg some innocent person. Not Pol
lard was it to hesitate at such a crisis, but
he it was who fred again, his shot taking
effect on the statue aforesaid, and knock
ing off one of the tassels attached to the
cane. The House was emptied, but the
rotunda was not filed. 1t wasn't a safe
place during the transaction of saltpetre
experiments; but reinforcemeHts to the
Enquirer came up, and q new combatant
appeared. Mr.. Coleman, the junior of
tAat establishment, leveled his pistol, and
with unerring aim, hit nobody. He re-
peated the operation, and probably would
have continued until his ammunition gave
out, had not his chief commanded him, in
a war-like voice. " Reserve your fire, Sir"
Pollard turned on his new assailant, and,
placing himself in an u~n1ankable posi-
ton, fred two more shots, damaging the
stove, his original base of operations, and
which, by the way, is the oldest institution
Of that sort in the United States, very
slightly. Tyler, rested his arm on the
railing around the statue, and prepared to
let daylight through his opponent, but a
colored boy (the inevitable darkey, he
won't even let chivalry fight without get
ting mixed up in the scrape) passed be-
tween the muzzle of his pistol and the
at which it was aimed, and there
fore he desisted once again, Just in time
hear Mr.. Curke, the Sergeant-at-Alms
of the House, command Hpeace." He
listened to the command and obeyed, or
might not have been a piece of the
wsrlike Pollard left except the gravestone
which he deserves.
All the cOmbatants were captured, and
manfully accompanied the officers into the
House Chamber, and were arraigned at its
bar. They, with Virginia editorial ability,
were quite at home at the bar. But Pol
lard having the advantage of more fire.
quent practice, got in the first asay." He
did not call for a gin-cocktail, as was his
wonted habit, but explained that he had
been looking for Mr.. Tyler at his office,
and not finding him there had come to the
and there met him, when he,
Tyler replied to his address by pulling
q piatol
Tyler, being allowed to speak his piece,
said that he had not broken it 1.-THE peace)
but merely acted in self-defence.
Coleman, Grant-like, said nothing. Then
came the richest part of the whole trans
The House had an elephant
.hree of them in fact-on its hands, and
lid not know what to do IN the premises.
The door-keeper had each a prisoner by
he collar or coat-tail, holding fast like
grim death to a dead monkey, while the
earned gentlemen debated as other final
disposition
Have we no right to resent this insult
o our dignity" said one; DOR shall we let
hem go to ahd laughed at by the whole
The speaker well knew that the
Eyes of the Sandwich Islanders and Mo-
.ambiquers were turned on Virginia at
hat moment, and he feared their ridicule,
n perhaps some remark that the occur
'enee might elicit in the Congress of one
# Uncle Sans people. Others wanted
appointed, and others wanted
he matter referred to tho Committee of
he Whole, and pending the discussion the
House adjourned. The belligerents were
marched off TO their respective hotels for
inner, and l saw the Examiner fellow
anked by his suite, dine at tho Spots
Food as coolly and collectedly as if he had
lst written another editorial to prove that
herman and his army had been drowned
the sWamps of North Carolina, Cole
refreshed himself at the Ballard, and
'yler told his tale TO wondering friends.
.coterie of which surrounded him in his