Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-12-17

Green Bay, in building what were called
Macknaw boats, with which most of the
river transportation was done. AT the time
we are speaking, Stewart was engaged in
mechanical work at Fort Winnebago,
where Davis was stationed.
jeff, in the meantime had become en-
amored of pretty young woman of semi
aboriginal origin, or in plain English, a
half breed, and was very jealous Of any at
tentions bestowed upon her by others.
From some cause or other the monster
within him fixed his green eyes upon Stew
art, and he swore by all the buttons on his
coat that he would cowhdo the miserable
Yankee out of his skin. The idea of such
miserable wisp of skin and bones attack
ing such built man as Stewart wis pre-
posterous enough, and his threats were re-
garded as mere southern gasconade. But
JEFF. evidently calculated, as he did on
later occasion, that the low-born plebian
would never dare to resist a high-born
southern, but would crouch and take all he
might see fit to lay on, and so, providing
himself with a good cowhide he watched
his opportunity.
The desired occasion was not long delay
Ell. One evening, after the days work was
finished, as Stewart was walking in front
of the fort, Davis came out and without
ceremony began to lay it on. But he found
as he did in the rebellion, that there was
two parties to the controversy. A blow or
two was suf1icint TO arouse the lion, and
Stewart as he turned upon him, planted
Tn 4
his right one under his left ear and
knocked him end over end. Stewart was
not n professional pugilist, and did not wait
for his adversary to rise, but pounced upon
him like a tiger, and, laying Jeff's wrists
side by side on his chest, held them both as
in vice with his left hand, and kept his
right hand ready for further action. Poor
Davis, half dead from the two sledge ham,
mer blows he had received. squirmed and
twisted in vain. There he was, fast as if
he had been in the iron arms of a guiIotine
and at the mercy Of his adversary. BY this
time Stewart had become quite cool, and
told Davis he deserved good pounding;
but" said he, "if you will take back what
you have said about me, and agree to let
me alone, Will let you up without fur
ther injury.
No, he would never do any such thing.
Then Stewart began to slap Jeff's face, first
on this side and then repeated his demand
for the pledge, and jeff. again refused.
And then he pulled his nose and twisted it,
and slapped his face some more. In the
meantime the garrison was all astir, and
General, then Major Twggs, the same that
went over to the rebellion with his whole
command of United States troops stationed
in Texas a giant of n man physically,
standing about six feet six and of full pro-
hItt a r1
came out and peremptorily ordered Stew
art to let Davis up, an order which, as com
mander of the fort, he could have executed
summarily if he had had the pluck to do it.
Stewart replied that he would not let him
up an inch till he apologized and promised
to keep the peace, and said he, major, you
can't make me do i; ; and if you want TO
take a hand in this fight, just try it on,
if you want to, and l will whip you and
your whole garrison if you will bring out
your men in squads of not more than six
at a time" And then he went on manip-
ulating Jeff's cheeks and nose and ears,
and repeating his demands for 'indomnity
for the past and security for the future"
while Twiggs looked on in mute astonish-
ment at the audacious pluck of the Yank-
ce boatbuilder. Finally the embryo rebel
president, seeing no way of escape, either
by bluster, main strength, or the Interior
eilCo 60 tho major, co0c'n9ed to accept ihe
situation, took ali bNck and promiseh 10
treat Stewart as a gentleman, and was let
up, remarking as he went away, that he
never received such blows from man or
horse and probably he never did again
till another Buckeye boy met him in an
other wilderness. He said he felt as if he
had been kicked by mule. Jetf. should
have remembered that lesson, and never
again presumed as he did in getting up the
rebellion, upon Yankee holding still to
be kicked.
The writer of this article did not witness
this interesting fight, but was well acquaint-
ed with Stewart and received the forego-
ing account of the affair from his own
mouth soon after the occurrence, as well as
from the lips of others who witnessed it
and the narrative we have given may be
relied upon as substantially correct.-MI-
iCdukee iSeUtiHel.