Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-03-31
| forgive you from the bottom Of my

Immediately down the pathway to the
Valley of Chance came many gentlemen,
all friends of Decatur-Rodgers, and
Porter, ard Bolton, two doctors, Bailey
Washington and Trevitt, General Harper
and others, friends or idlers.
There were anxious looks and utterances
of '"Tut % tut" or "Dear dear p
The doctors proceeded to loosen the
clothes of the sufferers and ascertain the
nature of their wounds. The little green
valley at the breakfast hour had become
surgeons hospital. In it were represent
ed nearly al the naval victories in the
Republic -Tridoli and Algiers, Lake
Erie and both oceans, they held solemn
congress in this unholy amphitheatre.
Barron was struck in the hip and about
the groin. Decatur had caught the ball
on his hip. and it had glanced upward into
his abdomen, severing the large blood
vessels there. The Two doctors exchang-
ed glances there was no hope for Decatur;
his pulsation had almost ceased.
Now began on the ground, as they lay
upon cloaks spread for thea. that dying
interview of mingled tenderness and
recriminatIon, which Writ has compared
to the last intercourse of Hamlet and
Laertes. Each striving to clear up his
fame and prove that this crime was q
mistake or the work of oficious enemies,
Barron, certain that his hours were num-
bered. wished to be at peace with his
enemy, that they might enter the court of
judgment; friends. Decatur was less re-
lenting, but he consented to forgive
Barron, though not his advisers.
1t was sadder scene than Nelson, De-
catur's admirer, dying in cockpit during
the battle, or Bayard, to whom he had
been compared. bleeding on the battle
field.
The carriage came, and they bore De-
catur to it. cambridge kissing his
cheek. He had wrested Bainbridgc from
the dungeons of the Moors. Bainbridge
in return, had measured the ground for
him to stain it with his blood.
Rodgers took Decatur's head upon his
shoulders, the doctor, Trevitt, seated with
them, and the carriage took its painful
way back to the city. cambridge and
Hambleton fastened to the Maynard,
where the tug lay to carry them back to
the Columbus, that ship of dlscord. AT
half-past ten o'clock Decatur rc-entered
his elegant mansion, his wife and house
hold disturbed at the breakfast table with
the appalling news, and they were driven
to the upper part Of the house. Around
the city the evil news spread. Friends
crowded around the door and into the
dae!ist's dying chamber. lie signed his
will, refused to have the ball extracted
from his wound, and spoke affectionately
of bis wife. whom he yet refused to see.
Excruciating pains came to him. After
one of the spasms. he said -
II do not believe it possible for a per-
son to endure SO much pain as feel"
The town was aroused, and his door
ways and pavements crowded. They
stopped in the drawing room at President
Monroe's. Uncomplaining in the midst of
anguish to the last, the unconquerable
soul of the "Bayard of the Seas" yielded
itself up without a groan at half-past ten
o'clock in the night.
The next day the little old Nattonaz
h,teligencer came out with loaded edito-
rial head. saying that it would be "afec-
tation' to be silent upon the fact that the
duel had occurred, and that the combat
ants were MORALLY wounded. In "Post-
script" it related that Decatur was dead
and added in the crude apostrophe of the
period, "Mourn Columbia for one of the
brightest stars set!'' Three days after
wards the mail was robbed three miles from
Baltimore, the driver tied to tree and
shot dead, and the mail bags picked over
in the bushes near BY. All this while
Decatur's body was going from his resi-
dence, close by the White House, to Kali
Drama, an estate on hill overlooking
Georgetown, and while Barron lay in the
city, writhing in pain and listening to the
funeral drums. In Congress, John Ran
dolph offered consolatory resolutions, but
they were objected to The tone Of the
press, commenting on the duel, was res
pectful both to the living and the dead
antagonist, but sternly denunciatory of
"the code" as our newspapers nowadays
could be- Barron suffered dreadfally for
many months, but recovered at last, and
lived to 1851, surviving, l think, Deca-
tur's childless widow, who was represent
ed in 1916 to be alive in the Georgetown
Catholic college. sin ill health and pow
erty, finding in the consolation of relig-
ion alone alienation of her SORROWS" but
hopeful of securing something from Con-
gress. Barron went to sea again, aud
had charge of several vessels, but the
shadow Of the duel lay across his life
People forgot the apology for it il the ca
tastrophe Of it. A new generation Of boys
rose up who read Of Decatur's valor and
learned to regard Barron as his assassia.
The poor living victim could not explain
against dead man. He asked for a
court-marrial Gu Decatur's charge against
him, and was exonerated with meagre
compliments.
Decatur lies buried behind ST. Peters
Church, Philadelphia, in venerable and
spacious graveyard, under an eagle-cappcd
monument. His portrait is in George
town College. His name is conferred on
many towns and counties in this country.
What lie lived for he has obtained glory
in the eyes Of his countrymen. Barron
obtained satisfaction" little more. Yet
| think the latter was throughout the ag-
grieyed spirit.
WHEN SPENCER had finished his famous
poem the :" Fairy Queen" he carried it
10 the EaH of SOUTHAMPTON. the great pa