, 1870-09-11
History OF Famous Mnn.lo-1Inu
Fights i'll the SOltt1a.

Fights i'll the Sontfh.
From. fhc Ba.ton Commercial Luiifiin.
4 description Of . duel il alway. fascinating
to most readers to those where they prevail,
because the duel is the sens ational fact among
their local cuBtoms; to those where they do
matte character Of such q custom: aud to all,
becausea q duel supposes peculiar personal
courage, and il sensational in the highest de-
gree. II requires resolution and animal pluck
to stand up to be shot ut but it by no means
follows that man who ights a duel possess
any unusual amount OF courage, aud, after all,
fighting duel ls not 20 risky a. most people
think. Either those who tight arc wretclled
shots, or else their nerves arc by no means
etcady; for tho firing il notabfc uncertain,
and few are fatally hit. A shot in tha leg is
far more common than shot in the head.
Among. those who look upon the duel Us
one OF the reasonable possibilities Of their
lives, practicing with the pistol ID a regular
study, and il reduced to systems. " Taking
aim. in the usual manner, by deliberate
sighting Of an object. is not tho modc ac-
cepted. Tie Whole thing is made u mcchan-
the weapon to certain line aud loyel by long
practice, and pulling the trigger with little re-
gard to the lights. Some men f1a after
bringing tue a1m aud pistol dotrM to q level
with the antagonist; others by raising the
arm and pistol; and Some by resting the el-
IL.
lying upon long practice to hit an object.
The author once knew gentleman
who could cut n twine limo at ten PAGES,
without sighting, and By - firing from
the hip" The object Of firing from a down
ward arm is mainly to protect the body. In
from raised weapon: Colton's arm WAS
broken by the shot, but it saved his iife.>
Regular duelikts always use the 'shair-trig-
ger. I. il Just possible that Drolerick lost
his life in his duel with Judge Terry, in Cali
fornia. from this cause and care1essness. He
raise his weapon it exploded. This left Terry
an undi-turbed shot, and his horrible accuracy
and GOODNESS were shown by Ills remark when
be fired, and Erodesick dropped: II struck
him little too much to the Left. +" His SHOT,
in biz opinion, though fatal, was not exactly
ar istic.
Duellng in this country prevails az cns-
tom only in the Southern States, and IL mani-
feetly, ,hongh slowly, dying out. There we're
men. however. formerly who were known ~
professed duelists-that il, you were con-
ssantlv III danger Of being challenged by
them. for good CT use or for mono at all and
10 go out With them was simnly 10 arrange
yoI,r mortal affair. and speak to the sexton,
for they were "lead Slot" "-:hav could put a
dozen balls in the same hole successivelv.
Scch Men were naughty and i,,solent, Of
course: and. Of course. were treated with dis
one Gho!son, Of Mississippi. aud Of one OF
whose auels we now propose to speak.
Il was somewhere about 1910 that an "un-
lltasantress" Of political origin occurred
between Gholson and gentleman who bad
uever fought a duel, named pssntiss. GhoI-
son had hlled half = dozen graves With his
victims. He was Democrat, aud Prentiss
wae Whig. A very large and highly respect
abio audience attended the fight. and betting
was liyely-Gholson having great odds 10 the
"pools.. Some bets were m.ae that bosh
would fall, a. Preutiss had high reputation
for GOODNESS. and exhibited the utmost calm
nees and self-posseasion, especially in ''strip-
ping" for the work in hand; while Gholson
seemed lees cool and ras airy. At the first
fire prehtlss fell, shot through the hams, while
came down dead, shot through the heart.
rTentiss pos eessed the great quality aimed at
by all duelliste, that il, he fred quicker than
Gitson-say about the twenty millionth part
Of 4 half second ahead.
The recent death Of Mrs. ANA Cora Mow1ts
Ritcbie recalls the facts Of \ duel which her
husband almost fought. but which finally ad-
ifed, and which not only ere led i great sen
cation in Virginia at the time. hut became in
teIwoveu with subsequent events, which ter
minated in bloody encounter aud the death
| Of one Of the principals in the affair ut the
got more than = casual notice in the pApers,
and are here detailed for the hrst
time. To understand the whole ca.e,
| it is necessary to say that Thomas Ritchie
or Father Mtchie. ~ he vas generally
| calle1-was the editor OF the Richmond En-
+! qairer, and welded about the whole power Of
the Democrat. party Of virginia. John
Hampdep Peasants wss the editor Of the Rich
mond Hh,9 and the representative editor and
| writer Of his party in that State. He was the
son Of Governor Peasants. and bold, chiv-
| alrour, and generous-heazted man who held
l ~ H. rF {if.1,s
| lighting man.
For years hot antagonism progressed be-
| tween these two editors: engendetiug an
! intense bitterness st last, Is might hava
| been expected About the year 1si1- some
thing unusually heated arose in these pa
| sub1uissively, the following: We have been
| engaged in controversy with the editor OF the
| Inquirer for twenty years, aud it snames our
| manhood to know that We hare never nsed
any weapon sharper than pen." According
| to ri code. " this s2rrasm was deadly in
salt, which noting but pistols, ten PAGES. And
| blood, could wipe out.
Ntcnie had two sous-Nllliam F., the elder,
| Who married Mrs. Mowatt. and Thonlas, Jr..
| the youuger-who killed Pleasants IN light
about four years afterwa1d- The mortal OF
fence Wis taken up BY William, aud / chal.
leuce cent to plessau.s. Being promptly ac-
| cepted, and the terms settled. everything was
lovely between the two gentlemen. perhaps
It would be as we'll here 70 speculate on whA:
the result ef the duel would have been,
provided II had been fought, 50 As to decl lie
how We would have bet on the Issue, il We
had bet on it at all, Tho terms were-shoi
guns, loaded with twelve buck shots hid un-
eocke5 at the 7combatants' feet. m1zz!es out:
ward the parties to stand back to baes. and
at the word, wheel, to seize their weapons,
and fre-6istance. twelve PAGES. This VA:
SURG death to sonlebodr. Who would i. have
bcen7 weru. the interesting problem aa1
solution, thus. 1iitchie was TALL. near sighted,
wore spcetacIes, and was wholly uuusei 10 the
weapen selected. pleasants was short Of st..
ture, one OF the very best shnts in virginia,
and perfectly familiar with the weapon to b
used: 20 much 70, that with double -b1z7e'ed
yuu. he was sure OF a front and rear partridge
On . fair rising" Hence, it would htve
taken Richie longer to esoop; longer to gel
bis gun in .position; and he would be slower
to fire, and uncertain in aim. Ergo. pleasanti
would hare killed Ritchie stone dead before
Richie could have f1ted at ali and on this vi