The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-10-27
DUELLo.
History of Famous Man-to- Man Fights
in he South.


i A history Of duel is always fascinating
to most readers; to those where they prevail
because the duel is the sensational fact among
their local customs to those where they do
not prevail, because OF the wonder and dra-
matte character of such ii custom; and to all
becausea duel supposes peculiar personal cour
age, and is sensational in the highest degree
1t requires resolution and animal pl lck to
stand up and be shot at but it by no means
follows that man who fights duel possesses
any unusual amount Of courage aud after all
tghting duel is not so risky as most people
think: Either those who fight are wretched
for the firing is notably uncertain, and few
are fatally hit. A shot in the leg is far more
common than shot in the head
Among those who look upon the duel as
one OF. the reasonable possibilities of their
lives, practicing with a pistol is regular
study, and is reduced to systems :. Taking
aim" in the usual manner, by deliberate
sighting of an object, is not the mode accept
ed. The whole thing is made mechanical
method, looking at the habit of bringing the
weapon to certain line and level by lone
practice, and pulling the trigger with little
regard to "sights" Some men Ere after
bringing the aim and pistol dovn to level
with the antagonists; others by raising the
arm and pistol; and some by resting the ell
bow on the hip, and firing without sight, re-
lying upon long practice to hit an object
Fhe author once knew gentleman who could
cut Irvine line at ten PAGES, without sighting.
aud by firing from the hip" The object
OF firing from downward aim is mainly to
protect the body: In Henry A. Wise's duel
with. Cotton. he fred from raised weapon;
Colton's arm was broken by the shot, but it
saved his life.
Regular duelists always use the hair tris-
GER 1t is just possible that Brodcrick lost
his life in his duel with Judge Terry, in Cali
fornia from this cause and carclessncss He
had glove on his hand, and before he could
raise the weapon it exploded This left Ter
ry an undisturbed shot, aud his horrible ac.
curacy and onolness were shown by his remark
when he fired, and Broderick dropped y
struck him little too much to tho left p
His shot, ip his opinion, though fatal, was not
exactly artistic.
Duelling in this country prevails as Gus.
tom only il the Southern States, and is man
iIestly, though slowly, dying out There
were men, however, formerly who were known
as professed duelists-that is, you were con-
stantly in danger of boiug challenged by them,
for good cause or none at all i; and to go out
with them was simply to arrange your mortal
affairs and speak to the sexton, for they were
+" dead shot they could put dozen balls
in the same hole successfully. Such men
were naughty and ipsolent, of course; and.
of course, were treated with distinguished
consideration. OF this class was one Ghol
son. of Mississippi, and of one Of whose duels
we now propose to speak.
II was somewhere about 1910 that an 6 un-
pleasantness Of a political origin occurred
between Gholson and gentleman who had
never fought duel, named Prentiss Ghol
son had filed halt a dozen graves with his
victims He was Democrat and Prentiss
was Wing A very large and highly re
spectacle audience attended the fight, and bet
ting was lively-Ghoson having great odds
in the pools Some bets were made that
both would fall, as Prentiss had high rcpu-
tation for goodness and exhibited the utmost
calmncss and self possession, especially in
3 stripping" for the work in hand, while
Gholson seemed less cool and was. airy. At
The FIRST fire Prentiss fell. shot through the
hams, while Gholson leapsd three feet into
The air and came down dead. shot through the
heart. Prentiss possessed the great quality
med at BY all dnellsts; that is, he fFsd quick.