New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-06-22
COLONEL HAWKINS.
a Famous Bohemian on q Famous Ke
uuckinn.

A Famous Bohemian ON q Famous Ker
Juckinn.
The following highly seasoned sketch
written by George Alfred Townsend, appear
in the Chicago Tribune:
ibid you ever hear of Tom Hawkins !?
said man of politics to me yesterday
"Tom Hawkins is the greatest duelist il
Kentucky. He is now Governor Steven
sons tobacco inspector at LOUISVILLE
handsome man, with q black moustacht
or never wink. but look out like tigers
with silent ferocity. He is, perhaps, fifty
years Of age now, but still one of the bes
shots in Kentucky. ana he has fixed uI
more Quarrels and been second on more
fields than any man alive. Personally he is
. gentle, truthful, faithful fellow, blu,
he is deadly when he has made up
his mind to eat somebody. Tom ia
one of the best Of his class, the
upon points of honor and prompt to advise
anybody to fight whom he thinks has been
injured. His last appearance in proximity to
the field of honor was OccasiOned by a
mooted duel between two Cincinnati editors,
which never came to a shot. People who
know him, send for Tom in case of duel,
Just as you send for the physician and the
wounded at Beuna Vista, and he was with
Henderson. Crittenden, Lopez, and the rest
when they invaded Cuba. During the war he
was on Breckinridge's staff, and the affairs of
private: blood lin which he has been engaged
are innumerabie. For instance. he was Ben
Johnson's second when he killed Tom
White. Did you ever hear of that?"
"NO!"
"Oh! Tom Hawkins had to leave the State
Cor of hot dI1cl
White was there when Ben shot his son, and
he went on awfully. The papers raised a
bowling row about that duel. Tom White
and Ben johnson had fuss over cards,
both pretty full, and challenge passed.
The women and families on both sides took
big interest in it, and Ben's mother nodded
the balls with her own hands. She was all
up and alive about it. I reckon she'd shot
Ben herself, If he hadn't gone to the field.
Ben was all crippled up with the rheuma-
tism, and they had to set him up and hand
him his gun. They fought with shot-guns,
loaded with ball. There was old man White,
haggling in the field about points Of honor,
the terms of apology, etceteree etceteri. when
pop" went the guns, and his son laid dead
at the old mans feet, with hole right
through his forehead. They say it was
dreadful to hear him go on. don't know
what became of Ben Johnson.
"Oh! yes. bless your soul Tom Haw-
kins scared John Pope most dead once.
They were at old General Woors table,
when Pope impugned the courage of Gen
eral -. and Tom Hawkins just glanced at
him and opened out. John Pope had to
take water.
'sTom was Breckenridge's second when
the challenge passed between John and
Cutting. There Tom showed the general
ship of Alexander the Great. Cuttings
second was old President Monroa's son, of
the regular army, and Tom turned him in.
side out, He put him On the defensive,
Numbered at him, and got John Breckin-
ridge off with all the honors.
tom Hawkins is terrible fellow. If he
looks at you with his wide open.eye, full of
ferocity, you are half gone up already. When
they tried Henderson in New Orleans, and
judah Benjamin was employed by the
Spanish government to assist in the prose.
cutIon, Tom, whose trial was to follow, saw
what q terrible tongne Benjamin had, and
he followed him out OF the courtroom and
said:
"Look here, Mr.. Jew, want to tell You
something. IL, when my trial comes off.
you say one word against my character, ril
kill you in your tracks,
Benjamin saw these big eyes ready to
Jump out OF Toms head, and he said:
"'Mr. Hawkins, shall not want to have
any difficulty with you, SIR
They did not convict Henderson, and
Tom never came to trial.
II reckon you never heard of Tom Hen |
derson's connection with the Fitch and Ste
never been published to my knowledge, but
1t was remarkable episode in the preface
TO the rebellion. You see it was coming on
toward the political conventions of
1859, and Douglas had all the strength, |
SO that it was hard ON to Ger
tainty that he would be nominated and |
crowd out the Buchanan party. l got sure
dell, jesse d. Bright. Howell Cobb, Benja- |
min. and that faction in Washington-for |
they met at Cobb's house chiefly and one |!
day 1t came to me straight as wire that |
they had determined to force Douglas into |
a fight, and that it had been proposed that |
Slidell should insult Douglas in the drinking |
saloon of the Senate, and if he resented it, |
shoot him down. l wrote to Douglas at |
once, but knowing his habit SO well. OF |
leaving letters unopened for days and weeks
together, sent the letter to q friend, and
commanded him to make Douglas open it
and peruse it, that he might be prepared.
And in that letter said: If you are pushed
to the wall, telegraph for Tom Hawkins, of
Louisville
swell, came on from the South soon
after that, and went up with George Pugh
w sSS A>oub AhSio VIC lOuuu uCUUuJ W
pay much attention to us. Douglas seemed
absorbed with something else, and looking
out OF his library across the hail. | saw
Roger A. Pryor and Albert G. Brown, of
mississippi, step into another room. l asked
no questions, but came away, and soon
afterward started for New York. When |
got to the Relay House there was about
three minutes delay, as the Western train
had Just come in, and saw get out of ii and
step toward the Washington train-who but
Tom Hawkins?
"Tom," I cried, "what are you doing
here?"
what are you doing away from Wash
ington ?" said Tom.
"Going to New York"
New York What? Do you get me
here and then run off to New York Doug |
as has sent for me. The fights ont!
'.Ill get off my baggage at Baltimore" |
,aid |. sand return to Washington to- |
night"
And with that the trains steamed con.
,rary ways.
II found ont the matter at Washington |
hat same evening. The conspirators had |
arranged to force an insult upon Douglas, |
md then, If he challenged, he would lose |
he vote of the North. II he refused, no.
,ody in the South would touch him. The |
reatuFe Of the conspirators TO insult Doug
as wus G. N. Fitch, of Indiana-still alive, |
believe-an1 he had done it In executive |
ession the day before / reached the city. l
Douglas had demanded Q TetractiQn or