The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-07-07
A Famous Kentucky Duelist.

A Famous Kentucky Duelist.
The following highly seasoned sketch. writ
ten by George Alfred Townsend appears III 'ne
Chicago Tribune: ,e,.,
"Did YOU ever hear of Tom Hawkins I" SAID
man of politics to me yesterday. "Iom daw-
kins is the greatest duelist in Kentucky. lie
is now Governor Stevenson's tobacco inspector
at Louisville handsome man, with black
moustache and large glaring black eyes, which
seldom or never wink, but look out Like t.
gers, with silent ferocity. He is, perhaps, ht-
ty wears of age now but still one OF the best shots
in Kentucky, and he has fixed up more quar-
rels. and been second on more helds, than
any man alive. Personally he is gentle,
truthful, faithful fellow, but ne Is deadly when
he has made UP his mind to eat somebody.
Tom is one of the best of his class, the finish
ed dueist of the South, always nice upon points
of honor and prompt to advise anybody to tight
whom he thinks has been injured. His last
appearance in proximity to the field OF honor
was occasioned by mooted duel between two
Cincinnati editors, which never came to a shot.
People who know him, send for Tom in case of
q duel, just as you send for the physician and
the preacher when you are sick. He was
wounded at Buena 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 in which he has been engaged are
innumerable. For instance, he was Ben John
sons second when he killed Tom White. Did
you ever hear of that?"
"No"
ooh Tom Hawkins had to leave the State
for some wears after that duel. Old man White
was there when Ben shot his son, and he went
on awfully. The papers raised bowling row
about that duel Tom White and Ben John
son had fuss over cards, both pretty full and
a 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.
reckon she'd shot Ben herself if he hadn't gone
to the field. Ben was all crippled up with the
rheumatism, 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, etceterce etceteri,
dead at the old mans feet, with hole right
through his forehead. They say it was dread
full to hear him 20 on. dop't know what be-
came of Ben Johnson.
"Oh! yes, bless your soul Tom Hawkins
scared John Pope most dead once. They were
at old Gen. Wools table, when Pope impugned
the courage of General =, and Tom Haw-
kins Just glanced at him and openedo out. John
Pope had to take water.
@Tom was Breckinridge's second when the
challenge passed between John and Cutting.
There Tom showed the generalship of Alexan-
der the Great Cuttings second was old Pres
ident Monroe's son, Of the regular army, and
Tom turned him inside out. He put him on
the defensive thundered at him, and got John
Breckinridge 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 Ju-
dah Benjamin was employed by the Spanish
government to assist in the prosecution, Tom,
whose trial was followed, saw what terrible
tongue Benjamin had, and he followed him out
of the court room and said:
".Look here, Biz. Jew, I want to tell you
something. IT. when my trial comes off you
say one word against my character, I'll 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.
81 reckon you never heard of Tom Haw-
kins' connection with the Fitch and Stephen
A. Douglas duel, did you? That has never
been published, to my knowledge; but it was
remarkable episode in the preface to the re-
bellion. You see it was coming on 0towards
had all the strength, so that it was hard on to
certainty that he would be nominated and
crowd out the Buchanan party. l got sure in
formation of the nightly caucuses of Slidell,
Jesse D. Bright, Howell Cobb, Benjamin, and
that faction in Washington-for they met at
Cobb's house chiefly and one day it came to
me straight as wire that they had determined
to force Douglas into fight and that it had
been proposed that Slidell should insult Doug
las in the drinking saloon of the Senate, and,
if he resented it, shoot him down. 1 wrote
to Douglas at once, but knowing his habits so
well, OF leaving letters unopened for days and
weeks together, l sent the letter To 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 Louis
vile
well, l came on from the South soon after
that, and went up with George Pugh to see
Douglas. There We found nobody to pay much
attention to US. Douglas seemed absorbed
with something else, and looking out of his Ii
brary, across the hall, saw Roger A. Pryor
and Albert G. Brown, of Mississippi, step into
another room. I asked no questions, but came
away, and soon afterward started for New
York. When l got to the Relay House there
was about three minutes delay, as the Western
train had just come in, and saw get out of it
and step towards the Washington train-who
but Tom Hawkins?
Ton" cried, "what are you doing here2''
What are you doing away from Washing
toni" said Tom.
"Going to New York"
"New York, what2 Do you get me here
and then run Oft to New York? Douglas has
sent for me- The fights onl"
"I'll get off my baggage at Baltimore" said
And with that the trains steamed contrary
ways.