Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-09-08
Douglass as a Duelist,.

'l)lt you ever near OF ION llaW-
kins," sand a man Of politics to me yes
tcrday. Tom Hawkins is the great
est duclist in Kentucky. He was Gov
crnor Stevenson tobacco Inspector at
Louisville-a handsome man with a
black mustache and large, glaring
black ewes, which seldom or never
wink, but to look ont like tigers with
silent terocity. He is, perhaps. fifty
Years of age now, but still one of the
best shots in Kentucky. and he has fix
ed up more quarrcls, and been Sc
coud on more fields, than any man a.
live. Personally he is Il gentle, truthful
faithful fellow, but he is deadly when
he has made up his mind to eat some
body. Tom is one of the best of his
class, the finished dueist of the South
always nice upon points of honor and
prompt to advise anybody to fight
whom he thinks has been injured.
People who know him, send for Tom,
in case OF duel. just rs you send for
ply >ician when YOU are sick. lie was
wounded at Bucna Vista, and he was
with Henderson, Crittenden, Lopez.
and the rest when they invaded Cuba
During the war he was on Brecken-
ridges staff, and the affairs OF private
blood n which he has been engaged
are innumerable.
reckon YOU never heard of IIender-
sons connection with the Fitch and
I Stephen \. Douglas trial. did YOU?
That has never been published, to my
knowledge, but it was remarkable
episode i'll the preface to the rebellion
lou see, it was coming on toward the
/ political convention of 1860, and
Douglas had all the strength, so that
it WAS hard on to certainty that he
would be nominated, and crowded out
the Buchanan party. got such infor.
nation of the nightly caucu,ses of Sill
dell, Jesse ID. Bright, Howell Cobb,
Benjamin, and that faction in WASH
ington-ior they met at Cobb's house
chleily-and one day it came to me
straight as a wire, that they had deter
mined to force Douglas into 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. |
wrote to Douglas at once, but know
ing his habits SO well, of leaving let
ters unopened for days and weeks to-
gether, sent the letter to a friend,
and commanded him to make Douglas
open it and peruse it, that he might
be prepared. And in this letter said ::
''If you are pushed to the wall, tele-
graph for Tom Hawkins, of Louisville. u
Well, came from the South soon af:
ter that, and went up with George Pugh
to see Douglas. There we found no.
body to pay much attention to US
Douglas seemed absorbed with some.
thing else, and looking out of his libra
ry, across the hail, saw Roger A
Pryor and Albert q. Brown, Of Miss
issippi, step into another room. l ask
ed no questions, but came away, anC
soon after started for New York
When | got to the Relay House, ther,
was about three minutes delay as tn.
Western train had just come in, and
saw get out Of it and step toward the
Washington train-who but Tom Haw'
kins!
"Tom," l cried ''what are you doing
here?"
..What are you doing away from
Washington p said Tom.
..Going to New York"
s.New York--what! DO you e,
mo here and then run OF to New York
Douglas has sent for me. The fights
lonr