Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-30
a Noted Kentucky DueIist.

Did ven ever hear of Tom Hawkins +?
said man OF politics TO nae yesterday.
Tom Hawkins Is the greatest dushst il
Kentucky He j. -,n.-~ H-- stevenson 5
toblcco Inspector at Louisville hand
sorne man, with black mustaehe, and
large, glaring black eyes which seldom or
never wink, but look out like tigers,
with silent ferocity. He il, perhaps, fifty
years of age now, but still one of the best
shots in Kentucky, and he has fixed up
more quarrels, and been a second on more
fields, than any other man alive
Personally, he is a gentle, truthful,
faithful fellow, but he is deadly when he
has made up his mind to eat somebody.
Tom IL one of the best of his class, the fin
ished dualist of the South, always nice
upon points Of honor, and advising any,
body to fight whom he thinks has been in
jured. His last appearance in proximity
to the field of honor was occasioned by
mooted duel between two Cincinnati
editors, which never came to shot.
People who know Tom, send for him in
case of duel, just as you send for a
physician and the preacher, when you are
sick He was wounded at Buena Vista,
and he was with Henderson, Crittenden,
Lopez, aud the rest, when they invaded
Cuba. During the war, he was on Breck-
enridge's staff aud the affairs of private
blood in which he has been engaged, are
Iiunumerable. 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 for some years 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 johnson had
fuss over cards, both pretty full, and a
challenge passed. The women and fam
lilies 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 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 order,t 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. I don't know what be-
came of Ben johnson.
Tom Hawkins scared John Pope most
dead once, They were at old Gen. Woods
table, when Pope impugned the courage
of General --, and Tom Hawkins
Just glanced and opened out. John Pope
had to take water @
Tom was Breckenridge's second when
the challenge passed between John and
Cutting. There Tom showed the gener-
alship of Alexander the Great Cuttings
second was old President 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 Brecken-
ridge off with the honors.
Tom Hawkins is a terrible fellow. If
he looks at you with his wido open eyes
full of ferocity, you are half gone up al
ready. When they tried Henderson in
New Orleans, and Judah Benjamin was
employed by the Spanish Government to
assist in the prosecution, Tom, whose
trial was to follow, saw what terrible
tongue Benjamin had, and he followed
him out of the court room, and said ::
I" Look here, Mr.. Jew, 1 want to tell you
something. If, when my trial comes off,
you say one word against my character,
I'll kill you in your tracks" Benjamin
saw those big eyes ready to jump out OF
Toms head, and he said :. Mr.. Hawkins,
I shall not want to have any difficulty
with you, SIR" They did not convict
Henderson, and Tom never came to trial.
reckon you never heark of Tom Haw-
kin's connection with the Fitch and
Stephen A. Douglas trial, did you? /? That
has never been published to my know
ledge, but it was remarkable episode IN
the preface to the rebellion. You see 1t
was coming on toward the political con-
vention of 1859, and Douglas had all the
strength, 80 that it was hard on to a GER
tainty that he would be nominated and
crowd out the Buchanan party.