The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-13
The Desperate Duel Between Jack.
son and Dickinson.

The famous duel between jackson
and Dickinson is generally known, bu
Partons Life OF the former gives an ex
cellent account OF the affair, with some
circumstances that are new.
Dickinson's second won the choice o
positions, and Jackson s the office Of Civ
ing the word. The astute Overton con
sidered this giving the word matter o
great importance, and he had already
determined how he would give it, if the
lot fell to him. The eight PAGES were
measured oil, and the men placed
both were perfectly collected. All the
politene.s of such occasions was strictly
and elegantly performed. jackson was
dressed in loose frock coat, buttoned
carelessly over his chest, and conceal
ing in some degree the extreme slender,
ness Of his figure Dickinson was the
Younger and handsomer man of the
two. But Jackson's tall, erect figure
and the intensity Of his demeanor, it i.
said, gave most superior commando.
air, as he stood under the tall poplar.
on this bright May morning, silently
awaiting the moment of doom.
Are you readyY said Overton.
II am ready" said Dickinson.
81 am ready" said Jackson.
The words were no sooner pronunced
than Overton, with a sudden shout, us
ing his old country pronunciation, cried
FIRE.
Dickinson raised his pistol quickly
and fired. OvertoD, who was looking
with anxiety and dread at Jackson
saw a puff OF dust fly from the breast Of
his coat; and saw him raise his left
hand and place it tightly across his
chest. He is surely hit, thought Over,
ton, and in a bad place too, but he does
not fall. Erect and grim as tate he
stood, his teeth clenched, and raised his
pistol. Overton glanced at Dickinson.
Amazed at the unwonted failure of his
aim, and appalled, at the awful figure
and face before him, Dickinson had I'm.
consciously recoiled a pace or two.
Great God" he faltered, have miss,
ed him r
Back to the mark, sir, Numbered
Overton, with his hand upon his pistol.
Dickinson recovered his composure,
stepped forward to the peg, and stood
with his eyes averted from his antago,
mist. All this was but the work Of a mo-
ment, though itrequires many words to
tell it.
Jackson took deliberate aim, and
pulled the trigger. The pistol neither
snapped or went of. He looked at the
trigger and discovered it had stopped at
half cock. He drew it back to its place
and took aim q second time. He fired,
Dickinson's face blanched; he reeled ;
his friends rushed forward and caught
him in their arms and gently seated
him on the grass, leaning against a
bush. His trowsers Redeemed. They
stripped off his clothes. The ball pass
ed through below the ribs. Such a
wound could not be but fatal.
Overton went forward and learned the
condition of the wounded man. Re-
joining his principal, he said: "lle
won't want any more Of you, General,
and conducted him from the ground.
They had gone an hundred yards, Over
ton walking on one side of Jackson, the
surgeon on the other, when the surgeon
observed that one of Jackson 5 shoes
were filled with blood
"Oh, ! believe" said Jackson, that
he pricked me little. Let's look at it.
But say nothing abont it there, point
ing TO the house.
lie opened his coat Dickinson aim
had been perfect. He had sent the
ball precisely where he had supposed
Jackson's heart was beating. But the
thinness of his body and the looseness
of his coat combining to deceive Dick.
inson, the ball had only broken a rib
or two, and raked the breast bone. IT
was a somewhat painful, bad-looking
wound, but neither severe nor danger
Gus, and he was able TO ride to the
tavern without much inconvenience.
Upon approaching the house he went to
one Of the negro women who was
churning and asked if the butter had
come. She said it was coming; lie
asked for some butter-milk. While she
was getting it for him, she observed
him furtively open his coat and look
within. She saw his shirt was soaked
with blood, and she stood gazing with
blank horror at the sight, dipper in
hand. He caught her eye and hastily
buttoned up his coat again. She dipped
out a quart measure full of butter-milk
and gave it to him. He drank it off at
a draurht, and then went in and took
off his coat and had his wound care
fully examined and dressed. That done
he dispatched one Of his retinue to DR..
Catlet, to inquire respecting the condI
ton of Dickinson, and to say that the
surgeon attending himself would be
glad to tender his aid TO Mr. Dickin,
sons relief Polite reply was returned
that Dickinson's case was beyond sur
gery. In the course OF the day Jack
son sent bottle of wine TO Dr. Catlet
for the use of his patient.
But there was one qualification that
/ Jackson could not, even in such cir
cumstances, grant, him. A very OLD
friend of Jackson's writes to me thus
Although the General had beer
wounded, he did not desire it to bt
known until he had left the vicinity
and therefore had concealed it first from
his friends. His reason for doing this
as he once stated to me, was that, a.
Dickinson considered himself the hes
shot in the world, and was certain o
killing him the first fire, he did no
want him to have the qualification ever