Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-08-08
4 Kentucky Anecdote.


lilies to attend the prominent ban
becues; and this was esp ciall,
the case in the contest betweel
Mr.. Breckenridge and Genera
Combs, in 1S40. Out Of thesl
affairs grew the authentic stor,
of the nice widow in the blue
grass region. Not far from th'
Forks of Elkhorn lived the pretty
little widow Fauntleroy, and on,
of her nearest neighbors was Gen
eral Peyton. The general hac
looked upon the little widow very
much as he looked upon his blood
ed horse Powhattan-"The fines
horse, sir, in the blue grass region.
The pretty Mrs. Fauntleroy
had been a widow more than &
year; while the general, having {
great regard for etiquette, had
waited patiently for that time tc
elapse, in order to declare him
self, But tire widow, with hel
womah' art, kept+er lover at bay,
and yet kept him in her train.
He had escorted her to this bar.
becue, and when returning had ex.
pressed his satisfaction at the
prospects of General Combs, and
the success Of The Wing party.
The widow took sides with the
Democracy, aid offered to wager
her blooded saddle-horse, Gipsey,
or anything else on her place.
against Powhattan, or amy thing
else she might fancy on the gen.
erals place.
The generals gallantry would
not allow him to refuse the wager,
which be promptly accepted
By this time they had reached
the north Fork of Elkhorn, and
were about to ford it (bridgru were
not plenty in those days. when
John Peytou, the generals only
son and heir, came up at sharp
gait behind them.
The widow turned and bowed
to John, and rode on into the
stream, but a nttle behind her
companion. The east bank was
very steep, and required the horses
to put forth nearly all their
strength to reach the top with
their loads.
As luck would have it, good
or i'll, the widows girth broke when
just at the commencement of the
steep part. The lady still seated
on her saddle, slid swiftly back in
to the water. while her horse went
up the bank like an arrow.
John Peyton leaped from bis
horse, and in an instant caught
the floating lady and saddle, and,
before the general had recovered
from his astonishment was at the
top of the bank with his burden.
The little widow was equal to the
occasion, for she begged the gener-
al to ride on and stop her horse,
which had now begun to under
stand his part of the mishap, and
was beginning to increase his gait
toward home.
The general did as he was bid,
and soon returned with the horse.
In the meantime JChn Peyton had
secured his own lorse: and when
the general came back with the
widows horse she and John were
laughing merrily over the ridicu'
lous accident but what further
passed between them is only
known to themselves.
John Peyton repaired the bro.
ken girth, fastened the saddle a.
gain on the horse, placed the lady
in her seat, bade her good evening,
mounted his horse, and taking
road down the Elkhorn,
rode rapidly home, leaving the
general to escort the widow.
1t is not necessary to relate
how he entertained his fair COM
panion with ponderous anecdotes
of Mr.. Clay and other famous pub
lie men (; but when he reached
the Fauntleroy place, he accepted
the lady's invitation to dismount
and take tea with her.
After having changed her wet
clothing, the pretty widow enter
tdihed her guest with her bright
est smiles, and some new songs
The general was delighted, and
expressed his delight as Kentucky
gentlemen of that day would do.
"You are the finest songstress,
madam, in the bluegrass region"
When he bid her good night
and shook hands with her on the
porch, the wicked little widow
gave his hand a little squeeze, on
ly a little, but it thrilled like an
electric shock through his great,
ponderous frame, while she laugh
lngly reminded him of his wager.
That night in his dreams, the lit