Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-04-18
ECCENTRIC DUms.


.ess .
History uarrases Affairs Of lrnor In ~hicl
the weapons elnRioyed. OF IL eircums.an
ees surrounding the eneosslkps esrhinl,
render them worthy 10 be sl6nised undeI
the general head. ss.EceestD Duelss-
There is on record an insssrs where <w,
champions got into . ppnchGa. and thcr,
fought with knives. and ano(s where tw,
noblemen fought With dse6oFs. holdius
each other by the left han1 Brantoms
mentions q acertain Seigneu ie Gsnsac
who proposed to meet two sppouents a
tho same time acd when slfoStiou wa.
made 70 the abs<sditx &c % t;r mezcl,
replied: why history is full Of such
deeds. and mon Dieu! / am determined
20 have my name recorded"
Baron Rothschid was once challenged
for refusing to lend an impecunious Ger.
man baron a sum Of money. In 1858
two Alabama gentleman foug ght duel a,
New Orleans with bayone.s fixed on mus
ke's. After few passes, one ofthe gen.
tlemcn thrust his bayon in the left shoul-
der ofthe other, and completely lifted him
off the ground
Galignani relates duel which occurred
between two coachmen in the Bois de
Boulogne. some years ago. These gentle
men could never meet without wrangling,
so one day one suggested to the other -
Our quarreling has now lasted too long
it is time TO put an end to it, Let us have
one fight. and let that be the last We
neither Of u. understand anything of sword
or pistol; let US fight with our whips. -
Aud at it they went to their hearts content.
Brantome tells of two Corsicsns, who
securely placed sharp-pointed dagger. in
their helmets. and were clad only iu a
'sacque," coat of mail over their shirts.
The person challenged was a good wrest-
Ter. and the party accepted the cartel Sc
lec'ed this strange attire, in which they
actually appeared upon the ground, al
thong in the dead of Winter. Both were
armed with swords, but, no advantage
being gained BY either, they at length
rushed upon each other and the wrestling
began. 1t was in this struggle that the
daggcrs came into play. for each gentle
man buttec his antagonists face. neck and
arms. They were both wounded in many
places until they were exhausted! by this
blood letting One died within 4 month
and the other grievcd himself almost to
death. on the prime; pie that We never know
what VIC think of a man until We fight him.
An ingenious soldier Of diminut,ve sta
ture. once adopted this whimsical mode of
oil oil t.t,
insulted him; he insisted that both should
wear steel collar bristling with pointed
blades as sharp as razors round eheir necks.
and having no other arnor. their bodies
and limbs were exposed to the swords Of
each other. BY this singular invention
the little chap could look up at his gigantic
antagonist without the least danger. while
the tall gentleman could not look down
at his short opponcn. without cutting bis
chin with the inserted points Of the steel
collar. The little fellow had the fighting
all his own way, and shortly after had the
pleasure Of running his sturdy enemy
through the body.
managed to procure large amount of
revolutionary notorie;y on remarkably
small capital. He did run away at Horse
neck. and did hang Palmer. the spy. but
his presence at Bunker Hill is very doubt
full. and it would have been better had he
not been at the battle ofl.ong Island at all.
He was engaged in two duels, both OF
which were highly discreditable to him. -
He once insul,cd an American officer at
the table. and when challenged for the
oifensc. agreed to meet him next morning
without seconds. At the time and place
appointed. the officer appeared with sword
and pistols and had approached to within
thirty rods Of "Old Put" when that gen.
tleman fired shot from a gun at him
While Putnam was reloading bis piece
his antagonist approached him and inquir.
cd. .'What are you about to dog l:
this the conduct Of al American officer
and a man Of honor p What am
about to do 2 replied the general. a
pretty question put to man whom YOU in
tend to murder. I'm about to Kill YOU
and il you don't bea. retreat in less tim,
than il takes old Heath to hang a Tory
you are gone dog. The officer turned
and fed.
The second affair wa. with British Of
fcer, and prisoner on parole. who wa.
offended at some remarks Of the general
A challenge was given aud accepted. -
Putnam, as the challenged patty. sgreed
to choose the weapons, and appeared a
the place named with arms for both. Th.
officer found him seat cd near barrel, ap,
parently containing powder. smoking hi,
pipe. Putnam requested the English Of
6cer to take seat on the other side of th.
barrel. The officer looked for minu,,
at the match. for .he general had lighted i,
and as the ere approached the suppose
powder. sprang up and Aed Putnam
shouted after him, You are just as brav,
4 man as I took you to be; this is moth
ing but barrel of onions. With . few
grairs of powder on the head to try 20,
, BY. But you did not like the SMELL
II these affairs, in which general ofice,
of the American army desccnds to dishon
orable means to shield his own want o
courage is creditablc to the party enact
ing them. then every questionable 'cat,
trick should be theme for biographies
laudation. as these have been to the au
thors Of the romantic, hctiiieas life Of Gen
Putnam.
4
A Yankee editor out West says: '.Th,
l uarnh nc ~sr,l,.>s.cu a. nu.>-l