Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1874-08-16
An Affair Of Honor.
- An old, citizen of Washington re
lates the following Ye,niniscef,ce

- An old citizen of Washington re-
lates the following Yefniniscence |:
"On the 9th day of February, 1919,
at ,Bladsnsburg, in the, District Of
Columbia, was fought one of the
most remarkable duels known, in
the annals Of the bloody code.
The parties were Colonel Armstead
Thompson, Mason, them Senator of
Virginia, and Colonel John McCarty.
The parties to this sanguinary con-
fiict were near neighbors in the
county of London, aud brothersin-
law, and the difficulty between them
grew out of political questions of
that day. The fight was pressed by
Colonel Mason, against many pro-
tests and expedients fof TGolonel
McCafty to avoid it. The distance
finally settled upon was six PAGES,
with muskets, rendering death to
one or both certain, and at the first
fire Colonel Mason fell, mortaHy
wounded. He left a widow with
one son, then, fifteen months old,
and the first Intelligence which the
wife had of the sad event or the
confruversyFwas the announcement
of her husbands death, accompanied
with htsS remains from fhatJhloody
field called the field of honor
Even at that day there were many
Christian people who held the duel
ing code in abhorTence, and there
upon arose a, grave question-whe-
ther within the consecrated ground
of the old Episcopal church the re-
mains of a duelist should have
Christian burial. These scfaples
were finally overcome, and the re-
mains OF Colonel Mason now repose
in the old church burying grounds
at Leesburg, Va; but, singularly
enough, no headstone, or other mon
ument denotes the spot where the
once distinguished and honored
Senator iMaDn's remains Enow
repose. Before the. duel Col. Mason
made his will, devising his entire
estate, consisting of some 1000 acres
of land under high state of cul-
tivation, with large retinue of
slaves and other personal property,
to his wife and infant son, Stephen
Mason, share and share ahloe.
From the date of Colonel Mason's
death until his widows demise she
was never. known to speak his name
or personally aliude 10 her late hus-
band, whose fate was so tragic. The
popular reason assigned for her sim
gular course was that she thought
that her husband had done great
wrong by engaging in mortal COM
bat without an intimation to her
under the circumsta hces in which
she was placed. The widow remain
ed in the family mansion, which
was capacious, elegantly furnished,
and everything appertaining thereto
was on Il scale OF regal mag
lnificence; but during the minority
of her son, embracing a period of
twenty years, she retired to the back
apartments of the house, and never
put her foot in the front part until
her son became of full age, when,
with some ceremony, she took the
arm of her son and walked into the
rooms SO long deserted. ~ J. ~ W 2
At this time Mrs. Mason, with her
son Stephen, was the rightful owner OF
this immense estate, now very much
enhanced in value, bnt in their pos
session it was destined to re'hain but
few years. The son, together with
his mother, very soon became in
volved by sundry Endorsements and
other obligations, by which the en-
tire estate was sold under the sher-
IFS hammer. FromJhepceforth the
widowed neither xnd her only son
were without shelter, and reduced to
penury and want. The son Stephen,
being thus without employment or
means, sought and obtaiued a. cap
tain's commission in the army, and
was killed in the war with Mexico,
at Cerro Gordo. Such were the sad
results inflicted upon an eminent
family and the sacrifice of high posi-
ton and the wasting of palatial es-
tate to that which has been falsely
called the .1code of honor" Now,
as to his antagonist upon that bloody
field, Col. McCarty, his family con-
sisted of his wife, one son and a
daughter. His son, highly edu-
Gated and promising young man,
was accidentally shot upon the prem
ises of Col. Mason, whom his father
had so cruelty slain. Although
there was nothing especially blame
worthy, according to the duelling
code, on the part of Col. McCarty,
yet he ever afterward led a misera-
bly, dissolute lifes wandering over
different parts Of the country; every
where avoided, dissolute and un-
principled, he died detested and un-
mourusd," r ST2 THN