Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-30
OLD HICKORY'S PISTOLS.
How They Came into the Possession
Of q Summer County FamiIy-The
Man who was Too Brave for An.
drew Jackson TO XIII.
From the Franklin (Ky.) Patriot.

From the Franklin (Ky.l Patriot.
/ saw some time ago brace of duel
ing pistols, in the possession of Thomas
Rutherford, of Sumner county, Tenn.
They were steel barrels, fiuted within,
flint locks, caliber one ounce, and high
ly ornamented with silver.
The history received of them was
as follows:
Many years before the brilliant tri-
umphs of war had lifted Gen. Jackson
high above all competitors into the
Presidential chair as Chief Executive
of the nation, it was his custom to have
some one to take his place in any dirty
street broils which might come up.
AT the time to which / refer, one
Furgerson was that man, a regular
knock down and drag-out sort of a fell
low, dreaded by all who were ever so un-
fortunate as to come in contact with
him.
An uncle of Col. Rutherford, by the
same name, visited Nashville to sell a
fine pair of match horses. Furgerson
offered to purchase them on a short
credit and to give Gen. jackson as Sc
curity. This arrangement was made
and the horses were his.
Before Mr.. R. left Nashville, he
learned the character of the man with
whom he had traded, and was told that
if he ever asked for the money on the
note he had received for the horses,
Furgerson would whip him.
1t happened that Rutherford was a
rough misunderstanding suited him
better than a ground scuf5ie in defense
of his rights, and so he was impatient
for the day of the coming conflict.
Early on the morning the
note fell due, Rutherford visited
Nashville, saw Furgerson and
presented his note for payment, telling
him at the same time what he had
heard of him, and, further, that if he
didn't pay the money right away, he
would thrash him like dog.
A word and the blow followed. Never
was man more soundly thrashed than
Furgerson was on that occasion, in
fact supposed to be dead for time.
This aroused the Generals sympathies
for his man who had received such
cudgeling and to resent it was his first
impulse-but in a fisticuff he would be
only as a child In Rutherford's hands,
and so challenged him to fight a duel
the next morning, distance ten PAGES.
Though Rutherford had no expert
ence with fire arms, he instantly ac-
cepted the challenge.
At the appointed hour all parties
were at the place of rendezvous. All
prelImInaries made, the distance meas
ured, the positions taken, the words
one-two-at this juncture, Jackson,
who was dead shot, having eyed his
antagonist closely, saw that there was
no finching in him, but that he was as
cool and deliberate as if nothing unus-
ual was occurring, stepped forward
and addressed Rutherford: BY the
eternal, sir, 1 would despise myself to
sacrifice such noble material as you are
made of. Sir, please accept these pis-
tolls from one who ever admires true
courage and pluck, such as you have to
day demonstrated, and accept them from
me as an evidence of my high apprecia-
ton of you as man who dares to de-
fend his rights.
Gen. jackson paid the money due on
Furgerson's note. Ever afterward the
Rutherford family have been Jackson's
warmest supporters, and none lamented
his death more than they. The pistols
will be kept in the family forever as
priceless souvenirs. D.