Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1875-12-23
Nv C. OF THE
VAR n 2
a Remarkable Duet BeftUeen
The Conn GHders Of a. Fed.
erdt and a. Rebel Scout.

GottoF " Utc CHtCu9D ITtONne:
On the 18th day of June, 1891
witnesseda duelgbetween a Captain
Jones, Commanding aFederalscout
and Captain Fry, commanding q
Rebel scout, in Greene County,
East Tennessee. these two men
bad been fighting each other for
six months, with the fortunes of.
battle in the favor of one and then
the other, Their commands were
camped on either side of Lick Greek,
a large and sluggish stream, too
deep to ford and too shallow for a
ferry-boat; but there q bridge
spanned the stream for the conven-
ieEce of the travelling public. Each
of them guarded this bridge, that
communication should go neither J
north nor south, as the railroad
track had been broken up months
before. After fighting each other
for several months, and ~contesting
the point as to which should hold
the bridge, they agreed to fight a
duel, the conqueror to hold the
bridge u~ndisputed for the time be-
ing. Jones gave the challenge, and
Fry accepted. The terms were
that they should fight with navy
pistols at twenty yards apart, de-
h~befately walking toward each 9th
er, and firing until the lant cham
Der of their pistols was discharged.
unless one OIL, the other fell before
ali the discharges were made
They chose their sccondE, ind
agreed upon n rebel surgeon as he
was the only CHE in either com
mand 60 attend them in case of
5.nger.
Jones was certainly O fine look
ing fellow, with light hair and bIne
eyes, five feet ten inches in height,
looking every inch the military
entertain. He was q man that sol
diers would admire and ladies re-
sarded with admiration. l never
saw q man more cool, determined,
and heroic under such eireum-
stances. l have read of the deeds
OF chtvahy and knight errantry in
the middle ages, and of brave men
embalmed in modern poesy; but,
when l saw this man Jones come
70 the duelists scratch, fighting,
not for real or supposed wrongs to
himself but, as he honestly thought
for his country and the glory of the
flag, | could not help admiring the
man, Notwithstanding he fought for
the freedom of the negro, which |
was opposed to.
Fry, was q man full six feet high,
slender, with long, waVy, curling
bair, Jet black eyes,, wearing a
a SLOUGH hat and gray suit and
booking rather the demon than the
man. There was nothing ferocious
about him but he had that self
sufficient nonchalance. that said, 81
will kill you" Without a doubt,
he was brave, cool and collected.
and, although suffering from a ter
rible flesh wound in his left arm, re-
ceived 3 week before, he manifest
ed no symptoms of distress, but
seemed ready for the fight.
The ground was stepped off by
the seconds, pistols loaded and ex-
changed, and the principals
brought face to face. I shall never
forget that meeting. Jones, in his
military and boyish mood, as they
shook hands, remarked that
oluo.k-os Jao,L
When in glory's romantic career.
Fry caught up the rest of the
sentence, and answered by say
ing
Yet he bends DER the foe when in battle
laid low,
And battles every wound with a tear.
They turned around and walked
back to the point desigra..ed.-
Jones' second mad tie word Fire
and as he slowly said, .'One-two
-tnree-fre!' they Simultaneous
ly turned at the word "One" and
instantly fired. Neither was hurt.
They cooked their pistols and de-
hberately walked toward each 9th
er, firing as they went. At the fifth
shot Jones threw mp his right hand
and firing his pistol in the air, sank
down. Fry was in the act of firing
his last shot, but seeing Jones fall,
silently lowered his pistol, dropped
it to the ground and sprang to
Jones side, taking his head i'll his
lap as he sat down, and asked him
if he was hurt. r.4.
discovered that Jones was shot
through the region of the stomach,
the bullet CHANGING around that or
gan and coming out to the left of
the spinal column ; besides he had
received three other frightful
wounds in other portions of his
body. / dressed his wounds, and
gave him such stimulants as / had.
He afterwards got well.
Fry received three wounds-one
breaking his left arm, one in the
left, and the other in the right side.
After months of suffering he got
well. Neither of them asked for a
discharge, but both resumed their
commands when they got well. and
fought the war out to the bitter
end; and, TO-DAY, Ire partners in a
wholesale grocery business down
south, doing a good business, and
verifying the sentiment of Byron
that "a soldier braves DEATH" DC.
Trusting that the above truthful
narrative will be o lesson to some
people North and South, that stay
ed on the outside and yelled "Seek
dogi' and are still not satisfied
with the results of the war, let me
subscribe myself a reconstructed
CONFEDERATE SURGEON.