The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-12-22
A WAR DUEL.

Jones, commanding Federal scout
and Captain Fry, commanding a rebel
scout, in Greene county, East Tennes-
see. The two men had been fighting
each other for six months with the for.
tunes of battle in favor of one and
then the other. Their commands we're
camped ON either side of Lick Creek.
a large and sluggish stream, too deep
to ford and too shallow for "a ferry
boat; but there bridge spanned the
stream for the convenience of the
travelling public. Each of them guard
ed this bridge, that communication
should 60 neither north nor south, as
the railroad track had been broken up
months before. After fighting each
other for several months, and contest
ing the point as to which should hold
the bridge, they agreed to fight duel, i,
the conqueror to hold the bridge un-
disputed for the time being. Jones
gave the challenge, and Fry accepted.
The terms were that they should fight
with navy pistols at twenty yards
apart, deliberately walking toward
each other, and firing until the last
chamber of their pistols was discharg-
ed, unless one or the other fell before
all the discharges were made. They
chose their seconds, and agreed upon
rebel surgeon Gas he was the only one
10 either command) to attend them in
case Of danger.
Jones was certainly a fine e-looking
fellow, with light hair, blue eyes, FIVE
feet ten inches in height, looking every
inch the military chieftain. He was
man that soldiers would admire and
ladies regard with admiration. Inev.
er saw man more cool, determined,
and heroic under such circumstances.
| have read of the deeds of chivalry
and knight-errantry in the middle
ages, and of brave men embalmed in
modern poesy; but when | saw this
man Jones come to the duelist's 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 be fought
for the freedom of the negro, which /
was opposed TO. l7siss" 3.i
Fry was man full six feet high,
slender, with long, wavy, curling hair,
jet black eyes, wearing slouch hat
and gray suit, and looking rather the
demon than the man. There was moth
ing ferocious about him but he had
the selfsufficient nonchalance about
him that said, 81 will kill you" With
out a doubt, he was brave, cool, and
collected, and, although suffering from
a terrible flesh wound in his left arm,
received week before, he manifested
no symptoms of distress but seemed
ready for the fight.
] The ground was stepped off by the
seconds, pistols loaded and exchanged,
and the principals brought face q face.
/ shall never forget that meeting.
Jones, in his military boyish mood, as
they shook hands, remarked that
A soldier braves death for fmcifil
When in giory's romantic career.
Fry caught up the rest of the SEN
tence, and answered by saying:
Yet he bends oer the foe when in battle
laid low, .s.t I'LL.
| Ana DatheS every wound With tear.
They turned around and walked
back to the point designated. Jones'
second had the word "Fire," and as
he slowly said: One-two-three-
firep they simultaneously turned at
the word "one," and instantly fired.
Neither was hurt. They cooked their
pistols and deliberately walked toward
each other, firing as they went. At
the fifth shot. Jones threw up 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, drop
ped it TO the ground, and sprang to
Jones side, taking his head in his
lap as he sat down, and asking him if
he was hurt.
discovered that Jones was shot
through the region of the stomach, the
bullet glancing around that organ, and
coming out to the left of the spinal
column; besides he had received
three other frightfhl flesh wounds in
other portions of the body. / dressed
his wounds, and gave him such stimu-
lants as | had, He afterwards got
we'll.
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 we'll.
Neither of them asked for discharge,
but both resumed their commands
when they got well. and fought the
war out to the bitter end, and, to-day
are partners in a wholesale grocery
business down South, doing a good
business, and verifying the sentiment
of Dvron tbat "a enI1iar hravas