The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-04-28
MI is G lila n Q O u 8.
Remarkable Duel.

On the 10Th day of June, 1868, wit
messed duel between Captain Jones, com
handing a federal scout, and Captain Fry,
commanding rebel scout, in Greene coun-
ty, East Tennessee. These two men had
been fighting each other for six months,
with the fortunes of battle in the favor of
one, then the other Their commands were
encamped on either side of Lick creek, II
large and sluggish stream, too deep to ford
and too shallow for ferry boat; but there
Il bridge spanned the stream for the con-
venience of the travelling public. Each of
them guarded this bridge, that commune
cation should go neither north nor south,
as the railroad track had been broken up
months before. After fighting each other
for several months and contrasting the
point as to which should hold the bridge,
they agreed to fight duel, the conqueror
to hold the bridge undisputcd for the time
being. Jones gave the challenge aud Fry
accepted The terms were, that they
should fight with navy pistols at twenty
yards apart, deliberately walking towards
each other, and firing until the last cham.
Der of their pistols was discharged, unless
one or the other fell before all the dis
charges were made. They chose their
seconds, and agreed upon rebel surgeon
Gas lie was the only one in either COM
manG) to attend them in case of danger.
Jones was certainly a fine looking Eel
low, with light hair and blue eyes, five
feet ten inches in height, looking every
inch the military chieitain. lie was
man that soldiers would admire and Ia
dies regard with admiration. l never saw
Il man more cool, determined and heroic
under such circumstances. / have read
of the deeds of chivOly and knight-crraut,
~ in the middle ages, and of brave men
embalmed in modern poesy; but, when l
saw this man Jones come to the duelists'
scratch, fighting, not for real or supposed
wrongs to himself, but, rs he honestly
thought, Tor his country and the glory of
the flag, l could not help admiring the
man, notwithstanding he fought for the
freedom of the negro, which ! was oppo-
sed to.
Fry was a man full six feet high, slen-
der, with long, wavy, curling hair, jet
black eyes, wearing SLOUGH hat and gray
suit, and looked rather the demon than the
man.
There was nothing icrocious about
but he had that self-suliicient noncha
that said, ~ will kill you" Without a
| doubt he was brave, coz nd collected,
and, although sufferin II II terrible
| fesh-wound in his left arm, received week
before, he manifested symptoms of dis
tress, but seemed rea the fight.
The ground was ST. 1 off by the Sec
onds, pistols loaded and exchanged, and
the principals brought face to face. l
never shall forget that meeting. Jones, in
his military, boyish mood, us they shook
hands remarked
A soldier braves death fora fanciful wreath,
When in glory's romantic career.
Fry caught up the rest of the sentence
and answered by saying:
Yet he bends DER the foe when in bat tie laid low,
| And bathes every wound with tear.
They turned around and walked back to
the point designated. Jones's second gave
the word Fire !" and as he also said,
ne--two-three-fire !" they simuta-
neously turned at the word zone" and in
stantly fired. Neither was hurt. They
cooked their pistols and deliberately walk
ed towards 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, dropped it to the ground, and
sprang to Joness side taking his head in
his lap as he sat down, and asking him il
he was hurt
/ discovered that Jones was shot through
the region of the stomach, the bullet CLAN ;.
ing around that organ aud coming out to
the left of the spinal column; besides, he
had received three other frightful wounds
in other parts of his body. l dressed his
wounds and gave him such stimulants as
l had. He afterwards got WELL
Fry received three wouuds-one break
ing his left arm, one in the left and one
in the right side. After months of suffer
ing he got well. 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 wholesale grocery down
South, doing good business, and verify
ing the sentiment Of Byron, that "a soldier
braves death,"otc
Trusting that tue above truthful nara