The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-01-19
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR.
ARemarkable Duel Between tho Com
-nanders Of a Federal and Rebel
Scout.
from the Chicago Tribunc.l

Scout 3 =.
from the Chicago Tribunc.1
On the 18th day of June, 1863,
witnessed duel between a Captain
Jones, commanding a federal scout
and Captain Fry, commanding I
rebel scout, in Green county, Eas
Tennessee. These two men haC
been fighting each other for 81,
months, with the fortunes of bat
tie in the favor of one and then the
other. The commands were on
camped OH either side of Licl
Creek, large and sluggish stream
too deep to ford and too shallow
for q ferry boat but there n bridge
spanned the stream for the conven
ienco Of the travelling public
, Each of them guarded this bridge
that communication should &c
neither north nor south, us tho rail
road track Ind been broken up
months before. After fighting
each other for several months, and
contesting the point us to which
should hold the bridge, they agreed
to fight q duel, tho conqueror to
hold the bridge undisputcd for the
time being. Jones gavo tho chal
longe, and Fry accepted. The
terms were TINT they should fight
with navy pistols ut twenty yards
apart, deliberately walking toward
each other, and firing until the
last chamber of their pistols was
discharged, unless one or the other
fell before all the discharges were
made. They chose their seconds
and agreed upon IL rebel surgeon
(ns he was the only one in either
command) to attend them in case
Of danger.
Jones was certainly q fino-looking
fellow, with light hair md blue
eyes, five feet ten inches in height,
looking every inch the military
chieftain. He was Il man TINT sol
diers would admire and ladies re-
gard with admiration. I never
saw aman more bcool, determined,
and heroic under such circum-
stances. I havo 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 duclhst's scratch, not for
real or supposed wrongs to himself
but, rs he thought, for his country
and the glory of the flag, I could
not help admiring the man, not
withstanding lie fought for the FREQ
dom of the negro, which I was op-
posed to.
Fry was II nIan full six feet high,
slender. with Longs wnvy, curling e
hair, jet black eyes, wearing a
slouch hat and gray suit. md look
ing rather the demon than the
man. There was nothing ferocious
about him but he had that self
sufficient nonchaluncc that suid, 81
will kill you" Without a doubt, he
was brave, cool, anil collected, and
although suffering from q terrible
flesh wound in his loft arm, received
u 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 fnce to face. l shall never
forget that meeting. Jones, in his
military boyish mood, as they shook
hands remarked that
A soldier braves death for fanciful
wreath,
When in glory's romantic cnreer.
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 bathes every wound with tcnr.
They turned around and walked
back to the point designated.
Jones second had tho word "Fire :
and, as he slowly sud, "One-two.
three-6re /" they simultaneously
turned at the word "Onc," and in.
stantly 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 tho act of firing
his last shot but, seeing Jones
fall, silently lowered his pistol
dropped it to the ground, and
sprang to Jonos' side, taking his
head into his lap he sat down, and
asked him if he was hurt.
! 1 discovered that Jones was
shot through the region of the
stomach, the bullet glnncing around
that organ and coming out to the
left of the spinal column besides
he had received three other fright
f,;l flesh wounds in other portions
of his bodys I dressed his wounds
and gave him such stimulants OF
1 had He afterwards got we'll.
! Fry received three wounds --ons
breaking his left arm, one in the
loft, and the othor in tho right side
After months Of suffering he GO
woll. Neither of them asked for
discharge, but both resumed thei
commands whom they got we'll, ant
fought the war to the bitter end