The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-03-15
ANDREW JACkSoN'S DUEL.
The l1ght iu which hc htllcd bis Antagonist
and wa. iIimsrtf " aaadrd.

The Eisht iu which hr klllrd bis AutRRent,l
and Was Himself " oandrd.
The duel between Andrew jackson and
Charles Dickinson Mas deadly. Dgchiu-
suu had alluded In public 10 the Well
known and rrcarjei iuct that one Rich
auis hal obtained u divorce irau his
wife On account of her " living ia alul-
terry with one Andrew jackson. She
hal already been. made Jacksun's wlte,
hut the offrnse was deadly. jackson
sent the challenge. Dickinson was the
most expert marksluuu IN Tennessee.
and jackson resolved a. gave him the
first fire
The place appointed for the meeting
was long days ride from Nashville.
Thursday morning. before the dawn If
dav. Dickinson stole from the side uf his
vuuug and beautiful wife and began
speedily 10 prepare for the journey. She
awoke and asked him why hc WAS up so
early. he replied that lie had business
IN Kentucky. across the rsyer, hut yt
would not dttsllu hun long. On parting
he kissed her with pecuAar tenderness
and sand " Guoi-hye, darling. | shall
br sure 10 Ice at home tomorrow night
He mounted his horse and repaired 90
the rendezvous where his second and
half ia dozen gay blades If Nashville
were waiting e. escort hlm on his Jour
uev. Away they rode in the highest
spirits. as though il were party uf
pleasure. Indeed. they made party Of
pleasure uf IT, When they stopped for
rest or r,ireshmeut, Dickinson is sand Ia
have amused the company bv displaying
his wonderful skin with the pistol
Once. at IL distance uf twcuty-four feet.
he tirci four balls. each at the wori uf
command. into space that could he
covered hv "a silver dollar IL is said that
he had land wager 81 500 that he could
Int hls antagonist within half AL inch oi
certain button Oh his coat.
Both parties. with their respective
cavalcalcs. reached the vicinity of the
ground appointed for the dnel late lu the
afternoon. They secured ascommosla-
tiuns ut a couple of nrighborug taverns,
Il is related that jackson ate heartily at
supper that night. converslLg in a lively,
pleasant manner, and smokeI hls even
ing pipe as usual He retired early, and
bv dayI ght next morning the Whole
party was up and IN the saddle \ gal
lup of 81 mile and the fuutng uf a
stream, which, owing tolts swollen state.
Il WAS found necessary to SWIM, brought
them IL the ground Dickinson and
party hal already arrived. The busl-
ness al once proceeded Dickinson
second won the choice II position and
Jacksous the office uf giyng the word.
d" Both were perfectly collected SAYS
Parton. All the pullteuess of such oc-
caslous was very strictly ard elegantly
performed. JACKSON was dressed m
loose iroch coat, hutt1uei carrlesSly over
his chest, and cuucealing IN some degree
the extreme slruarrless uf his figure.
Dickinson WAS the Younger and hand
sumer man of 5he two. but Jacksou's
tall. erect figure. and the still intensity
II his Gcwoau1r, L ls sad, gave h,m
most superior and commanding alr, as
lie stood under tAe tall poplars ON tins
bright May morning, silently awaiting
the moment of doom.
" Are you realy?' said Oyert5n.
'' / am ready. replied Dickinson.
'' ann ready, sld Jackson
The word was given.
Dickinson raised h,s pistol quickly and
fired Oyertou, who WIS looking with
anxiety and drcal at jackson, saw n putr
II dust hv from the breast Of his coat.
and saw him raisc his left arm AMI place
10 tightly across his breast he is sure
ly hit, thought Overtun, and in % bad
place. too: but no he does not fall
Erect aud grim MS fate he stool his
teeth clrnchel, raisiug his pistol. Over
ton glanced 80 Dickinson. Annoyed at
the uuwoutej failure of bis aim. and gp-
pareutly appalled, NJ tho awful figure ana
face before him, Dickinson had rec1ilcd
a pace or two.
Great Gal!" he fLtereI "haye
missed him =
Back 10 the mark. sir shriekcd
Oyert3n. with his hand upon his pistol.
Dickinson recovered his composure.
stepped forward - the peg and stood
with eyes avcr:cd from his antagonist.
General Jackson took deliberate aim
and pulled the trigger. The pistol
neither snapped nor went Off He looked
at the trigger and discovered that IL had
stopped at hlli-cock. He drew 10 buck
70 lts place and took aim n second time.
He fired Dickinson, face blauchel
h, ree,ei his friends pushed toward
him. caught him in their arms, and
silently seated him on the ground. lean
ing against bush. His trousers red
dcned. They stripped of his clothes
The blood WIS gushing from his side in
torrents. The ball had passed through
the body below the ribs. Such wound
could not but be fatal.
Jackson and his friends immediately
left the field II was found upon exam
nation, on reaching the tavern. that he
was wounded Dickinson = aim. " SAYS
Parton. " had been perfect. lie had sent
the ball precisely where Ia supposed
Jacksou's heart was beating but the
thinness OF his body and the looseness Of
his coat combining to deceive him. the
ball had only broken a rib or two and
raked the breast bone. 1t was a some
what painful, bad looking wound, but
neither severe nor dangerous.
Dickinson died that night.
In this duel It is plain 10 be seen, from
a careful consideration Of the circum-
stances above narrated, though the truth
does not appear to have reached the np-
prehension Of Cen Jackson'a biograph-
er. that Dickinson was outwltted by his
older and more experienced antagonist
Advantage was taken Of the very fact Of
his being a " dead shot" and of his per-
feet confidence in his skill with the pistol
His ayowed purpose was t. shoot Jack
son through the heart, and he felt abso-
lutely sure Of doing this. In what man
ner his object was defeated Mr.. Parton
unconsciouslv discloscs. He aimed
precisely whore he supposed Jackson's
heart was beating, but the thinness of
his body and the loJseucss Of his cont
combined 4" to deceive him. Admit
ting the morality Of private combat ns Of
public war; such strategy under the
circumstances cannot be regarded "a un-
justifablc The late General Sam. Dale.
who was intimate with Jackson, has been
frequently heard 10 say that D.ckinson's
fatal mistake was in not aiming at Jack
sons head instead Of his heart.
Parton is in error when he states that
Jackson's wound was neither severe
nor dangerous. II confined him to his
room for several weeks. and il healed
falsely. Twenty years after it broke out
afresh, and troubled him for the remain
der Of his life The pulmonary affection
which finally carried him TO his grave il
attributed 10 that wound.
Jackson never exhibited the slightest
compunction for the part he took in this
bloody affair He very rarely alluded TO
it. but when he did it was always with
perfect complacency. II il told of him
that gentleman was once examining his
4 1,,nI1;uoy y,iufn1a fToLipry mn pua nf 4bar,