The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-06-26
AN OLD TIME DUEL.
Gen. Whites Account of His
Meeting with Gen. Houston
Hot Times Among the POliti-
clans Fifty Years Ago.

Meeting with Gen. Houston
Hot Times Among the POliti-
clans Fifty Years Ago.
Mr.. C. H. White, who lives near
Pulaski. in this State. permits the
american to make the following
extract from letter written by his
father, Gen. William White, giving
an account of his celebrated duel
with Gen. Sam Houston, in 1926:
AT HOME TENNESSEE, 21st Dec, 1926.
My Dear Friend: Before your letter
reached me, had addressed one to my
dear mother, in order to dissipate the
apprehension of my friends and prevent
the indulgence of those melancholy
forebodings which the newspaper ac-
counts in relation to my difference and
combat with Gen: Houston would
authorize. As it is not certain that you
have seen a letter which I addressed to
the Doctor on the subject, and as my
friends in your quarter may feel anxious
to know all the particulars, 1 will pro-
ceed to give them to you as much in
detail as 1 can.
A vacancy having occurred in the
office of postmaster at Nashville, last
winter, several candidates presented
themselves for it, and among the rest
Mr.. Erwin, who was lawyer, newpaper
editor, &C., and did not favor the pre-
- t. e.
dsncy. Gen. Jackson, with host of ad-
herents, and among others, recommend
ed Mr.. Currey. But Erwin, who was
equally qualified, who was also we'll
recommend and whose brother married
Mr.. CIay's daughter, finally received
the appointment. Gen. Houston, who
was in Congress, not content with MAX
in all the opposition he could probably,
seeing that Erwin was to be appointed,
assailed his private character, charging
him with the "want of integrity" ETC.,
ect. Long before Houston returned from
Washington he had been notified that
Erwin would demand satisfaction on
his return to Tennessee, whereupon he
began to practice shooting with pistols,
and no one supposed that he would
refuse to meet Erwin, if called out. On
account of Erwin being opposed to Gen.
Jackson, it become somewhat difficult
(although Erwin is man of good stand
ing) for him to procure friend to carry
his challenge. was applied to first, but,
not feeling hostility toward Houston,
declined doing so. About that time a
Col Smith, an old officer of the army,
who had slain seven men in single COM
bat, arrived in Nashville. He presented
challenge from Erwin to Houston. No
direct answer was given to Col. Smith,
but it was intimated to him that, as he
did not reside in the State, he was not
proper person to be the bearer of such
a paper, and that no reply would be
made to it through him. / happened to
be in Nashville on that day, and having
been previously acquainted with Col.
Smith, he desired me to go and see him
tender the paper to Gen. Houston again.
Houston said he would not open the
paper, nor should he receive it, and
threw 1t on the pavement where he was
standing. Fearing that, from the
warmth manifested on both sides, a
combat might result from continuance
of the conversation, remarked: "Col.
Smith, you have rendered him the paper
and that is sufficient, I suppose; let us
walk. Houston then addressed me as
follows: ''Gen. White, will receive one
from you, with pleasure. Iretorted in
about the same terms, and this was fol-
lowed by warm alteration between
us, in which left him nothing to boast
Of Erwin then advertised Houston as
coward and columniator. Houston,
in the next paper, denounced Erwin as
rough, and procured a certifcation
from Erwin's rival candidates to prove
that he had taken a newspaper belong
ing to another person before Erwin
became Postmaster. To this publica-
ton Houston attached the certificate
of two persons in which the alteration
betwixt him and myself was very much
misrepresented, thereby placing him.
self in defensive, and me in an often
sive, attit ude. Houston, who was some
what popular, hoped, in this manner, to
escape public censure himself and at nay
expense and that, too, without subject
ing himself to the necessity of a combat
with any one, for he was fully aware
of the inequality of our situations.
Knowing that, according to the tone of
public sentiment here, coward cannot