The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-02-01
FAMOUS DUELS.
How They Fought In Fisrids- Ne minis
cences of the Time of the Seminole Wsr
"A Personal Insult That Led 10 Half y

cences of the Time of the seminole war
"A Personal Insult That Led To Half =
Dozen Fatal Encounters. yira
fFrom the Philadelphia Timesl N =
Some of the bloodiest duets on record
were fought in Florida. The Seminole
war, in 1887, brought to the front lot
of reckless young blue bloods that were
full of FIRE and sparkle. Gay liyers for
the most part, they headed carelessly
through the world, and carried the whole
defense of their lives in their pistol-fin-
gers. A pressure of the trigger was the
answer they gave to protest or depreca..
ton. 1t was in Florida that the feud
began in which the Alstops, Willis and
Augustus, lost their lives. was sitting
one night in Browns Hotel--a famous
old rendezvous of forty years standing
when shutting old fellow approached
nae. recognized him as Mr.. Zabran,
engaged at the time IN the humble but
respectable business of washing dishes
at the hotel. "Do you see that ragged
hole up there over the furder fly
brush 2" Upon my replying to the ques-
ton, which really did not require an an
swer, but was thrown out by the crafty
old grabber as lasso, with its interrog-
atory loop at the end, he retiectively
wound his cup-towel about him, and,
sitting down, remarked: "Well, Sir,
if all the blood that was shed In the
quarrel in which that hole was made was
smeared on these walls it would redden
up this whole room, can tell YOU"
The sanguinary seduction that the old
fellow had put into his story had its de-
sired effect upon me, and, pushing him
a glass of brandy, 1 asked him to tell
me all about it. Then and there, in that
musty and half-ruined hotel, full of its
wild and riotous memories, the old fell
low told me story that, for fierce gal
lantry and reeklessness, put fiction to
shame. The actors in it, of sunny and
heroic temper, of large wealth ana illus
trious lineage, are dead. Their descend
ants yet live and stand high among the
highest. OF course, it is impossible to
avouch the particular correctness OF the
details of this story, or the most OF them
that follow, but the general points ale
believed to be just as written.
SIN the Seminole war, said Mr.. Ia
bran, evidently ambling down we'll
worn groove of conversation, "Gov. Gall,
of this State, commanded crack regi-
|
announcing that his wife was quite i'll.
He at once repaired to her bedside.
During his absence battle was fought.
Shortly afterward an article appeared in
the Chronicle and Sentinel, Of Augusta,
insinuating that Gov. Call had purpoaely
absented himself from the battle. The
paper containing this cruelarticle reached
the camp, and was at once the subject of
comment. Lieut.. Augustus Aston de-
termined, in the absence OF his Colonel,
to protect his honor, mounted horse,
and plunged through the woods for
Augusta. Reaching that city, he made
his way to the Chronicle Office, and de-
manded to know the author of the Often
sive article. 1t turned out that it was
Gov. Reed, of Florida. for long time a
bitter political enemy of Calls. Lieut..
Aston at once sent him peremptoly
challenge. Gov. Reed replied that he
would be happy to accommodate Lieut..
Aston with satisfaction as soon as he had
concluded an affair with Lieut.. Williams,
of Calls staff, who had already favored
him with note upon the same subject.
Aston thereupon had to content his soul
in patience until the affair with Williams
was over. He did not have to wait long.
A meeting was soon arranged between
Reed and Williams, the conditions OF
which were that they were to fight with
bowie-knives until one or the other
should be cut down. At the meeting the
men came upon the ground stripped to
their shirts. They advanced until they
met each other. They then clasped their
left hands together in firm and dead
game grasp, standing toe to toe. The
keen and shining knives were then placed
in their right hands. At signal they
were dropped perpendicularly along
their legs. At the next word they We're
raised into the air, and then the terrible
fencing began. 1t was brief, strenuous
struggle. The long knives cut and gashed
and wheezed through the flesh of the
combatants, and clashed and sparkled
against each other, now buried in vital
tissue and now whipped out with dim,
BLUSH moisture yelling the blades, until
ut length Lieut. Williams fell, hacked
almost TO pieces. Gov. Reed escaped
without disabling injury.
"He then turned his attention to
Lieut.. Aston. Being the challenged
party, he had choice of weapons.
He selected murderous weapon, now
happily obsolete, but then of common
use, and known as wager. It was q
broad monthed, funnel-shaped, smooth
bore gun, that carried handful of shot,
and was warranted to hit everything in
the neighborhood of its aim. The duel
was d most unfortunate one in its direct
and remote results. Capt. Kenon was
Lieut.. Alston's second. The prin-
cipals were posted with their backs to
each other. As the word wheel was
called it is claimed that Aston slipped
and stumbled. The command, Fire
one-two three 2 followed almost i'm
mediately, and before ne could recover
his gun went off in the air. Gov.
Reed took cool aim, fred promptly at
the word, and Lieut.. Aston dropped
dead. Thus two gallent young fellows
had already fallen in defense of the hon.
or OF an absent comrade. But the cruel
feud was hardly opened. Col Willis
Aston, then living in Louisiana, heard
of his brothers death, and became i'm
pressed with the idea that he had not