The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-01-29
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Famous .Duelss .in,. Florida.
4 PEaspNsL INSULT LED
20, TO MANYFATAL ENCOUN.
~ i90ms3sN TIERS. .Gi'9 NE1on 9ui

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al -l..usi ariFSa tns !
A Terrible Combat with Bowie,l
ger.-Kn1vesa and PfstOlS-A Eight |
20 which there were No Wit.
nesses. aEaF - 5kua
4itina .si -&- .ieirTEH sis8s
,wr3 80 g(Philadolphia rTimesy . ,9iHnik
Some efsthe bIoodiest aaeis on record |
were fought Ia Florida. The Seminole
war,ein 1887, brought TO the font a lot
Of, reckless young blue bIoodssthat were
fun vf fire and sparkle Gay lliversifSr
the smost part; they Keadsa tcarelesslY
through the world and carried thetwhele
defense of their lives iitfieir pistol fl
gers "A pressure Of the ifiager was the
answer they gaveto protest rot edeprecaL
ttoni Tue brush they had with 0sceeIa
and his yellow devils warmed them up
sharply, and when Prince Murat settled
upon their coast with acoiony OF Freschs
men, challenges few thick and fast. TIE
Frenchmen Of necessity and with pleasS
ure, fought their way throughs and very
soon the already turbulent society sof
Florida had received atleepert tinge from
the splendid drilling of tile cut.and thrust
followers fof "the Princee"d Isnwas ID
Florids that the fead began in which the
Alstons, Willis aud Augustus. lost their
lives ! vas sitting one. night in Browne
Hotel4a famous old rendezvous of forty
years standingEpickhhg myself ID OR.
anga brandy and d1uhching soaked Bis
cult, when d 'shhfilidg old fellow sof
proached me. Irec6gniaeii him AZ Mrs.
Zabran, a ragged postscript in the Fife OF
a gentleman, engaged at the time IN the
humble but respectable business of wash
ing dishes at the ho:eE Pushing him .
glass OF brandy. I asked him to tell me
all about lit Then and there ii thst
musty and half.tuined hotel, fuA of fts
wild anan riosous memories the old fel.
low told me a story that for fstee gala
lantry and recklessness pat aetioif To- q
shame. 'isi"1H' eff'1 'tlh - *tl 'n1od'
esIn the Seminole 'war,' - said Ms, Zss
bran, evidently afnbling down asweli5
worn groove of conversation, "Gov, Cali
of this State commanded crack regi.
ment. One morning he received a note
announcing that his wife was quite ILL.,
He at once repaired to her bedside Du.
ring his absence q battle was fought -
Shorty after aniarticle appeared in the
lChronicle and Sentinel OF Augusta, in-
sinuating that Gov. Call had pnfposely
absented himself from the battle. The
paper containiog this cruel article reach.
ed the eamy, and was at once the subject
LOT comment. Lieut. Augustus Alston
determined, ir the absence Of his Colo
mel, to protect his honor, mounted his
horse and plunged through'the woodstO
Augusta Reaching that city he made
his way to the Chronicle Office and de.
msnded to know the author of the Of
fensiye article, 1t mtned out that it was
Gov, Reed, Of sFIorida, for leng time q
bitter political enemy offCall's.7 Lieut..
Alston at once sent him peremptory
challenge. Gov. Reed replied thas be
would be happy to accommodate Lieut.,
Alston with Satisfaction as soon asahe
, had concluded an affair with Lieut., VIII
liams, of Calls stan, who had already
. favored him with s'iiote upon tie same
subject. Alston 'ttieredpon had to con-
tent his .soufin patiencs untifahe affair
with Williams was over. : He did not
have to wait long. ,Asmeetingwas soon
arran ged between Reed aud Williams, ,tbe
conditions OF which. were that they we're
TO fight with bowie :knivesunil one or
| the other should be cut down hApthe
meeting the meusosme upon the ground
stripped to their shirts ia They advanced
until htney met seaeaisother9 they then
iclasped tbeir left ftlshsndsiitoge her in .
firm and 'deadfg SINE grasp. standing toe
to toe; the keenand shining blades were
then placed i'm theiD right ihands;' at Q
.IIsignal they we're dropped perpendicular
'Ily along their legs; at theinext word
they were raised into ths air, and sthen
| tue terrific fencing began It wasta brief,
strenuous struggle. .The' long knives
cut and'gashed through the iesh'S Sof the
combatants and clashed and spsrkied
sgsihst EACH other, now buried in vital
tissue and now whipped out with . dim,
blush moisture yelling the blades, until
at leugth Lieut., Wllismsp fell, hacked
almost to pieces. Gov, Reed escaped
without disabling giujurwars
Il stHe then turned his attention to Lieut.
I Alston.g Being the challenged party he
had the choice OF weapons = he selected
a murderous weapons now happily obso
lete, but then of cdmmon use, and known
as aiysger; it was d broad,mouthed, fun
nelshaped,s smooth:bore. gun, that Car
ried handful of shot, and was warrant,
edto hit everything inthe neighborhood
Of its aim. The ildsl was Almost unfor;
tunate one in tsidirect and remotezre-
suits Capt Kennon was Lieut.. Alston's
second. The principals were posted
with their backs to each other; as the
4 wordt wheel was called it is claimed thai
Alston slipped and stumbled. The com.
mand, Fire e--one--two.-three follow.
ed almost Immediately, and before be
could recover his gun went of into the
!, air; Gov. Reed took cool aim, q fred
promptlysat the word, and Lieut.. Aston
dropped dead. Thus two gallant young
fellows had already fallen ia defense Of
the honor 3of an absent comrade but
the cruel feud was hardly opened e1aii
a"Col. Willis Alston. then living In
Jouisiana. heard of his brothers death,
and became impressed with the ides thai
he had not been fairly killed; be claimed
that Gov Reed should have withheld HE
Ore when he saw his brothers gun spring
aimlessly toward the sky. Indeed, 1t is
said that . sister of Lieut.. Alston had
the lesd takenfrom her brothers body
aal nan. -h.,llatA ,,aaaldai,l x.k;aE Al