The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-01-31
FAMOUS DUELS.
How They Fought in Observation-Disclosures
cences of the Time of the Seminole War
a Personal insult That Led to Half a
TFrom the phiiadelphia Times.l

were fought III Florida. The Seminole
war, in 1887, brought to the front lot
OF reckless young blue bloods that were
full of fire and sparkle. Gay livers for
the most part, they headed carelessly
through the world, and carried the whole
defense of their lives in their pistol-fn-
answer they gave to protest or depreea-
ton. 1t was IN Florida that the feud
began in which the Alstons, Willis and
Augustus, lost their lives. I 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. EDO you see that ragged
hole up there over the fur0er fly
brush?" 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 It's interrog-
atory loop at the end, he reheetively
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 it's de-
sired effect upon me, and, pushing him
a glass of brandy, [ asked him to tell
me all about it. Then and there, in that
musty and half-rJlined hotel, full of it's
wild and riotous memories, the old fell
low told me story that, for fierce gal
lantry and recklessness, put fiction to
shame. The actors in it, of sunny and
heroic temper, of large wealth and 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 are
believed TO be just as written.
"In the Seminole war;" said Mr.. "a
bran, evidently ambling down q we'll
worn groove OF conversation, ''Gov. Gall,
Of this State, commanded a crack regi-
ment. One morning he received q note
announcing that his wife was quite Ill.
He ct once repaired to her bedside.
During his absence o battle was fought.
Shortly afterward an article appeared in
the Chronicle and Sentinel, of Augusta,
insinuating that Gov Cali had purposely
absented himself from the battle. The
paper containing this cruel article 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 a 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. tt turned out that it was
Gov. Reed, of Florida, for 8 long time a
bitter political enemy Of Calls. Lieut..
Aston at once sent him a peremptory
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 were
raised into the air, and then the terrible
fencing began. It 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
at 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
pau AC AtSL OAO4OO Va Weapons
He selected murderous weapon, now
happily obsolete, but then of common
use, and known as a wager. 1t was a
broad-mouthed, funnel shaped, smooth
bore gun, that carried a handful of shot,
and was warranted to hit everything in
the neighborhood of its aim. The duel
was 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 Z 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