Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-04-03
Correspondence of the N. Y. Herald. I
THE FIGHTING ALSTONs."

ATLANT GA, March n, The
killing of ol. Robert A. Aiston ia this
city On last Tuesday, revives the memory of
tho most nous family probably of the old
ti.no chi .alrio days-Tho fighting Astons,
OF Carolina. The history of this uudacious
strain of blood is interwovon with the histo
rry OF those turbulent days when gentlemen
fought at tho drop of u hat, and slight
so u Of the Rsto pg9r was tho
of all argument.
The Astons were gallant men of gcntlo
blood and usually lurge fortunes. They
were free livcrs and utterly reckless fighters,
and frequently became involved in Difficult
ties that drained their estates with costs and
forfeitures. Probably the best known Of
them, Colonel Ben Alston, had several
affairs of honor aud wounded his antagonist
every tune he went into the field. Ho was
an imperious, passionate man, and as cool
under fire as he would be in his drawing.
room. His most notable duel was with
Hayne, whom ho wounded in tho knee.
On one occasion he was visiting in Augusta,
when gentleman, mstaking him for an
acquaintance, tapped him across tho shoul-
ders with riding whip. Aston wheeled
as quick as lightning The gcn,lo
man apologizcd in tho most ample terms.
Alston took tho whip from his hands ashcd
him across tho back, and then said, "Now,
sir, your apology is accepted" OF course
n meeting followed. 1t is said that Aston
once fought gentleman who disputed the
ago of some wine of which Alston had
been boasting, throwing some of tho wine
in biu fuoo th,t Go ~, :..ht oct ita f,ll Nouo,
Colonel Bob Aston camc of tho family
known Us the Halifax AlstGns. Their
estates lay about Halifax, N. g., and they
dominated that whole section for years.
They were enormously wealthy and travelled
from one of their estates to another in
almost regal state. They had hundreds Of
slaves, and always travelled with q coach and
four and had small body of rctaincrs. The
men wcrrc princely in their habits of cx.-
pense and put the "codc" above the Bible.
The women were high strung and spirited.
Mrs. Bob Aston, the grandmother of the
subject ct this sketch, always carried her
own sheets and pillows with her when she
Travelled, and case of loaf sugar. 81 have
known her, says Colonel Tom Howard,
connection, "to put 800 on cockGght,
with her own birds, and then stand and
watch the struggle to the DEATH" Colonel
Willis Alston, known as "Honest Willis
Alston, the grand uncle of Bob Alson
fought dozen duels in one winter. flo
killed two men and was himself Frequently
wounded. His favorite weapon was an old
fashioned "yager," which is sort of blundtr
buss, carrying double handful of buck shot,
and of fearful execution. A volume mightb bo
filled with tho bloody exploits of these two
brothers, but shall deal only with tic
sons Of Colonel Bob Alison, who wero the
later Alstons' immediate ancestors.
AN ALsToN MUST DIE WITH HIS BOOTS ON.
Old Colonel Alstou, who was himself
killed in duel, had three son->-WiIlis,
Gideon and Augustus. Willis Alston was
tho father of Colonel II. A. Aston. Each
of these brothers eamo to his death by
violence, or died, as tho family tradition
runs, "in his boots" Gideon Alston, tho
first of tho tree brothers to die, was killed
in peculiar manner. His brother Willis
was in Nashville, on lordly frolie, when
no became very much enamord Of q lady
who afterwards married Sam Iouston-a
Miss Trimble, bolievo. He paid her as.
siduous suit for several months, and while
engaged 10 this dallance, formed an attach.
mont for young Spanish boy named Peat.
This boy was friendless aud Alston adopted
him, taking him homo with him when ho
left Nashville. It appears that there was