The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-12-25

promptly, and was as promptly accept
ed
The difficulty took political shape
Democratic and Know-nothing though
some leading Democrats did their best
to prevent the meeting. Both beLliger-
ents belonged to the Order of Odd-Fel-
lows, but, as neither belonged to the
local lodge, no direct authority could be
imposed, though the good brethren kept
in session all night devising means to
prevent the encounter. Several times
the difficulty was supposed to be settled,
but as often would be renewed by GER
tain chivalry Eagab0nds who seemed
eager to see bloOdshed when not flowing
from their own veins. Morning came /;
the forenoon passed-the peace-makers,
having been so often baffied, gave up
their humane exertions, and it was un-
derstood that the fight would come off
that afternoon. In the meantime the
principals and their friends had gone to
the woods, the public nOtknowing when
or where, and the Sheriff was in pursuit.
The dueling ground had been selected
some six miles from town, on a flat near
the top of the lofty hills of Sierra Coun-
tv, where never bird sings, and where
the somber fir trees spread their eternal
pail; but when near ready for their
sanguinary proceedings the Sheriff and
his posse were deserted on distant emil
nence, and the dueling party moved on
into an adjacent county, beyond the
jurisdiction of the pursuers. There an
other arena was prepared, and the great
act of the tragedy was ready to come
on. In the meanwhile the principals
had been away with their seconds in OPP
posite directions, practicing with double
barreled shot-guns, loaded with ball, at
forty yards-the weapons and distance
agreed on-and | was afterward told
that each had broken bottle at the
word.
Lippincott was low, heavy-set man,
with light hair, piercing black eyes, de-
liberate and resolute in his speech, and
with that peculiar physical structure in
dicating steadiness and sef-possession.
He was the son of a clergyman in
Illinois, and was exemplary in his ha6-
its, excepting the ordinary drinking of
that time; was highly cultivated in
mind, and was an exceedingly good hui
morOus and sentimental writer. He
declared he did not wish to kill his adj
versary, to whom he had never spoken
in person; did not want to fight, if it
could be avoided; but the nature of the
public insults and the customs of the
time compelled him to send the chal-
lenge. During previous winter he had
been engaged in hunting deer and bear,
and was known to be a remarkably good
woodsman. In making his choice of
weapons, Tevis unknowingly selected
those with which his adversary was most
familiar, double-barreled shOt-guns car
rying ounce balls.
Mr.. Tevis was a tall, spare man of q
highly nervous and eXcitable tempera-
meut. He came from Kentucky, and
possessed the ideas of chivalry and honor
prevailing at the South, but too little
skilled in woodcraft to know that in
shooting down hill one should aim low,
else he will overreach the mark. He
was possessed of good natural abilities,
but was somewhat eccentric in manner,
and did not possess the element of popu-
larity. In walking out with.him on the
evening before the meeting l observed
| his manner was distracted and his
speech confused and faltering as he
talked of his solemn situation, but his
courage and resolutions were unwaver-
ING, and he seemed absolutely athirst t.
spill blood of one who had made him the
object of Notifying ridicule. That was
our last interview, and his last night up
On earth, and the pale ghost-like face
as it then appeared in the twilight wher
we walked under the frowning hills and
beside the resounding river, hangs ii
memory to this day. l had seen the
bounding deer sink down before the ain
of his iron-nerved antagonist, and fell
then that he was a dead man walking
the lonely outskirts of the world.
The combatants took their places
forty yards apart; the ground was
little sloping, and the highest situation
fell to the lot of Tevis. The sun wa
going down upon the peace and happi
ness of two families far away, and upor
brilliant young mans ambition anC
life. As his second walked away he
turned toward Tevis and laid HIS finge1
] on his own breast, as an indication
where to aim, and Lippincott observed
the gesture and fixed his eyes on th'
same place. The word was given
both Guns cracked at the instant. Tevi
sank down, shot through the heart, anC
a lock of hair fell from near Lippincott' :
ear. The fallen man had not made the
necessary allowance for descending
ground, and his murderous lead haC
passed directly over his adversary's lief
shoulder, grazing his face. The wounC
was frightful, as though it had beer
bored through with an anger, and the
ground was horrible with its sanguin'
/ libation. The survivor and his friend.
took their departure, and the dead maj
was temporarily buried in that lonely
place, which, in the gathering twilight
seemed ike the chosen abode OF the &c
MUS of solitude.
On the following day the body was
taken up, properly inclosed, packed OF
a mule to Downieville and inferred IL
the bleak hillside cemetery. The tuner
al was very large and demonstrative
and seemed to be death-rite performed
by the Know-nOthing party, and al
though the duel had been fair enough
according 10 the murderous code, the
better class of citizens regarded Tevi
as the victim of that fell and devilisf
spirit which has stained the history o.
our State with human blood. Lippin
colt fled to Nevada; and when he after
wards returned to Downieyille, he fel
himself like another Ishmael; ole
friends extended their hands reluctantly
and the man of sensibility felt that hi
was overshadowed by the voiceless
noiseless, horrible thing which made ;
coward of Macbeth. Miss Pellet, regard
! ;nnr harSelf rs the innncent cause of thl