Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-04-02
NUMBER 20.
OLD TINE uH1vALRY.

VI OLD TIME 0HIvALRY.
e How Southern Men Of Honor Settle
;. Dificuities.-A Bloody Feud.i
:, A correspondent of the New Yor
r Herald, in writing up the history of tn
s Alston family, member Of which-Co
E. r. A. Alston-was killed at Atlantis
Ga. recently, gives the following chap
ter from family history:
And now comes one of the most re
msrkable tragedies in the history of thi
section SO full of tragedies There wa
living in Florida, then a primitive re
gion, young Leigh Reed, man of greal
ability, gentlensss and courage. He wa!
almost idiolized by the people of tha,
state for his gallant services in the fierce
Indian wars, having by his skill and
fearlessness several times saved the little
colony from destruction by the Semin.
oles snd their allies. A story il told Of
him that will illustrate his character and
at the same time show how delicate was
the sense of personal honor at that time.
General Reed was a political opponent of
Governor Calls son, and at the same
time his personal friend. Political feel.
ing ran very high, and on election day
Mr.. White made some reflections upon
the integrity of Governor Call. Reed
at once challenged him for duel. The
men met, were both desperately wound
ed and behaved with great gallantry,
fighting, believe, with bowie knives,
their left hands being strapped together.
Some time afterward Reed became in.
volved in difficulty with the AlstOns.
give the story rs it was given me by
Colonel r.. A. Aston himself. He said
that an article appeared in a newspaper
rejecting on Governor Call. Colonel
Augustus Alston, who was the leader of
the Call faction, demanded the name of
the author. He was furnished with the
name of General Reed, who was the lead
er of the opposite faction. He at once
challenged General Reed, and meeting
was arranged. The weapons selected
yagers," this deadly weapon being, as
have said, a favorite with the Alst0ns.
Colonel Aston was attended by Mr..
Kenon, his brother-in-lAw. At the word
"One" Colonel Alston's gun exploded,
it being hair triggered. The contents
were discharged into the air. General
Reed, aiming with deliberation, fred,
and Colonel Alston dropped dead in his
tracks. His sister, a most spirited wo-
man, was nearly crazed at the news Of
his death. She secured the lead that
had killed him, and with her own hands
she moulded it into bullets and sent
them to her brother, Willis Aston,
1.-THE father of r. A. Alston,)
and implored him to come and
avenee the death of his brother. She
wrote that he had been murdered, and
the Alstons adhered to this belief, al
though the. general statement ID that the
meeting was a fair one, General Reed
using only his Just right in firing after
the explosion Of Alston's "yager." At
any rate it was very well understood
that Willis Alston would seek revenge
for his brothers death, as the family for
generations had made one of all their
quarrels. The first meeting between
Aston and Reed was dramatic. The
legislature had just met, and Reed had
been elected speaker. He was young
man, of exceptional power and popular
ity, and his life promised to be brilliant
and illustrious. He had invited his
friends to the usual legislative supper,
and the banquet was in progress, every.
thing going merrily and well. Sudden
/ ly a tall figure, muffled in swinging
cloak and with slouch hat drawn down
over the face, stalked through the open
door. Without q word it made for the
head of the table, where General Reed
was sitting. Instantly cries of " Alstonl
Alston!" arose and ran down the table.
At these cries the cloak was thrown back
and Aston was recognized. Reed rose
from his seat, and, whipping pistol out
of his pocket, leveled it at his assailant
and fired. The ball struck Aston in his
uplifted hand, carrying away two fingers.
This did not stop him, but brandishing
bowie knife, he closed on Reed. Be-
fore the men could be parted Reed was
cut pretty severely, and Aston, / be
lieve, wounded again. Alst0n was taken
| from the room, and for some months
| nothing more was heard of the matter.
One day General Reed was walking
down the streets of Tallahassee when he
was fred upon by Colonel Aston. The
contents of one barrel of shotgun was
poured into his shoulder, and as he
turned to confront his assailant the
other load went into his heart. He fell
and died. Colonel Alston's friends say
that he had given Reed notice that he
intended to kill him on sight.
Willis Aston went to Texas, where
he lived for some time. He settled near
Brazoria. There was DR.. Stewart, who
for some reason or other, pursued the
matter of the Reed killing and used re-
marks derogatory to Aston. Aston
hearing it wrote the remarks down, and
meeting Stewart on the prairie one day
asked him to say whether or not he waa
responsible for those remarks. DR..
Stewart took the paper, and while pre-
tending to read it put his hand into his
hostlers and drew his pistols. he jump
ed off his horse on the side opposite
Alston and fred into him. A desperate
fight ensued, in which Aston was shot
twice and his stomach 70 cut that hil
bowels protruded. He killed Stewart,
however, pouring load of buckshot int<
him after he was prone upon the earth
He was taken to jail almost dead. HI
was famous fiddler, and procuring Z
fiddle sat there with his entrAils pro
truding," as he wrote to . friend, play
ing the old tunes OF his boyhood. Hi
body servant gained admission to hi
cell and had coil Of rope wrapped
about bis body, With this he was goina
to try and escape. Suddenly mob -
saulted the Jail, overpowered the aheri6,
broke in the doors and seized Colonel
Aston. He was game to. the last, and
fddled up to the very instant he Va.
seized, his dauntlen face looking full
upon his assailantA He Wa tumbled
into blanket, the ends twisted, and he
was then hustled ont Of the jail. Oncl
Tout In the street, he was thrown 10 tn
ground, still enveloped in the hlanket
4 and hundred bullets thrown into IA
body. Thus died the last Of The !" Hall
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