Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-03-27
OLD TIME CHIVALRY.
How Southern Men Of Honor Settled
Dific u ties-.A Bloody feud.

How Southern Men Of Honor Settled
Difhculties-.A Bloody Feud.
A correspondent of the New York
Herald, in writing up the history of the
Aston family, member of which-Coi.
r. A, Alston-was killed at Atlanta,
Ga, recently, gives the following chap
ter from family history:
And now comes one of the most re-
markab Die tragedies in the history of this
section 20 full of tragedies. There was
living in Florida, then primitive re-
gion, young Leigh Reed, a man of great
ability, gentleness and courage. He was
almost idiolized by the people Of that
state for his gallant services IN the fierce
Indian wars, having by his skill and
fearIessness several times saved the little
colony from destruction by the Seuin-
oles snd their allies. A story is 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 SOD, 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 fer duel. The
men met, were both desperately wound
Cd and behaved with great gal]antry,
fighting, I believe, with bowie knives,
their left hands being strapped together
Some time afterward Reed became in
VOWED in a difficulty with the Alstons.
! give the story as it was given me by
Colonel r A. Aston himself. He said
that al article appeared in q newspaper
rejecting on Governor Call. Colonel
Augustus Aston, 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
WIS arranged The weapons selected
"yagers,; this deadly weapon being, as
have said, & favorite with the Alstons.
Colonel Aston YVES attended by Mr..
kcncn, his brotheri n-law. At tne word
zone" Colonel Alston's gun exploded,
it being hair trigge-ed. The contents
were discharged into the air. General
Reed, aiming with deliberation, fred,
and Colonel Aston dropped dead in his
tracks. His sister, most spirited wo-
nan, Was nearly crazed at the news OF
bis DEATH She secured the lead that
had killed him, and with her own hands
she moulded it into bullet: and sent
them to her brother, Willis Aston,
(the father Of r. A. Aston,
and implcred 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 is that the
meeting was a fair one, General Reed
using only his just right in firing after
the explosion of Alston's ''yage1." At
any rate it was very we'll understood
that Willis Aston would seek revenge
, for lis 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 tie banquet was in progress: every
thing going merrily and we'll. Sudden
II q tall figure, mutt1ed in swinging
clo:k and with a SLOUGH hat drawn down
over the face, stalked through the open
door. Without word it made for the
head Of the table, where General Reed
was sitting. Instantly cries of e Aston!
! AlstoE!" 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, leyeled it at his assailant
and fired. The ball struck Aston in his
uplifted hand, carrying away two fingers.
i 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, l be
lieve, wounded again. Aston 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 fired uron by Colonel Aston. Inc
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 was
responsible for those remarks. DIR.
Stewart took the paper, and while pre-
! tending to read it put his hand into his
host}ers and drew his pistols. He jump
ed off his horse on the side opposite
! Aston and fred into him. A desperate
fight ensued, in which Aston was shot
! twice and his stomach 80 cut that his
! bowels protruded. He killed Stewart,
! however, pouring load Of buckshot into
him after.she was prone upon the earth.
! He was taken to Jail almost dead. he
was a famous fiddler, and procuring a
fiddle sat there "with his entraiis pro-
i truding," as he wrote to friend, play
! ing the old tunes of his boyhood. His
body servant gained admission to his
cell and had a coil of rope wrapped
shout his body, With this he was going
to try and escape. Suddenly a mob as
; ssulted the Jail, overpowered the sheriff,
broke in the doors and seized Colonel
/ Aston. He was game to the last, and
! fiddleG up to the very instant he was
seized, his dauntless face looking full
uron his assailants. He was tumbled
into q blanket, the ends twisted, and he