The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-05-20
AN EASY TENNESSEE ROMANCE.
How n Young Lady Avenged Her Lovers
Murder.
correspondence in Chattanooga Timc,.l

Correspondents III chattanooga Ilme''I
Tn Ovcrton County, Tennessee, during
the war, there lived a pretty petite
slender, grey.cyed youpg lady named
Mary. She was betrothed to young
and popular physician of her neighbor-
hood, DR.. Saddler. Although that sec
ton of country at the time was within
the Federal lines, quite number oi
Confederate soldiers had left their com
mands and lurking in the recessas of the
Cumberland Mountains carried on an
irregular warfare, decidedly more inJur-
ious to unoffending citizens than to the
Federal army. Among the number was
an individual who had once belonged to
the command known "a the Louisiana
Tigers His lawless conduct made him
terror to the country where he oper-
ated. DR.. Saddler by some means be-
came an object of the Tigers hatred,
and one day meeting the Doctor, without
any known provocation, he shot and
killed him. Mary's only brother was
away in the Confederate army, her
father was an aged and feeble man and
could not avenge the wrong that had been
done in the death of her devoted lover
She resolved that the murderer of DR..
Saddler should die.
Not many months elapsed when one
day she was informed that the desperate
Tiger was then at neighbours house.
Putting on her sun-bonnet and taking
navy pistol, with the Use of which she
had become familiar, preparatory to the
hostile meeting, she repaired to the
place. When she arrived the Tiger had
eft the house and was in the yard with
his pistols buckled around him. She
accosted him; told him that he was the
murderer of DR.. Saddcr and she had
come to kill him. Before the steady
gaze of her impressive gray eyes ex
pressing resolution not to be mistaken,
the Tiger fed. she began firing. Three
shots from her pistol made as many bull
let holes in his person, and he fell a
corpse. After walking fifty or sixty
steps, the distance of the last shot to the
place where he lay, and satisfying her
self that he was dead, she announced to
the neighbor and family, who had come
out of the house on hearing the fir ng,
"that she was avenged for the death of
DR.. Saddler." She rccaptured some
small articles of personal property which
the Tiger had taken from the person of
DR.. Saddler, and quietly returned to her
home.
A few months after the occurrence
the writer happened to meet with Mary;
being in good practice, and thinking
myself good pistol shot, bantered the
young lady for match. The result
was an inglorious defeat for your humble
servant.
A few days ago at Kingston, after
transacting my business and bidding all
goodbye, / took my seat in the hack
with the driver and strange lady
dressed in mourning, to return to Emory
Gag, for the train. John was n new
driver and not very good one.
Thoughts of being left by the train in
duccd me to offer my services as a Jehu,
which was accepted. After having gone
some distance drove too near the brush
and one of them struck the bonnet of the
strange lady, | ventured an apology,
which was accepted. A conversation
ensued, and to my surprise discovered
that it was the veritable belle heroine
who slew the Tiger. Many years had
passed, but from conversation ! learned
she was still the victim of misfortune;
yet she was on another crrand prompted
by love and affection. She had loved
again, married, her husband had been
drowned in the Emory River, and she had
come from the state of Kentucky, still
wearing the weeds of mourning, t. place
tombstone over his last resting place.
Time had changed Marys appearance
in many respects; but the gray eye
which denotes as much resolution as
Napoleon ever possessed, is bright and
unchanged, and if she were to tell you
now that she had come to kill me. |
would have no hesitation in believing
every word she said. | inquired if she
still kept up her pistol practice? With.
out giving a direct answer, she intimated
that she could still use one if necc =
sary.