Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-06-03
TURNER ASHBY.
How the Confederate Cavalry Leader IN
terfered in Deadly Quarrel to Assert
the SacredneSs Of HOspitality-.-His
High Sense Of Hosts Obligations.
New York Evening Post

New York Evening Post.
During that period of suppressed ex-
element in Virginia after the John
Brown incident at Rarper's Ferry, and
before the outbreak Of the war, young
man from one Of the northern states
passed week or two as guest in the
house of one of the oldest and most
families of northern Vir-
ginia.
The young man was frankly repub-
licau in politics, but the fact made no
difference whatever in the courtesy or
kindness of his host, or in the treatment
given to him by the gentlefolk of the
surrounding country, to whose houses
he was freely invited, as a gentleman,
visiting the house of a gentleman, their
neighbor. His business in the neighbor-
hood was social-he was, in fact, paying
his addresses to his hosts daughter
and his political opinions, though per-
fectly we'll known, were not discussed
and perhaps were scarcely thought OF
at all.
One evening during his visit this
young man, G. D., was invited IN
company with his hosts family to at
tend reception given by Turner Ashby
on the occasion of tournament. He
went, of course, mingled freely with the
other guests, and found nothing in his
reception to mark any difference be-
tween himself and other gentlemen
present, until the supper was served.
Then a disagreeable incident occurred.
a young man of the neighborhood,
who, as G. D. afterward learned, was
rejected sutton for the hand of the
woman to who he was himself laying
siege, approached him as he STOOD
talking with her, and without speaking
to G. D. at all, said to the lady:
''Isu't it sublime piece of impu-
dence for a Yankee and black repub-
ican to come down here now and &C.
cept the hospitality of a Virginia gentle
man, after all that has happened?'
The young woman replied quickly
"Mr. B, you should be the last
person to criticise the catholcity of my
fathers hospitaiity-you have profted
by his inGisposition to draw social lines
too sharply. You have been received
by him as guest upon several occa-
sions."
The reply was SO singing that he
withdrew from the supper DOM, and
G. D, thinking it better to retire
from company in which he might be
less welcome than he had supposed,
went to the cloak room for his hat and
coat. He had scarcely entered the
door of the room when B approach
ed him, saying:
what | said just now had reference
to you, and was meant to be insulting."
Young G. D had not been used
to encounters of this kind, and had lit
tie disposition 10 engage in affairs of
honor; but he seriously intended to
prosecute his suit for the hand of his
hosts drughter, and he knew instinct
lively that all hope of success there must
be abandoned if he failed to resent an
insult of so gross a nature. He there
fore struck his antagonist in the face
with the glove which he had lust drawn
from his hand.
This was the signal for the persons
present in the room to interfere to pre-
vent a brutal fight with fists. A chal-
lenge in regular form was quickly given
and accepted, and q. D, anxious
to have the affair ended as speedily as
possible, insisted that the duel should
be fought at once in a grove near the
house, by the light of torches.
All the persons concerned prepared
themselves Immediately, and were
about to quit the room for the appoint
ed place, when Turner Ashby, white
with rage, burst through the door. A
whispering of what was going on had
reached him.
He entered the room, paused mo.
ment, and then advanced to B,
ouivering as he went forward so vio-
lently that half the persons present
supposed that he meditated an assault
upon B. His voice, however,
was low, and his speech very deliber-
ate.
"What is the time fixed for our meet
ing, Mr.. B. ne asked.
81 am to fight Mr.. G. D. immedi-
ately," answered B.
Il beg your pardon" replied Ashby,
"but Mr.. G. D has nothing to do
with this affair. He came to my house
tonight as my guest. When L invited
him to come the invitation was Turner
Ashby's word of honor that he would
be treated here as a gentleman; it was
my voucher for his character to my
guests, and for the character of my
other guests to him. | am sorry to
have to explain these points of good
breeding to you, Mr.. B, but you
have shown your ignorance of them by
insulting my guest. That insult is
mine, not his, to resent. He is kere
under my invitation and that is my
pledge of protection. IF you are not
prepared to make d proper and salts
factory apology at once, both to my
guest and to myself, you must fight
Turner Ashby, and the time and place
already agreed upon will answer
as wei! as any other. What do you say,
sirY"
Now, fighting duel with young
stranger wholly unused to firearms and
to fighting of any sort was one thing;
fighting duel with Turner Ashby in a
rage was very we'll understood to be
another and a much more serious thing,
and young BIS consciousness of
this difference wrought a complete
change in bis mood. He pleaded in
excuse for his conduct that he had been
drinking too freely, and signed the pair
of apologies which Turner Ashby
wrote.
CD ended his visit soon alter
ward, and the war came on TO prevent
its repetition. Turner Ashby's gallantry
in the war and courage and comman !
over men, and the story of his death,