Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-22
TURNER ASHBY.


During that period of suppressed excitement
In Virginia after the John Brown incident a
Harpers Ferry, and before the outbreak of th
wal, young man from one Of the northern
states passed week or two as a guest in TIN
house Of one Of the oldest and most distdn
gu1shed families Of Northern Virginia.
Inc young man was frankly republican IL
pomtics, put the fact made no difference what
ever Ia tne courtesy or kindness of his host Of
10 me treatment given to him by the gentlefoll
vi lhe surrounding country, to whose houses ht
was Freely Invited, as gentleman, visiting fI
business In the neighboIhood was social, no
po1t1cal-he was, in fact, paying his addresSe:
70 ms most daughter-and his political opin
IONS, though perfectly well known, were moi
discussed and perhaps were scarcely thought Of
at all.
one evening during his visit this young man
=. D, was Invited in company with hi:
hosts family to attend reception given BY
turner Ashby on the occasion of a tournament
lie went, OF course, mingled freely with the
other guests, and found nothing in his reception
70 mark any difference between himself and
other gentlemen present, until the supper was
served. Then disgreeable Incident occurred
young man OF the neighborhood, who, as C.
D. afterward learned, was rejected sutton
for the hand OF the woman to whom he was
stood talking with her, and without speaking to
c. D tall, said to the lady:
isn't it a sublime piece of fmpudence for a
oAACC anu q OioCh lCpuUuCdu W COUl0 uOWu
here now and accept the hospitality Of Viz.
ginia gentleman, after all that has happened?'
The young woman replied, quickly:
MI. B., you should be the last person to
critfciSe the cathOlicty Of my fathers hospital
1ty-you have profited by his indispositton to
draw social lines too sharply. You have been
received by him as guest upon several oc-
The reply was so singing that the youth
straightway withdrew from the supper room.
and Z. D., thinking it better to retire from
q company In which he might be less welcome
than ne had supposed, went to the cloak-room
for his hat and coat. He had scarcely entered
me door OF the room when B approached
him saying:
and was meant to be insulting
Young c. D. had not been used to en-
counters of this kind, and had little disposition
to engage in affairs OF honor; but he seriously
intended to prosecute his suit for the hand Of
bis hosts daughter, and he knew instfnctively
that all hope OF success there must be aban-
doned IL he tailed to resent an insult of so gross
in the face with the glove which he had just
drawn from his hand.
This was the signal for the persons present
In the room to Interfere to prevent a brutal
tight with fists challenge In regular form
was quickly given and accepted, and c. D.
anxious to have the affair ended as speedily as
possible, insisted that the duel should be fought
at once In grove near the house, by the light
of torches.
All the persons concerned prepared them
selves Immediately, and We're about to quit the
room for the appointed place, when Turner
AShby, white with rage burst through the
door. whisper of what was going on had
reached him.
He entered the room, paused moment. and
then then advanced I'd al to b. quIyenng as he went
ent supposed that he medttated an assault
upon b. His voice, however, was low, and
his speech very deliberate.
"What is the time fixed for our meeting, MIR.
By" he asked.
Il am to fight Mr.. c. D. Immediately"
answered B.
Mr.. C. 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 should
voucher for his character to my other guests and
for the character of my other guests to him |
am sorry to have to explain these points OF good
oa Of BY ns yGn ea ms s sSe
That insult is mine, not his, to resent He is
here under my invitation, and that is my pledge
of protection. II you are not prepared to IN axe
proper and satisfactory apology at once, botn
to my guest and myself you must fight Turner
Ashby, and the time ana place already agreed
upon will answer as well as any other. What
do you say, sir?"
Now, fighting duel with young stranger
wholly unused to firearms and to lighting of
any sort was one thing; fighting duel with
Turner Ashby In rage, was very well under
ocOOu W CO nAoIICi anu d muCH Hfttt oefIUuo
thing, and young BIS consciousness OF this
difference wrought a complete change in his
mood. He pleaded In excuse for his conduct the
fact that he had been drinking too freely, and
signed the pair of apologies which Turner Ash.
by wrote.
c. D. ended his visit soon afterward, and
the war came on to prevent its repetition. Tur-
Der Ashby's galantry In war and courage and
cCInn aid over men, and the story OF his death,
are ell matters of history now; ..but his high
Character says c. D., "never tmpreSseS RE
so strongly in reading of his military exploits
as II does when look at that faded slip OF paper
a curious autoglapa.-G. c. E. az a. L. Ecenu.g
e.