River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-06-03
TURNER ASHBY.
How the Confederate Cavalry Leader In
terfered in Deadly Quarrel to Assert
the Sacredness Of HospltalitJ..-His
High Sense of Hosts 0bligat 0ns.

New York Evening Post
During that period OF suppressed ex-
element in Virginia after the John
Brown incident at Harper'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
distinguished families of northern Vlr-
ginia.
The young man was frankly repub-
lican 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 well known, were not discussed
and perhaps were scarcely thought of
at all.
One evening during his visi: 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 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:
Isn't it sublime piece of impu-
dence for a Yankee and black repub-
lican to come down here now and ac-
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 cathohcity of my
fathers ospitality-you have profted
by his indisp0sition to draw social lines
too sharply. You have been received
by him as a guest upon several occa
sions."
The reply was so singing that he
withdrew from the su:per-:oom, and
G. D., thinking it better to retire
from a company in which he might be
less welcome than he had supposed,
went to the cloak room tor his hat and
coat. He had scarcely entered the
door oftne room when b approach
ed him, saying:
'What / said just now had reference
70 10. h., Ia
Young G. D had not been used
to encounters of this kind, and had lit
tie disposition TO 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 ust drawn
from his hand.
This was the signal for the persons
present III the room to interfere TO pre-
vent 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 i'll 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 a mo
ment, and then advanced to B,
quivering as he went forward so vio-
lently that half the persons present
supposed that he meditated an assault
upon B. His voice, however,
WIS low, and his speech very deliber-
ate.
"What is the time fixed for our meet
ing, Mr.. b ne asked.
II am to fight Mr.. G. D immedi-
ately," answered B.
II beg your pardon" replied Ashby,
shut Mr.. G. D has nothing to do
with this affair. He came to my house
tonight as my guest. When | 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
haveto 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 Lere
under my invitation and that is my
pledge of protection. If you are not
prepared to make a 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,
STRIP
Now, fighting duel with a young
stranger wholly unused to firearms and
to fighting of any sort was one thing;
Sighting duel with Turner Ashby in
rage was very we'll understood TO be
another and a much more serious thing,
and young BIS consciousness Of
this difference wrought complete
change in his 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,
are all matters of history now; "but his
high character" says G. D., "never
impresses me so strongly in reading of
his military exploits as it does when |
look at that faded slip of paper written
by his hand and signed by B. 1t is
curious autograph" q. g. Il.
Driving Horses in Summer.
When it is possible, and there is
much driving on the road to do, there