Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-08-11
JACKSON'S DUEL.
The Bad Wound He Received.

few days ago, of the contest between Jackson
and Benton, in which the former was wound
ed. The following is graphic description
of the duel between Dickinson and "Olo
Hickory" causing the death of the former
and entailing much bodily suffering to the
latter "The duel took place Oh the banks OF
the Red River. Dickinson's second won the
choice of position and Jackson's the. Office Of
giving the word. The eight PAGES were meas
ured off and the men were placed. Both
were perfectly collected. Strict dueIling Ell
quette was preserved. jackson wore a loose
frock coat, buttoned carelessly over his chest
and concealing in some degree the extreme
slenderness of bis figure Dickinson was the
younger ond handsomer man Of the two. He
was twenty-five and Jackson thirty nine years
old. The generals tall, erect figure and grave
demeanor gave him commanding air as he
stood in the shade of the poplars in the bright
May morn"
"Are you ready ?" Overton inquired.
II am ready" Dickinson replied, and
Jackson reiterated the words.
Quick as thought, Overton shouted, with
his country accent, "Fere y
Dickinson as quickly raised his pistol and
fired. Overton saw puff Of dust fly from
the breast of the Generals coat. Jackson
raised his left arm and placed it tightly across
bis chest. He is surely hit," muttered his
second, land in bad place, too; but no, he
does not fall" Jackson, erect and grim, with
teeth set firm, raised his pistol. Overton
glanced at Dickinson. Amazed at the un.
wonted failure of his aim, and apparently ap.
palled at the awful face and figure before
him, the lawyer had unconsciously recoiled a
pace or two. "Great God!' he faltered,
shave I missed him ?"
Back to the mark, SIR" roared Overton,
with his hand on his pistol.
Dickinson recovered his composure. and
toed the scratch He averted his eyes from
hi antagonist. jackson took deliberate aim
and pulled the trigger The pistol neither
snapped nor went off: 1t stopped at halt.
cock. Jackson drew the lock back to its
place, took aim a second time, and fired.
Dickinson's face blanched he reeled his
friends caught him in their arms and gently
seated him on the ground against bush.
His trousers Redeemed. They stripped off bis
clothes. The blood was rushing from his side
in torrent. The ball had passed through
the body below the ribs and lodged just under
the skin above the opposite hip. All the
doctors of Christendom could not have saved
his life. General Overton went forward and
looked at him. A glance was sufficient He
rejoined jackson, saying, "He'll want nothing
more of you, General" They walked to
where the horses we're tetherei. Overton was
on one side of Jackson and the surgeon on
the other Neither spoke word. The sur
geon saw one of Jackson's shoes was full Of
blood. "My, God, General, you are hit |"
he exclaimed pointing to the blood.
ayes, l believe he has pinked me little"
Jackson replied. Lets look at it, but say
nothing about it."
He opened his coat. Dickinson's aim had
been perfect. He had sent the ball precisely
where he supposed Jaekson's heart was beat.
ing. The thinness Of his body and the loose.
ness Of his coat deceived him. 1t was bad
looking wound. Two ribs were broken and
the breast.bone was raked. Jackson mounted
his horse and rode to the tavern. Upon ap-
preaching the house he went to negro wo-
man, who was churning, and asked whether
the butter had come. She said it was just
coming. He asked for some buttermilk.
While she was getting it for him, he fustively
opened his coat. She saw that his shirt was
soaked with blood. While she was gazing at
the sight, dipper in hand, he caught her eye,
and hastily buttoned his coat. She dipped
out quart of buttermilk and gave it to him.
He drank it off at draught, and then went
to the house and had his wound dressed. He
sent friend to inquire concerning Mr.. Dick
insons condition, and to offer the services of
his surgeon. Dr. Catlet replied that Dickin-
sons case was past all surgery. General
Jackson then sent bottle of wine to the
physician for the use of his patient. Dickin.
son bled to death. The flow of blood could
not be stopped. He suffered extreme agony,
and uttered distressing cries all day long. At
nine o'clock that night he asked why they had
put out the lights. The end was at hand.
Five minutes afterward he died, cursing with
his last breath, the ball that had entered his
body: His wife had been summoned. On
the way to Harrisons Mills she met process
sion of silent horsemen escortiug rough emf.
grant wagon that contained her husbands re.
mains.
Jackson gave as a reason for concealing his
wound that, as Dickinson considered himself
the best shot in. the world and was certain of
killing him at the first fire, he did not want
him to have the qualification of knowing that
he had touched him. 81 should have hit
him." he said, "if he had shot me through the
BRAIN"
Jackson was then taken to the Hermitage
His wound proved to be even more severe
than was at first anticipated. 1t was month
before he could leave the house. The wound
healed falsely. Some of the Viscera were dis
placed and so remained.
During the exciting session in 1925, when
John Quincy Adams was elected President
over Jackson and Crawford, by the action of
Henry Clay, the wound broke out afresh.
Jackson was closeted late one night with
member of Congress in Washington, in deep
converse over the situation. 1t is said that
the member promised Jackson Clay's support
if he would agree to make Clay Secretary of
State. This would have elected the General,
as three States were voting for Clay, three for
Crawford, seven for Adams and eleven for
Jackson. Long did the Congressman plead
with the old man. 1t was useless. jackson
would not give an inch. At midnight the
member took his leave The hall lamp of
the hotel had been extinguished and the Gen
eral went stumbling up stairs in the dark
Upon reaching the top he supposed that he
had yet to ascend stair, and made an awk.
ward step forward The viscera which had
been displaced by Dickinson's ball, and had
falsely healed, was again severed from the
breast bone, and the internal wound was thus
reopened. The General staggered to his
room. Over q week elapsed before he was