Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-09-13

Riddleberger says that was long ago
characterized as liar, scoundrel anG
coward. I pronounce the statement q
base, foul lie and Islander, and the 0uthO,
of 1t a TAR and william, and challenge
him to produce the evidence OF 1t. j
am confident no such charges were
ever made against me by any one, al
any time, unless by some such vile
scoundrel as Riddleberger, behind my
back. -
In 1874 Harry and I had q newspaper
controversy, in which, after making
several false statements, he cut the mat.
ter short by refusing to publish any re-
ply, as he Is accustomed to do. I sent
him the following note:
EDINBURG. July 10th, 1874. :.
III. ii. RIDDLEBERGER: You are q
liar and scOuadret. I propose to meet
you tomorrow morning, at s o'clock,
sharp, at the Marrow Passage, N. w. Of
the bridge, where the picnic was held
on the 4th inst, to settle this little mat
ter between US, entirely alone.
d. w. PRESCOTT.
Maj. Daniel says any man who char.
ges him with being opposed to the free
schools tells the truth by accident and
lies from the force of habit. When I
heard him utter those words, thought
what picture is that Of Riddleberger-
speaking the truth only by accident and
lying from the force of habit.
deposited the above note in the post
Office, enclosed in sealed, envelope,
detected to Riddleberger at Woodstock,
but afterwards learned he was in Edin-
burg at the time, and the post master,
aware of this, sent the letter to him at
the depot by the mail boy. When he
read the note, was afterwards told, he
ran to the mail-boy in a towering rage,
aald demanded Of him II he knew the
contents Of that letter, and if he was
aware of the terrible penalty of the law
for bearing such communications, and
the poor mail boy tremblingly. denied
all knowledge of any letters he might
carry, under seal-Then he ran around
showing the note to the bystanders, and
got up quite an excitement among
them, and then got on the cars for Ork-
ney. And now comes In that terrible
force of habit" again. Ee says that
the note was promptly returned, with
the assurance, &C." state most em-
phatiealiy that his statement il foul
lie. He never returned the pote to me
never sent me any such message, or
at least never received any such mes
sage, and have never seen the note, all
though I have q copy, which 1 have
preserved, knowing he would lie about
it. At the appointed time, repaired
to the appointed place, but Harry did
not come. 1 went totally unprepared
to fight duel, but confess I intended
to thrash Harry like . dog.-Oh my re-
turn home, I inquired privately Of q
friend If he knew where Harry was,
and he informed me Of the above facts,
and that everybody in town knew ali
the facts, while suppose no one but he
and myself knew anything about it.
On the following Saturday evening
was arrested, through the interference,
as have always supposed, of bis friends
instead of mine, as he says. ] was sum-
mOned before q magistrate, cousin of
Harry's by marriage, and required to
give bond with security for good beha-
vior towards all Of the citizens of Vir-
ginia, and especially t0sO0rd Harry
Riddle6erger. This most positively
refused to do. I told the magistrate It
was in no sense q challenge to fight q
duel and that had violated no law in
inviting him to meet me to settle the
difficulty as best we might, but Riddle
berger's safety seemed to demand the
bond, and finally the constable, John
w. Reeser, got Mr.. Stoneburner to go
with him on the bond. Afterwards
Riddleberger came to Edinburg, pre-
sumo for the purpose of being arrested,
and was also placed under bonds, after
which the citizens Of Edinburg doubt
less slept more peacefully. Thus ended
the famous duel.
/ commanded Company c., 10th Va.
Regiment, in the spring Of 1862, when q
large number of its members re- enlisted
in the Confederate regular service. A
large number of them had enlistened in
the cavalry service, which left my com.
pany very much decimated. Capt.
Mauck made application to join our re-
gfment with his company, of some 81
men. Col. Gibbons proposed to have
my company disbanded and Captain
Mauck's received in our place. I re-
piled that we were reduced In numbers
with no prospect of recruiting; that
had no objection to the proposition
The company was disbanded and Capt
Mauck's company was received in oul
place, in which was the famous third
lieutenant, Harry Riddleberger, at the
tender age of II as he says, but he lie.
even in this matter.
was discharged from the army anG
returned home. This lysag villiaa sayi
deserted to the enemy. About thu
middle of January, 1865, after the burn
ing took place, and starvation was star
ing US in the face, and believing ths
hopeless contest would be continued
through the year, with no earthly pros
pect of success, I went to Slane's Cross
Roads, in Hampshire county, for thu
purpose of practicing my profession
The people had to send sixteen miles t.
RomLey, for physician. There being
q very large scope of country destitute
of physician, the people being almost
unanimously Southern in their senti.
ments, determined to settle there I'M
til "the cruel war was over" could
not remove my family during the win.
ter and could not obtain board unit
spring. Finding there was no restric
tions upon the citizens. but that they
were passing within the Federal lines 81
pleasure, went to Pawpaw Station anC
wrote to my friends in the North, anG
awaited their replies. Ny brother in
law, DIR. Berry, came up from Hagers
town and insisted upon my going will
him. While st Pawpaw Federal troops
were pouring thre0gh to relnforc'
Grant, and l we'll kn0V the end Wa
near-the Confederacy wdA drawing he
last breath. / went e HagS toWn, AMI