The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-08
The Warrenton Duel.

ia' The Warrenton Duel.
" WARRENToN, August 31.-There occurre
! on Monday evening last, near Warrenton,
y little town N the shadow of the Blue Ride
u Mountains, one of the most singular duels tbs
If has ever taken place in Virginia In thi
/ miniature city, famous for its lovely wome
and its brilliant Bar, are two young lawyers
named respectively James G. Scott and Robel
# R. Campbell. Differing in politics and genel
If ally employed on opposite sides in legal cause
= tween the two. Several preconcerted meetings
K where both were armed to the teeth, have beel
b prevented by the vigilance of friends, and no
until last Monday did they find themselYe
confronting each other at ten PAGES, free AM
4 unfettered to fire. The circumstances Of th
r case are as follows: re G5s6a So 1fa3 JFitss
8 Last Wednesday Mr.. Campbell, who is re
5 adjuster, made a political speech, and in reply
: ing Mr. Scott, who is noted Democrat as
, serted that Mr.. Campbell's principles wer.
9 purchasable, or words to that effect Mr.
, Campbell then called Mr.. Scott a liar. A cor
7 respondence ensued and a meeting was ar
J ranged to take place just outside of the town
} limits early the next morning Late thai
J night, however, Mr.. Campbell was arrested
and bound over to keep the peace, and later
Mr., Scott was similarly dealt with. This, in
|
Gsnp5e u tie Fsuauier sSa 1l NJ
! scott applied to him foul epithet, and a dead
ly encounter was only prevented by the prompt
and decisive action of friends. The next morn
ing Mr. Campbell telegraphed to the White
Sulphur Springs for his friend, Mr.. Alexander
Hunter, and placed the case unreserved III
his hands. Mr.. Hunter sought Mr.. Scott and
personally endeavored, but in vain, to get him
no nd fbop n
promptly followed between the two seconds,
Mr.. Hunter and Mr.. Carter Scott, the latter a
cousin of the principal 'o ss.t
The terms of the challenged party were ten
PAGES, pistols, the combatants to advance and
fire until one sank to the ground The time
was seven o'clock that evening, and the place
charming spot for such business, known as the
Double Popars some five miles distant. 1t
was four O'Clock now, and there was but little
time to be wasted. Mr.. Hunter teegraphed to
his principal, who was perdu at Warrenton
Junction, seven miles from the rendezvous,
notifying him, and quickly getting buggy,
rode just outside of town and waited for Mr.
Scott and his second Now it happened that
while he was still in the village several old gen
tlemen, who, like the war horse of the Scrip
lures, shifted battle from afar, suspected
something, and waited and watched and di-
rected the town Sergeant to keep an eye on
MIR. James Scott and prevent his leaving
town.
Being well mounted the official kept his
post and arrested both just as they were start
ing OF. They broke away from him, howev-
er, and went flying out of town. On the way |
they passed Mr.. Hunter, who was quietly |
waiting IN the buggy, and he; seeing the way
Things were going, dashed his horse into gal |
lop, and the singular spectacle was seen of a
solitary horseman pursuing, in a headlong
gallap, TWO mounted men and one buggy
There was more dust kicked up than an ex-
press train could raise, but 10 the three mile.
race the official was distanced. He still kept
up, however, until his horse had broken down
on the road away from the designated place,
for it. was all important that he should be
thrown off the track Never was such race
seen since the ''rebs" and Yankees used to
chase each other in war days.
The scene shifts to the place ofmeeting Mr.
Campbell was first on the ground he having
nearly killed his horse and had three quarters
OF an hour to spare. Mr.. Hunter, having
pressed a guide into service, was the second to
arrive. Time passed and the arrival of the
other party was eagerly looked for 1t was
known that they were chased miles out oftheir
way and were in a strange country and the
question arose-Would they reach the spot
before darkness set in, the shadows of which
were beginning to fall. At a quarter to seven
horseman covered with dust rode up 1t was
MIR. Carter Scott, the second, and he bore the
news that he and his principal, in their head
long race across the country, had become sep
arated, and that he was there to represent him,
Mr.. Campbell eagerly assented, but Mr. Hun
ter refused to allow it. Words went hi Oh and
it looked as if triangular fight was about to
take place, but finally Mr.. Carter Scott carried
his point. - 1850 b. - 4
The party started to leave the field, but lust
then Mr.. James Scott dashed up. His appear
ance showed that he had had the toughest ride
OF his life. Preparations were now made for
instant action.
1t was getting dark and the parties had to
be placed in the open road !, and there at ten
PAGES, fronting each other, were two as daunt
less men as ever pulled triggers Both were
calm and determined on making fatal shots
just here Mr.. Hunter demurred to the chosen
arrangements that the parties should advance
if the first fire was Intellectual and shoot until
one fell. He insisted on their firing at the
word, and then to have the second, third and
fourth shot III the same way. Another wordy
encounter ensued, but the point was yielded.
MI. Scott won the toss to give the word, but
conceded 1t to the more experienced second,
so MIR. Campbell's second said Gentlemen,
are you ready I? Fire lone, two, three"
At the word both pistols exploded /: Mr..
Scott staggered slightly, recovered and de-
manded second shot, as did also Mr. SCOTS
second. They all three swore they would
have it. Mr.. Hunter declared that they should
not. The two principals advanced upon each
other with cooked revolvers both with deadly
determination. Mr.. Hunter, calling upon MI.
Scott for help, threw himself between the CON
testants and wrenched the pistol from Mr..
Campbells hand, and having secured Mr..
SCOTS pistol he fired every load iuto the1
ground, thus ending the fight. A few minutes |
afterward, both principals, having become
cool, paid each other that tribute that brave
men feel when they find foeman worthy of
their steel. Upon examination the bail was
found to have struck Mr.. Scott in the palm Of
his hand and to have passed diagonally out
near the wrist, making painful and severe
wound. Everybody is satisfied with the re-
suit, for it has ended a quarrel that it was
feared would result fatally in street fight
Both gentlemen are among the first families
in the State. Mr.. Campbell is Col. John S.
Mesby's son-in-law, and Mr.. Scott is the
grandson of John Scott and son of Mr.. J. ;
Scott author of the "Life of Mosby" This is
the first duel that has taken place in this sec
tion since the war.