National Republican., 1881-07-27
JACKSON'S DUEL.
THE BAD WOUND HE RECEIVED.
A Graphic Description Of His Contest with Dick.
insen-A Perfect Alm-Hou Jackson Suf-
fered with the wound-Ths Part
II Played In Ills Death.

Mention was made in The REPUBLICAN,
few days ago of the contest between Jackson and
Benton, in which the former was wounded. The
following is a graphic description Of the duel be-
tween Dickinson and ~ Old Hickory" causing
the death of the former and ontaling
much bodily suffering to the latter: The
duel took place ON the banks of the Red
River. Dickinson's second won the choice Of
position and Jacksons the Office OF giving
the word. The eight PAGES were measured OF and
hemen were placed Both were perfectly collected.
Strict dueling etiquette was preserved. Jackson
wore loose frock coat, buttoned carelessy over
his chest, and concealing in some degree the ex-
| treme slenderness of his figure. Dickinson wai
the younger and haudsomcr man Of the two. He WAS
| twenty-five and Jackson thrty-nine years old.
The Generals tall erect figure and grave demeanor
gavo him commanding air as he stood in the
shade of the poplars in the bright May morn"
Are you ready?" overton inq uircd
"I am ready" Dickinson replied and Jackson
| reiterated the words.
Quick us thought overton shouted, with his old
| country accent, "Ferel'
Dickinson as quickly raised his pistol and fred.
| Ovcrton saw a pud OF dust Hy from the breast {
| the Generals coat. Jackson raised his len arm
and placed II tightly across his chest D." He is
| surely hit" muttered his second, and in a bad
place, too; but no. he does not fall" Jackson,
erect and grim, with teeth set irm raised his
pistol. Oyerton glanced at Dickinson. Amazed
at the unwontcd failure of his aim, and apparently
appalled, at the awful face and figure before him,
the lawyer had unconsciously recoiled pace or
two. "Great Godw he faltered, have missed
himg'
Back to the mark, sir" roared oye.ton, with
his hand upon his pistol.
| Dickinson recovered his composure and toed the
scratch. He averted his eyes from his antagonist.
Jackson took deliberate aim and pulled the trig
ger The pistol neither snapped nor went OF II
stopped at half cock. Jackson drew the lock back
to Its place, took aim a second time and ireds
Dickinson's face blanched he reeled; his friends
caught him In their arms and gently seated him
on the ground against a bush. His trousers red
| dcned. They stripped Off his clothes. The blood
| was gushing 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 in Christendom could not have
saved his life, General 0vertou went forward and
| looked at him. A glance was sufficient. lie re-
| Joined Jackson, saying, He'll want nothing more
ofyou General. They walked to where the horses
| were tethered Overton one side of Jack. e.
| son and the surgeon on the other. Neither spoke
n word. The surgeon saw that one of Jackson's
shoes was full of blood. "My God, General, you
arc hitl" he exclaimed, pointing to the blood
"ies, believe he has pinked me n little." Jack
| sou replied. Lets look Mt 1t, but say nothing
about It."
| He opened his coat. Dckinsons aim had been
perfect He had sent the ball precisely where he
| supposed Jackson's heart was beating. The thin
ness of his body and the looseness OF his coat de-
ceived him. 1t was a bad-looking wound Two
| ribs were broken, and the breast t-bonc was raked
Jackson mounted his horse and rode to the tavern
| Upon approaching the house he went up to n negro
woman, who was churning and asked whether the
butter had come. She said 1t was just coming. lie
asked for some buttermilk. While she was getting
| II for him he furtiyely opened his coat. She saw
that his shirt was soaked with blood. While she
was gazing at the sight, dpper IN hand,
he caught her eye. and hastily buttoncd
| his coat She dipped out quart of buttermilk
and gave 1t to him. He drank It of at draught,
| and then went into the house and had his wound
dressed. He sent friend to inquire concerning
Mr.. Dckinsons condition, and to offer the services
of his surgeon. DR.. Catlet replied that Dickinson's
case was past all surgery. General Jackson then
sent bottle of wine to the physician for the use
| of his patient Dickinson bled TO death The flow
| of blood could not be stopped. lie suffered cx-
| treme 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, carsing with hi!
last breath the ball that had entered his body. III.
wife had been summoned. On the way to Harri-
sons Mills she met a procession of silent horse
men escorting rough emigrant wagon that con
tained her husbands remains.
| JoShsOh EuNC ~ EtuSOH 1OT COuCchllnE I'LL
wound that, as Dickinson considered himself tn,
best shot in the world aud 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 hat
shot me through the brain.'
Jackson wns taken to the Hermitage. Hi
wound proved to be even more severe than was
first anticipated 1t was month before he could
leave the house. The wound healed falsely. Som,
the viscera were displaced and so remained.
During the exciting session In 1925 when Johr
Quincy Adams was elected President over Jack SOL
and Crawford by the action Of Henry Clay, tn,
wound broke out afresh. Jackson was closetet
late one night with member OF Congress In Wash
ington In deep converse over the situation. II Il
said that the member promised Jackson Clay
support If he would agreee to make Clay Secretar,
of State This would have elected the General, o.
three States were voting forsCay, three for Craw
ford, seven for Adams, and eleven for Jackson
Long did the Congressman plead with the old man
II 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 this
General went stumbling up stairs in the dark
Upon reaching the top he supposed that he haC
yet to ascend a stair, and made an awkward steI
forward. The vlscera which had been displaced
by DlckinSon's ball, and had falsely healed wer
again severed from the breastbone, and the inter.
nal wound was thus reopened. The General stag
gered TO his room. over week elapsed before h,
was able to leave his bed. He had several attack
of bleeding ut the lungs. caused by the wound
Many times was he brought by them to the verg,
of the grave The affection was probably aggra
waited by his mode of treating 1t. When threat
ened with AN attack he would bare his arm. band
age 1t, take his pen knife from his pocket, call hi
servant to hold bowl, and bleed himself freely
Onen during his Presidency he performed this oper
alton in the night without any assistance. Thrice
while President his friends despaired of his life
and during the greater part of his term he was de
bilitatcd to degree that would have prevented
most men from transncting business. During the
first six years after his retirement from the Prek
dency his health was not much worse than It hat
usually been in Washington, Every attack o
bleeding at the lungs, however, left him littl
weaker than he hnd ever been before, and his re
covery was slower nnl less complete. During tn,
last two years of his life he could never be said I,
have rallied from these attacks. lie grew yer,
weak, and had slight relief from pain. A cougl
tomentcd him day and night lie had all til,
symptoms OF consumption. Six months befor,
death dropscal symptoms were developed. They
increased, and he finally died on June S, 1915
thirty ynine years and nine days after the duel.
Excursion Notes.
The first anniversary excursion OF
Golden Rule Lodge, No. n, Independent Order o
odd Fellows, will be given tomorrow night tn
18th. The steamer Excelsior will take the excur
Sioniss to Glymont ut $3.50 a. m. and $3.50 p m
Every arrangement has been made for peTiee
time, and the guests OF the lodge are assured Of
day Of perfect pleasure.
The grand annual picnic and national games o
The Clan. ma Gael will be held at Beyers Seventh