The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-09-03

already there. They tied their horses.
and jackson turned and approached the
opposite party. One of his friends
asked him how he felt. 20, all right"
he replied. Il shall wing him, never
fear"
Dick;nson's second won the choice OF
position and Jackson's the Office OF CIV
ing the word. The eight PAGES were
measured off and the men were placed.
Both were perfectly collected. Strict
dueling etiquette was preserved. Jack
son wore loose frock coat, buttoned
carelessly over his chest, and conceal
ING in some degree the extreme slen-
derness of his figure. Dickinson was
the younger and 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.
81 am ready" Dickinson replied,
and jackson reiterated the words.
Quick as thought Overton shouted,
with his old country accent, ''Fcrer'
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 his chest. 'He's
surely hit, muttered his second, '.and
in bad place, too; but. no, he does not
fall" jackson. erect and grim, with
teeth set firm, raised his pistol. Over
ton glanced at Dickinson. Amazed al
the unwonted failure of his aim, and ap-
parently appalled, at the awful face and
figure before him. the lawyer had un-
consciously recoiled a pace or two.
J" Great Godr' he faltered, shave l
missed himP"
Back to the mark, sirr' roared
Overton, 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 ard pulled the trigger.
The pistol neither snapped nor went
off. 1t stopped at half cock. jackson
drew the lock back to its place, took
aim the second time and fired. Dick
inson's face blanched. He reeled. His
friends caught him in their arms and
gently seated him on the ground against
a bush. His trousers Redeemed. 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 doc
tors in Christendom could not have
saved his life. General Overton went
forward and looked at him. A glance
was sufficient. He rejoined jackson,
saying: Z" He'll want nothing more OF
you, General" They walked to where
the horses were tethered. Overton was
on one side of jackson and the surgeon
on the other. Neither spoke q word.
The surgeon saw that one of JacksOn's
shoes was full of blood. "My God,
General, you are hit?' he exclaimed,
pointing to the blood.
Eyes, believe he has pinkcd me a
little," jackson replied. Il Let's 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 Jackson's
heart was beating. The thinness of his
body aud the looseness of his coat de-
ceived 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
approaching the house he went up to a
negro woman 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 furtively 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 wenI
into the house ard had his wound
dressed. He sent friend to inquire
concerning Mr.. Dickinson's condition
and to offer the services of his surgeon
DIR. Catlet replied that Dickinson's case
was past all surgery. General jackson
then sent a bottle of wine to the physi
clan for the use of his patient. Dickin
son bled to death. The flow of blood
could not be stopped. He suffered ex
IRENE agony, and uttered distressing
cries all day long. At nine o'clock tina
night he asked why they had put on
the lights. The end was at hand Five
minutes afterward he died, cursins
with his last breath the ball that hat
entered his body. His wife had beel
summoned. On the way to Harrison
Mills she met a procession of silen
horsemen, escorting a rough emigran
wagon that contained her husbands re
mains.
jackson gave as reason for conceal
ing his wound that, as Dickinson con
sidered himself the best shot in th
world and was certain of killing him a
the first fire, he did not want him t.
have the qualification of knowing tina
he had touched him. g l should hav
hit him." he said, if he had shot m
through the BRAIN"
jackson was taken to the Hermitage
His wound proved to be even more Sc
we're than was at first anticipated. I
was a month before he could leave til
hnr,ca Tho xrnpnJ hoaloI falco1v