The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-05-02
A MEMORABLE DUEL

Tue very slight tinge OF blood in the
wind during the past week started
party of old residents discussing the
duello of aute-bellum days 10 81.
Louis. Up to the time OF the Gratz
BrowE- Reynolds duel, the code was
frequently reeorted to, and pistols we're
the arbjters of many a trifiDg quar-
rel. The favorite field of honor was
the Wi1owed-covered, sandy island
now the most substantial part of
East St. Louis, which is to this day
known as Bloody Island" After
hastily passing over the ssnguinary
struggles and fatal meetings held on
that historic spot one of the party,
with a preliminary laugh, told the
story of the duel between B. Grstz
Brown and Thomas G. Reynolds,
both of whom survived the encounter
to fill important public trusts.
It was back in 1856 or 1857, and
Brown and Reynolds had engaged il
q bitter alteration in the courts,
which was followed up by bristling
correspondence in the newspapers.
Brown seemed b have a little the
best of it in welding the pen and he
finally goaded Reynolds TO the point
of sending him a challenge. Rey-
nolds had for many years been very
near-sighted and could not see
twenty PAGES at that time. Imagine
the comments created when Brown
accepted the challenge and named
rifles as the weapons and eighty PAGES
as the distance. This was manifestly
unfair to Reynolds. and Frank P.
Blair, who was his second, went TO
Brown to Indignantly protest against
the terms, Brown decline to make
any change, Whereupon Blair notified
his principal that, as man of honor,
be was not bound to pay any more
attention to an acceptance OF a
challenge 80 palpAbly unfair. The
quarrel was then renewed in the
newspapers, and a memorable inter-
change ei stilted personalities followed
which resulted finally in Brown
challenging Reynolds. The latter
promptly accepted, and named pistols
at ten PAGES as the terms of the duel,
Ferd E, Kenuett, sr., now diseased.
was chosen by Brown as his second,
szd David 81. Armstrong was
selected by Reynolds.
One day Mr.. Armstrong dorpped
into the then celebrated pistol gallery
kept by Capt. Paul, the famous dead
shot, of whom it is related that he
would start a barrel rolling down an
incline and fire seven consecutive
shots from revolver into the barrel
through the bung hole as it came
into sight. and there found Mr..
Reynolds practjoiHg upon "the man
target" It presented the surface OF
q man of ordinary size, and the bell
was rung by striking a point supposed
to be directly over the heart. UnobS
served, Mr.. Armstrong stood behind
Mr.. Reynolds and observed that each
time he fred he struck the figure
below the knee on one of the Iegs.
"Here, here, this won't do" Paid Mr..
Armstrong; II am not going oat in
the field to @e man murdered.
You must do better than that or
will Withdraw from the affair."" With
that beaming kindness VIII ich has
always characterized Mr. Reynolds,
be replied: 81 do not want to kill
Brown, but I iAteud to shoot him in
the leg and lame him, SO that be will
not forget the occasion" Mr.. Arms
at ,ong was as good as his word, and
declined to act further in Ghe affair.
The duel came of1, however, on an
island in the Mississippi risar. ppoa
site Kennette Castle 10 Jefferson
county. Nr. Reynolds was shot
hrough bis hat, but Mr.. Reynolds