Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-06-25


"There is no doubt" said an old sol
dier TO reporter of the Athens (Ga. }
Banner, "that many singular things oc-
cur as we journey through life" and he
looked as though memory was strug-
Cling with some sad feature of his ex-
fstencs. He sighed as he continued
II remember as though IL was yester,
day the march Of Hills Corps along she
winding Shenandoah up to the famous
Luray Gap. Who could ever forget
that March? The road winding with
she beautiful, river and oyerhung with
the majestic chain OF Biue Hi5se Noun.
tains, while across the crystal water Che
magnificent valley, with its charm
ing cottages dotting the beauteous
land with white-like balls of snow
robed in flowers. But the most en-
gaging and lovely objects paled
into significance beside the peerless
women of this blessed country, and
you may we'll believe that when the
camp was struck this soldiers lost no
time in making their way to the sur.
rounding cottages. Soon the music OF
the violin was heard and the shutting
feet kept time to the music, while, for
q time, the soldiers face was liz with
old time Joy, At one Of these cottages
the belle Of the valley reigned supreme,
while several Southern soldiers We'd
with each other in paying homage to
the queen. Among others were two
young soldiers-one from Georgia and
the other from Mississippi-who we're
especially energetic in their sttentions,
and so marked had this become that
those present watched the play with
constantly increasing interest, fully
believing that both exhibited a case Of
love at first sight, This surmise ON
the part of those present was only
too true, as the tragic events
which followed fully proved. The
Georgiat seemed to have the lead
on the Mississippian and when the
dancers were called to take their
places he led the belle of the valley to
place in the set. At this point the
Missssippiau was seen 10 approach the
couple and heard to claim the lady s
hand for the dance. An alteration
ensued, but both were cool, brave sol
diers-two of the best shots in the army
who did not believe in war Of words.
SO it was ended by the Georgian dane
ing with the significant remark of the
Mississippian that 4 will see you after
this set
when the dance was over the Geor-
gian was seen TO seek the Mississippian
and together they each called o friend
from the crowd and departed. When
outside both claimed that an insult had
been passed, which could only be wiped
out in the blood of the other, and that a
duel to the death should be arranged at
once. A full moon was just appearing
above the tops of the surrounding forest,
and tell you this talk of blood in the ST.
lenee of the night was anything but
pleasant. No argument, however,
would avail with these men, so it was
arranged that the duel should take
place on the top Of the Blue Ridge,
near the center of the road that passes
through the gap; that the weapons
should be pistols at fifteen PAGES, and
to fire at or between the words 'one,
two, three, firing to continue until one
or both were dead.
"The point was reached, tho ground
measured off and the men took their
positions without tremor. The moon
shed its pale light down on scene never
TO be forgotten. A moment or two and
the silence was broken by the signal,
one, two, three At the word one
the report Of two pistols rang out on the
midnight air, but the principals
maintained their respective posi-
tons. The Georgian's left arm
was seen TO drop closer TO the
side, but the Mississippian was immoy-
able and still held his pistol to the front.
Again a pistol shot was heard coming
from the Georgian and the Mississippi
an still held his position but be did not
fire. The Georgian protested that he
did not come there to murder him, but
no answer was returned. The Missis-
sippian's second approached his prins
cipal and found him dead, shot through
the eye on the first discharge OF the
weapons. Death, il seems, had been
instantaneous, so much as not even to
disturb his equilibrium. may forget
some things, but the midnight duel on
the top Of spur of the Blue Ridge
with its attendant circumstances is not
one of them"