The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-10-09
AN OLD-TIME DUEL.
Andrew Jackzon's Exchange of Shots With
Waightstill Avery.
The Result of IA Joke-The Comic Incident
to Winch "Old Hickory Would Not
Allune.

NEW DERNE, n. 4. sept. ~.
James Parton, in his biography of An
drew jackson, makes mention of duel
fought by General Jackson with Waight
still Avery, at Jonesboro', Tenn, in the
last century. HIS account, however, is
very meagre and does not accord with the
version of the affair as told by descend
ants and relatives of Colonel Avery, many
OF whom still live in Burke county, y. c.
In fooG-note to page 1872, chapter II,
volume l, Parton says: There was a
comic incident connected with this duel
that General Jackson would not tell. A
gentleman once mentioned the duel to
him. who told you about it?' asked the
President, laughiugly. General Affair."
Did he tell You what happepea! en- enn tie
grounG: No. we'll, then, | shau',,'
replied the General, still laughing"
The comic Incident to which General
Jackson alluded, aud which he refused to
relate, is what is understood to have
caused the duel and is said never to have
been made public. WHAT it Was and how
it occurred has been related to me several
times, as follows:
JACksONS MIsCHIEvoUS TRICK
La August, 11SS, Colonel Waightstill
Avery aud Andrew jackson were attend
ing court in Jonesboro' in what is now
East Tennessee. At that time Tennessee
was still part of North Carolina and
Jonesboro' was the seat of one the three
Districts Courts held for the then West
ern district of North Carolina. The town
is now the county seat of Washington
county, Tennessee. Jackson had but re-
Gently been called to the bar at the time
of the duel and was about twenty one
years of age. Colonel Avery was much
older. The two gentlemen were opposing
counsel in a Case under trial i'll which
Jackson, it is said, felt that he had but
little chance for success. In spirit of
mischief, probably, he determined to at
tempt little diversion rather unusual IN
a court of law.
Ni''Si away SOiiiCllihCo lOuO IuO Cll-
cult of his courts-which embraced most
of Western North Carolina and portion
OF East Tennessee-on horseb back, carry
ing in pair of capacious saddle bags
such articles as were necessary to his
more immediate wants. Que thing always
carried therein was copy of '.Bacou's |
Abridgment,' one of the standard law |
books of those days. Jackson was aware |
that Colonel Avery was in the habit OF |
carrying CHS book and on the day for |
trial, before their case was called, he went |
to Colonel Avery's saddle-bags, took out
the copy of Bacon's "Abridgment' and
substituted for it a piece of bacon of
about the same size, wrapping it up as
the book had been to prevent suspicion.
In the course of the trial Colonel Avery, |
having occasion to quote an authority, |
sent Tor his book. The package was |
brought to him, and when unwrapped, |
10. fitch of bacon" stood revealed to |
court and jury.
Avery was man of great dignity OF
character and bearing, who could i'll
brook liberty of any klud, least OF all
an attempt to make him appear ridlcu-
lous. Turning to Jackson he charged
him with what had been done and de-
nounced him fDc lis act in most uameas-
ured terms. jackson was stung to the
quick, but apparently controlled himself
sufficiently not to attract attention to
what he did in response to the rebuke.
Tearing fly leaf from law book he
wrote challenge which, unobserved, he
passed across the table to Colonel Avery
and which Was promptly accepted. The
following is au exact copy of the original
challenge, which is still III the possession
of d member of the Avery family, and
from the wording of It's first sentence
another communication would seem to
have preceded it:
AUGUST, 18th, 1888.
SID l.