Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-06-02
A STRANGE WAR DUEL.
HOW A FEDERAL AND A coNFEpeR.
ATE SCOUT SETTLED MATTERS.
/. Guarding bridge In East Tennessee.
How the Question of Posse.ssou Was
Decided-Navy Pistols at Twenty Yard.
The Resulss-pa..a

Guarding . bridge In East Tennessee.
How the Question of Possession Was
Decided-Nsvy Pistols at Twenty Yards
The Resules-Peace.
On the 18th of June, 1868, I witnessed q
duel between Capt Jones, commanding a
Federal scout. and Capt Fry. commanding a
Confederate scout, in Green county, Ecst Ten
nessee These two men had been fighting
each other for six months, With the fortunes
of battle in favor Of one and then the other
Their commands were encarnped on either
side Of Lack creek, q large and sluggish
stream, too deep TO ford and too shallow for
ferry boat, but there bridge spanned the
stream for the convenience Of the travelling
public. Each OF them guarded this bridge,
that communication should go neither north
nor south, as the railroad track had been
broken up months before After fighting
each other several months and contestine
the point as TO which should hold the bridge,
they agreed to fight duel, the conqueror to
hold the bridge undisputed for the time being.
Jones gave the challenge and Fry accepted.
The terms were that they should fight with
navy pistols at twenty yards apart, deliber-
stely walking toward each other and firing
discharged unless one or the other fell before
all the discharges were made. They chose
their seconds and agreed upon Confederate
surgeon tas he was the only one in either com
msndl to attend them in case of danger
Jones was certainly a fine looking fellow,
with light hair and blue eyes, 8 feet 10 inches
in height, looking every inch the military
chieftain He was man soldiers would ad-
mire and ladies regard with admiration I
never saw man more cool, determined and
heroic under such circumstances | have
read of the deeds Of chivalry and knight
errantry in the Middle Ages and brave men
embalmed in modern poesy, but when saw
Jones come TO the duelists' scratch, fighting,
not for real or supposed wrongs to himself,
but. as be honestly thought, for his country
and the glory Of the Gag, could not help
admiring the man, notwithstanding he fought
for the freedom Of the negro, which was op
posed to.
BRAVE, COOL, COLLECTED
Fry was man fully six feet high, slender,
with long. wavy, curling hair, jet black eyes,
wearing a slouch hat and gray suit, and
looked rather the demon than the man
There was nothing ferocious about him, but
be had that self sufficient nonchalance that
said. "a win kill you" Without a doubt be
was brave, cool snd collected, and although
suffering from a terrible flesh wound in his
left arm. received q week before, he mani
tested no symptom Of distress, but seemed
ready for the fight
The ground was stepped of by the seconds,
pistols loaded and exchanged, and the princi-
pals brought face to faca
They turned around and walked back to
the point designated Jones' second had the
word Fire" and as he slowly said ''One-
two - three = firei" they simultaneously
turned at the word ''Oner and instantly fired
Neither was hurt They cooked their pistols
and deliberately walked toward each other,
firing as they went At the fifth shot Jones
threw up his right hand, and, firing his pis
tol in the air, sank down Fry was in the
act Of firing his last shot. but, seeing Jones
fall. silently lowered his pistol, dropped IL on
the ground and sprang to Jones' side taking
his head in his lap as he sat down, and asking
him II was hurt
discovered that Jones was shot through
the region Of the stomach, the bullet glancing
around that organ and coming out to the
left of the spinal column; besides be had re-
ceived three other frightful flesh wounds in
other portions Of the body. dressed his
wounds and gave him such stimulants as
had He afterwards got well
Fry received three wounds-one breaking
his right arm, one the left, and the other in
the right side. After months Of suffering be
got well and fought the war out to the bitter
end, and today the two are partners in a
wholesale grocery business, and certifying
the sentiment of Byron that "a soldier braves
death, "etc-Confederate Surgeon in Georgia
Union