St. Paul daily globe., 1888-06-08
A STRANGE WAR DUEL.
How Two Federal landConfederate
Scouts Settled Matters,

SCOutS SelClCu matters,
On the 18th of June, 1868, I wit
messed a duel between Capt, Jones,
commanding federal scout, and Capt.
Fry, commanding rebel scout, in Greene
county, East Tennessee. These two
men had been fighting each other for
six months, with the fortunes of battle
in favor first of one and then the other.
Their commands were encamped on
either side of Lick creek, large and
sluggish stream, too deep to ford and
too shallow for ferryboat, but there
bridge Spanned the stream for the con-
venienee of the travelling public. Each
of them guarded this bridge, that COM
munieation should go neither north nor
south, as the railroad track had been
broken up months before. After fight
ing each other several months, and con-
testing the point as to which should
hold the bridge, they agreed to fight
duel, the conqueror to hold the bridge,
undlSputed 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,
deliberately walking toward each other
and firing until the last chamber of their
pistols was discharged, unless one or the
other fell before all the discharges were
made. They chose their seconds and
agreed upon rebel surgeon Gas he was
the only one in either command) to at
tend them in case of danger.
Jones was certainly tine-loOking fel-
low, with light hair and blue eyes, five
feet ten inches in height, looking every
inch the military chieftain. He was a
man soldiers would esteem and ladies
regard with admiration. J. never saw a
man more cool, determined, aud heroic
under such circumstances. | have read
OF the deeds of chivalry and knight er
rantry in the Middle Ages and brave
men embalmed in modern pOeSy, but
when saw Jones come to the duellsts'
posed wrongs to himself, but, as he
honestly thought, for his country and
the glory of the flag, / could not help
admlrlng the man. Notwithstanding he
fought for the freedom of the negro,
which was opposed to.
Fry was a man full six feet high, Slen-
der, with long, wavy, curling hair, jet
black eyes, wearing SlOuch hat and
gray suit, and looked rather the demon
than the man.
There was nothing ferocious about
him, but he had that self-sufficient non
chaiance that said. 81 will kill YOU"
Without doubt he was brave, cool,
and collected, and although suffering
from terrible flesh wound in his left
arm, received week before, he mani
tested no symptoms of distress, but
seemed ready for the fight.
The ground was stepped off by the
seconds, pistols loaded and exchanged,
and the principals brought face to face.
They turned around and walked back
to the point designated. Jones' seconds
had the word Fire" and as he slowly
said ''One-two-three-tire," they
simultaneously turned tthe word and in
stantiy fired. Neither was hurt. They
cooked their pistols and deliberately
went, AT the fifth shot Jones threw up
the air, sank down. Fry was i'll the act
fall, he silently lowered his pistol,
dropped it on the ground, and sprang to
Jones' side, taking his head in his lap as
he sat down and asking if he was hurt.
l 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, he had received three
other frightful flesh wounds in other
portions of the body. l dressed his
wounds and gave him such stimulantS
as l had. He afterward got well.
Fry received three wOundS-One break
ing his right arm, one the left, and the
other in the right side, After months of
suffering he got well and fought the
war out to the bitter end, and to-day the
two are partners in wholesale grocery
buSineSS