Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-22
DEAD AT THE FIRST FIRE.
One of the Observation-Disclosures Ro-
mances of the Civil War.

''There is no doubt" said an old SOL
der 90 Lula (Ga.) correspondent of
the Boston Globe, "that many singu-
lar things occur as we journey through
life," and he looked as if memory
were struggling with some sad feature
of his existence. He sighed as he con-
tinued:
Il remember as if it were yesterday
the march of Hills corps along the
winding Shenandoah up to the famous
Luray gap. Who could ever forget
that march? The road wound with
the beautiful river and was oyerhung
with a majestic chain of Blue Ridge
Mountains. But the most engaging
and lovely object paled into insigniti-
canoe beside the peerless women of
this blessed country, and you may
well believe that when the camp was
struck the soldiers lost no time in
making their way to the surrounding
cottages. Soon the music of the vio-
lin was heard and the shufiing feet
kept time to the music, while, for a
time, the soldiers face was lit with
old-time joy.
Sat one of these cottages the bellies
of the valley reigned supreme, while
several southern soldiers We'd with
each other in paying homage to the
queen. Among them were two young
soldiers, one from Georgia and the
other from Mississippi, who were es-
pecially energetic in their attentions,
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 was
only too true, as the tragic event
which followed fully proved. The
Georgian seemed to have the lead on
the Mississippian, and when the dam
GERS were called to take their places
he led the belle of the valley to
place in the set At this point the
Mississippian was seen to approach
the couple and heard to claim the
lady's hand for the dance. An alter
cation ensued, and both were cool,
brave Soldiers-two of the best shots
in the army-who did not believe in a
war of words. So it was ended by the
Georgian dancing with the lady, and
the significant remark of the Missis-
sippian, Il will see you after this set"
when the dance was over the
Georgian was seen to seek the Missis-
sippian, and together they called each
a friend from the crowd and departed.
When outside both claimed that an in
suit 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.
lence of night was anything bnt pleas
ant. No compromise, however, would
avail with these men; so it was ar
ranged that the duel should take place
on the top of the Blue Ridge.
1.-The spot was reached, the ground
measured off, and the men took their
positions without q tremor. The moon
shed its pale light 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 oil
the midnight air, but the principals
maintained their respective positions.
The Georgian's left arm was seen to
drop closer to his side, but the Missis-
sippian was immovable, and still held
the pistol to the front. Again a pis-
toll shot was heard, coming from the
Georgian, and the Mississippian still
held his position, but he did not fire.
The Georgian protested that he had
not come there to murder him, but no
answer was returned. The Missis-
sippian's second approached his prin-
cipal and found him dead, shot through
the eye on the first discharge of the
weapons. Death, it seemed, had been
instantaneous, so much so not even to
disturb his equilibrium. may forget
some things, but the midnight duel on
the top of spur of Blue Ridge, with
its attendant circumstances, is not one
of Them