The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-02-20
A Double Duel.
IN VIRGINIA WITH MISSISSIPPI RIFLES
AT FORTY PAGES

a Double Duel
IN VIRGINIA WITH MISSISSIPPI RIFLES
AT FORTY PAGES.
A party of Southern Congressman
were discussing the recent Calhoun-W Will
liams duel in the Metropolitan Hotel
lobby recently, writes Washington cor
respondent of the Atlanta Constitution,
when Colonel Oates, of Alabama, spoke
UP and said
speaking of dnels, remember a re-
markable one fought with Mississippi
rifles at forty PAGES, and, by the way,
Colonel A. I'll. Belo, of the Galveston
Netcs, was one of the principals.
1T was in March, 1868, just previous
to the battle of the Wilderness. Long
streets troons were besieging Suffolk
One night when the Fifty fifth North
Carolina regiment was on DUTY the Yam
KEGS charged, captured the battery and
raised the blockade.
Next day Colonel Connolly, of that
regiment, rode up to the headquarters
OF General Law, of Alabama, and in
quired if Law had reported that his reg
iment had behaved badly the night be
fore. Law said he had made such report
as it came to him from Captains Cousins
and Terrell, of his staff. Connolly pro
nounced it a lie, and said he would see
| Cousins and Terrell about it. He sprane
off his horse and made for their tent
He asked Terrell if he had made the re-
port The Captain admitted it, and Col
onel Connolly demanded an apology
which was refused. The Colonel replied
he would hold Terrell personally respon-
sible:
Turning to Cousins he asked the
same question.
Cousins was a tall, gray eyed man
with long, black curly hair hanging to
his shoulders. He was an unnaturaliZed
| Englishman. recklessly brave, and seemed
never SO brave as when exposed to great
danger He would frequently walk down
the front of a slgirmish line for q quartz,
of a mile while every man was firing at
him, though he was never hit. The
boys called him Laws wiidman."
cousins replied to the Colonels ques-
ton with a bow and IA smile:
No, Colonel, | do hot remember hay
! ing made such d report, but | will tell
orders to retire when the enemy was in
front, it obeyed them last night very
promptly
Cousins replied the Colonel. for
that remark | will hold you personally
Responsible Cousins bowed and said,
All right, Colonel, | shall be happy to
accommodate YOU
THE Colonel made a big mistake.
Captain Terrell was about as recklessly
brave as Cousins there were not two
Drawer men in the army.
Colonel Connolly retired. and short
time afterwards Major Beio returned
the challenge, when Belo, as an act of
courtesy, took Cousins off Connolly's
hands.
The next Gay the meeting occurred
in an old field near Suffolk 1t was a
gloomy, misty day. The spectators were
few and remained respectful distance.
Mississippi rifles We're the weapons used
and forty PAGES the distance.
while Connolly and Terrell were get
ting ready to fight on one side of the
field, Belo and Cousins without delay
got at their work on the other. They
exchanged two shots each. Cousins
second shot cut Bein slightly across the
neck. Thereupon the weapons were
handed the seconds to be reloaded. when
Cousins remarked to Belo that he ex-
pected to kill him that fire, and said:
Major, we are doing very poor shooting
to day. 1t we don't do better at the
Yankees we wont get any meat. 70
this Beio replied with cheerfulness, and
said he was not hurt. just as they were
preparing to fire third time a runner
came up from the other combat announc
ing the duel had been settled. Belo and
Cousins shook hands and congratulated
each ather, iiarFiag friends,
Connolly and Terrell were to fight
with double-barrel shotguns. When the
weapons were loaded and placed in their
hands pariey was had between the
seconds, and after considerable talk Con
nolJy's second Withdrew the challenge,
which of course ended the matter.
HConpolly, whose courage was some
what doubted on account ct the settle
ment, afterwards behaved most gallantly.
and lost an arm leading his regiment in
a charge at Gettysburg After the close
of the war he married a wealthy Vir-
GINA lady, and became a State Senator
in Virginia. He waa aHs of those who
escaped unhurt when the ceiling fell in
the State House After that event Con
molly SAID God had been so good to him
and spared his life SO often that hence
forth he would devote his life to His SER
vice. He became Baptist preacher.
and, l believe, is now in Richmond.
''Terrell was afterwards made I4ieuten-
ant-Colonei Of the Forty seventh Ala
bama Regiment, and WAS killed in the
fall of 1854, while carrying the coiors on
a horse and leading his regiment in a
charge.
"Belo became Colonel Of the Fifty fifth
Regiment on Connoly's retirement,
served honorably through the war and
afterwards went to Texas and established
the Galveston Neaos, which he has made
a great journal.
Cousins, in 1864, before the close of
the war, and while Lee was keeping
L .ol,x ~
quaintance OF handsome widow who
resided near Ashland, the home of Hen
ry Clay in his boyhood. He married her,
quit the army and settled there for life,
where he now is.
Don 't!-Ifa dealer offers you bottle of
Salvation Oil without wrapper or labels,