The record-union., 1892-11-28

raise himself, said as his life
blood slowly ebbed away, stain
ing with crimson the bluebells and
violets peeping out from amid the fra
grant grasses. q am sorry if have killed
you, Commodore. | tried. to ward this
meeting on, but it was impossible"
And l." returned Barron, as he lay well
tering in his blood. ''made every effort to
honestly settle matters. | more than met
you half way. | entertained no personal
animOsity." And then followed a series
OF explanations, that alas, came too late.
The deeds were done, and mans life was
the price of mans pride. In twenty-four
hours Decatur was where the wicked
cease from troubling and the weary are
at rest" Not so Commodore Barron.
For months he fingered on the threshold
OF that great unknown, but gradually the
grim specter drew back and health,
blessed health, spoke i'll his ruddy cheeks
and sparkling eyes. But the recollection
OF that spring morning, when all nature
seemed joyous, was as blackened ashes
to HIM. The crimson gore, the glazing
eye, the tatering voice of a dying man
ever rose between him and pastoral
beauties. 4 phantom that naught could
Danish lurked ever after in his breast.
Though offered the command of the
Pacliic feet he declined, nor did lie ever
again ride the ocean blue as in the days of
Old when his and Decatur's flags lluttered
in the breeze.
The trouble originated, as nearly all
such affairs do, in a most trivial thing.
After Barron had been courtmartiaIed
Tor surrendering the Chesapeake to the
Leopard he strove TO have his five years
retirement without pay or emolJments Of
any kind lightened, on the ground That
but one OF the three charges and twenty
two specifications had been proved
against hin-that he had failed III the
possibility OF conflict to clear his deck
and that his honor and bravery had never
been questioned. Ills application met
with much opposition, and Decatur was
quoted as referring 10 him in very un
complimentary terms. This the latter at
once resented. The real odium of the
affair, however, should rest upon the
shoulders of one of the seconds, Captain
Elliott, who instead OF patching up mat
ters. intlamed the angry passions OF the
men until events terminated on the held
OF honor.
Hardly any OF our great men OF haII
century ago could be named who had not
Vlndlcated his honor, with pistol or
sword, in the cold gray OF the morning
beside some crystal stream, or in deeply
wooded dell, Tor fashion. as in all other
things, led in this, and it was a courage
Gus man, indeed, who would brave pub
lie opinion by declining TO honor an in
medium of exchange.
Hamilton met Burr and virtually sac
rihced his lie, since he made no effort to
protect it, but fired his pistol in the air.
Clay challenged John Randolph Of Roam
oke, Va, who repaired to the meeting
in dressIng-gOw and, being q gentle
man of great eccentricity, offered him
self as a target while he wasted his shot
il the air. But Clay, unable to deter
mine with any degree OF certainty what
portion of the bulk presented 10 him was
gown, fired at random, and as Randolph's
body-to quote the gallant kentuckian-
was not where it should have been. the
only damage done was the piercing Of the
gaudy garment. :. 5. Prentiss exchanged
leaden compliments with Foote of Mis-
sissippi, but neither proving a good shot.
they shook hands and parted in peace.
Tom Marshall Of kentucky found the
Vulnerable spot in Ezra Webb, the guild
ing spirit Of the New York courier and
Inquirer, who consequently lost a por-
ton of his heel and, such is the irony of
fate, languished several weeks in prison,
while Marshall fitted around the couu-
try, eluding, like a ''wilI-o' the wisp, all
pursuit. Dandrick Drummond, in Cleve-
land Leader.