Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-01

range OF the others weapon. 1890
heId his pistol muzzle up AZ a 80.
and courteousiy waited on ms sn'ns s'..,,na
who threw hack the lever 81 als ~. =,
and, finging Oh, the empty Ahs"' '''
a fresh cartridge
A CLOSE Gail.
Aoa,u the reports of The carbine ana
p,stoI blended. and Duhet
,hyoueh Hampton's gray caVairy c'pe'
grazing his right breast 80
,rhe soldier then inserted 4 t'hru .si'
.,dgr hut could not close the Dreerh .,
.,es inc trouble evidently being that
M Gun vas foul, and hence the ou,s
- ,ha ,netafl,c case dld rot go IN hosn
Lien IN. socket. He raised hia risht
sara with the paIm 20 the front, as II 70
CO. "a his adversary: Wait bit III
soon be with you" and then uteW ms
winning rod, and. after driving OBJ 'ne
stt,ck cartridge, took piece OF rag ironl
his pocket, and, wettlng " ws;h ms
tongue. attached u TO the slt IN the roo
and deliberately cleaned our M IN,
THE delay soreiy taxed tie patience OF
Uamnton' as Il would that OF any gentlS
man H,ho was kept waiting 10 be snot at
p,,, he was as Incapable OF taking on
unfair advantage OF his enemy then % ne
was NJ MANIFESTATION, where, during me
aercest cavalry engagement OF the war, ne
dashed up 10 a Federal colonel IN cut
him dawn. hut seeing hat hts sword
arrn was disabled. saluted him i"sttad
and passed on TO geek another Zoe
The hiRh-roosting cock Of the woods
soon relieved him by again opening fire,
but at Hampton's return shot the carbine
fell from his grasp. and he Jumped down.
and. after picking II up with his left hand,
retired TO the rear.
AT that moment General Hampton re-
ceived a blow on the back OF his head that
would have unhorsed a less stalwart rider.
He turned upon his assailant, who In
stantly wheeled his horse, and fed at full
speed. Hampton followed quickly i'm pur-
suit. his thoroughbred mare springing for
ward at the touch OF the spur. The flee
ing Federal officer. for such his uniform
stamped him, was also well mounted, but
Hampton overlook him, and levelling a
pistol within three feet of his head
pulled trigger. But the cap snapped SIEVE
raj times he pulled. but with the Same
result The Union officer bounded on as
II conscious of his peril.
Hampton was about TO draw his sword.
when his intended quarry turned short of
TO the left through a gap In the fence,
which Hampton himself had not seen until
borne past it. He had the satisfaction
OF hurting the pistol at his flying foe,
accompanying II with some words which
did not entirely become HIS character as
a vestryman OF the Protestant Episcopal
Church, but that was all
\ DEEP CASH.
General Hampton found that the Union
officers sword had given him a deep cash
about four inches In length. and that
but for the thick felt hat and heavy suit
OF hair he wore would have cut 10 the
brain. a few inches OF courtplaster ena-
bled him to keep on duty until he received
a severe glnshot wound I'm the leg on
the last OF the battle. Ten years later
Colonel Frank Hampton, a young brother
OF the Generals, while on a visit 10 Mo-
bile became acquainted with gentle
man from Detroit who had been an off,
Ger in the Union army. A few days after
their introduction the Detroit man said
Colonel. / sought your acquaintance in
order that through you I might make the
amende honorable to your brother, Cen
eral Wade Hampton. The sabre cut that
he received on the head at Gettysburg
was inflicted by me. and the matter has
troubled me greatly ever since. IL was
my only act during the war that I regret.
| was young fellow then Of p and a
lieutenant I'm the Sixth Michigan Cavalry.
Seeing a solitary Confederate firing into
our lines. / determined to capture him.
There was nothing about him TO indicate
his rank. but | presumed that he was an
officer The bend in the fence prevented
him from noticing my approach Indeed.
he was looking to the front As | came
on his rear. and the ground being sort
near the fence line, he did not hear my
horses step. | would have run him
through with my sword, but l was in
capable Of stabbng any man in the back.
| saw when | got near him mat ne
was of formidable stature, and as MS
pistol was in his hand, l was sure that
IL | ordered him TO surrender he would
instantly turn and fire upon me. He was
mounted on horse OF light chestnut
color, which | thought was the hhsst
animal / had ever seen. 1t was sore
Temptation to O cavalry officer, and at
once changed my plan and decided 10
unhorse the rider and capture MS spieh-
did mount. As | struck the ploW ne
turned upon me- II was half mile race
for life. I heard his pistol snap thtee
times At my back, and also his parting
curse as | went through the gap IN lhe
fence"
Colonel Hampton delivered the expia-
nation rendered by Major ;. dor ne rose
to that rank), and later General Hampton
acknowledged 1t by letter. assuring Major
S. that It had given him great gratihca-
ton. and since he had received IL ne
could only regard the failure OF his pistol
TO fire with a deep sense of gratitude to
Him In whose hands are the balance OF
life and death.
In reply to an inquiry to Hampton
Major s. wrote that the name OF the
rol!lcking rineman, was Frank Pearson;
that he was but 10 years old at the time
of the duel: that the pistol ball had
wounded him a few inches above the
wrist and that he was mustered GU: or
service at the close Of the war as lieu
tenant, and was a successful farmer liv-
ing near Kalamazoo, Mich. Subsequently
General Hampton received letter from
Mr. Pearson himself, in which he assured
the General that he was glad he had
missed him, and the General responded
that he was very sorry that he had
wounded Private Pearson.
Il. j. MACKEY.