Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1894-11-14

the trigger. But the cap snapped. Sew
eral times he pulled, but with the same re-
suit, The Union officer bounded on as if
conscious of his peril
Hampton was about to draw his sword
when his intended quarry turned short OFF
to the left through a gap in the fence
which Hampton himself had not seen un-
til borne past It, He had the satisfaction
of hurting the pistol at his flying foe, ac-
companying it with some words which did
not entirely become his character as YES
tryman of the Protestant Episcopal church,
but that was all.
General Hampton found that the Union
officers sword had given him deep cash
about four inches In length, and that but
for the thick felt hat and heavy suit ol
hair he wore would have cut to the brain.
A few inches of court plaster enabled him
to keep on duty until he received severe
gunshot wound in the leg on the last OF
the battle. Ten years later Colonel Frank
Hampton, a younger brother of the gener
ais, while on visit to Mobile became ac
quainted with gentleman from Detroit
who had been an officer in the Union army
A few days after their introduction the
Detroit man said: Colonel, sought your
acquaintance in order that through you L
might make the amende honorable to your
brother, General Wade Hampton. The sa-
Der cut that he received on the head at Get
tysburg was inflicted by me, and the mat
ter has troubled me greatly ever since,
1t was my only act during the war that
regret. was young fellow then of 20
and a lieutenant in the Sixth Michigan
cavalry. Seeing solitary Confederate fir
ing into our lines, determined to capture
him. There was nothing about him to in
dictate his rank, but | presumed that he was
an officer The bend in the fence prevent
ed him from noticing my approach. In
deed he was looking to the front as came
ON his rear, and the ground being soft neal
| the fence line he did not hear my horses
step. / could have run him through with
| my sword, but was incapable of stabbing
any man in the back. / saw when got
near him that he was of formidable stat
| ure, and as his pistol was in his hand
I felt sure that if / ordered him to surrender
| he would instantly turn and fire upon me.
| He was mounted on a horse OF light
! chestnut color, which | thought was the
! finest animal that had ever seen 1t was
sore temptation to a cavalry officer, and
! at once changed my plan and decided te
unhorse the rider and capture his splendid
mount AS 1 struck the blow he turned
| upon me. 1t was half mile race for life
heard his pistol snap three times at my
back and also his parting curse as / went
through the gap in the fence"
Colonel Hampton delivered the explana
ton rendered by Major S.-for he rose te
| that rank-and later General Hampton
acknowledged it by letter, assuring Major
S. that it had given him great gratiilca
ton, and that since he had received 1T ht
could only regard the failure of his pisto
/ to fire with a deep sense of gratitude tt
him in whose hands are the balance of life
and death.
In reply to the inquiry from Hampton
Major S. wrote that the name OF the frol
licking riileman was Frank Pearson; tina
he was but 19 years old at the time of thu
duel; that the pistol ball had wounded
him a few inches above the right wrist
and that he was mustered out OF service
at the close of the war as a lieutenant ant
was successful farmer living near Kala
mazoo, Mich. Subsequently Genera
Hampton received letter from Mr.. Pear
son himself, in which he assured the gen
eral that he was glad that he had misset
him, and the general responded that h
was very sorry that he had wounded Pri
vate Pearson. n.-Judge Il. j. Mackey II
Louisville Courier ournal.