Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-21
DUEL TO THE DEATH
The Terrible McHenry- Lewis Meeting In
Montgomery County.
THE CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY
One Killed In His Tracks ana the
Other MortaIiy WOundcd-sfate-
r,crt NJ nm Eye-Wituess-Evcn
Tint Followed.
fcorresnondence of the Dlspatch.)

Correspondence Of the Dispatch)
! BLACKSBURG, VA, July D.-lAs'
winter attention was called through the
columns OF the Dispatch TO two quite IN
terestlng facts in the history Of tbs
| county-the capture Of Mrs. 1ngles by
! the Indians and her subsequent escape
/ and the history Of the Deserters Tree
| The following notable though horrible
| event in the history OF Montgomery VIII
p-ove Of interest to many Of your readers.
The facts. as stated. are. am quite sure
correct. since they were obtained from
the very best authority. who had them
from a personal acqualntange OF the per-
sonages concerned:
The famous but horrible duel between
Lewis and McHenry occurred very near
Christiansburg in May, 1893. The particu-
lars are as follows: \ certain Mr.. King
who was Sheriff OF the county, had
difficulty with Mr. MeHenry. n young
lawyer Of promise. growing out Of his
d<lng's) election. Hard feelings and bitter
nasslons were engendered on both sides.
The trouble was believed. though. TO have
been all settled. and Mr. King was elected
TO the legislature. and attended it, sts-
slons. Upon his return the trouble broke
out afresh, having been revived. as Is
so often the case, by oficlous friends Of
each. Ii grew more and more bitter. Gnul
finally Dir. McIIenry, challenged Mr. King
to fight duel. 1t. must be recollecied
that at that early time no law save the
old English common law forbade duel!ng'
and the practice was sadly common. so
no secrecy was observed as 10 the chal-
lenge. Air. King refused 10 fignt. giving
a most manly and sensible reason why n
would not. He said that he was a mar
ried man, with a wife and children De
pendent on him. and could not ahord
to fight; while Mr.. McHenTy. on the other
hand. was a single man. and no one would
suffer by his death. Mr.. Mciienry. who
was n man OF undaunted courage and
generous impulses. seems 10 have been
either deeply agerleved or exceedingly
angry, for he insisted on the duel King
was. however, firm enough to persist In
his refusal
LEWIS TOOK IT UP.
At this point Tom Lewis comes upon
the scene. lie was q grandson or old
General Andrew Lewis, OF Point Plea
SAINT fame. whose statue stands in your
city, so famed for its beautiful statuary.
King had married his Qewis'9 sister.
Lewis was as brave as q Hon. high-strung,
and representative as 10 an anair OF
honor. Upon hearing that King had re
fused 10 fight McHenry. Lewis sent word
to that gentleman that he would fight
him. McHenry, who was n brother-law-
yer and an intimate personal friend OF
Lewlss replied that he had no quarrel
with him. and would not fight him.
To this Lewis replied that McHenry
must fight, or he would publicly de-
nounce him as coward. The state OF
affairs having become known to com
mon friends a public meeting was heiH
10 see # manners could not be amlcaply
arranged. During the progress OF TINS
meeting McIIenry was heard TO remark
that he did not wish 10 fight with Lewis.
but i, they forced him 10 it he would
drive that button" through his heart.
THE reference was TO a metal button
which Lewis wore on his coat. about IN
the position Of the hearth But again
and again he reasserted that he did nor
want 10 fight Tom Lewis No satisfac-
tory ARRANGEMENT could be made anu
the result was that the duel was set ior
t.2O o'clock on a beautiful May morning.
veV near the place where the non a.
4 Phleaar's residence now stands. Me-
Uenrv's second was Colonel Charlton, ana
IewIs's was Thomas Bawyer. An eye
witness related the particulars from TINS
noint on. He had bctaken himself 10
The duelling- ground early IN the morn
ing and hidden IN some dense under-
growth. so that he could watch the pro-
ceedngs undistuTDed.
RIFLES AT TWENTY PAGES.
When he arrived Lewis and McHenry
were standing in an open space, the one
leaning against a tree and the other
near a small bush. The seconds were
loading the rifles. for the challenge was
with rifles at twenty PAGES. Suddenly
colonel Charlton stopped. wheeled around
and said he was unwilling for the duel TO
Droceed since there was no suihclent
cause for II. and he would not see TWO
such men as these murder one another
! like dogs for nothing. Bower replied on
the other hand. that the fight must 20
on; that he had not come out there lot
| child's play and IL was due 10 him that
| II proceed. Indeed. he had all along, II
was said. melted them to the fight. ana
il was believed prevented peaceful SET
Element of the trouble. SO the uuel went
on-one two, three. fire. The shots were
discharged Lewis fell at once. shot
| through the heart, and stone DEAD. lie
seems 10 have been perhaps little SLOW
! In firing. and his piece was lowered by
as &c thought. the ball OF his adversary
striking him. At any rate. instead or
shooting McHenry through the heart the
ball passed through McHenry's groin
and h. fell desperately wounded. The
physician. who was. by the way. old Cow
ernor william Floyd. ran at once to Nc
Henry, who said, Never mind about me.
YOU see about Tom Lewis" DR.. Floyd
assured him that Lewis was dead be-
yond question. McHenry was taken TO
Christiansburg, and lived about two days
in intense suffering. Neither his pain
nor his approaching death seemed to trou-
bic him. His constant thought was that
he had killed Lewis, whom he had loved
as a brother
INTERESTING FACTS.
There are one or two interesting facts
connected with this history. The first Is
that II occasioned the passage Of the frst
anti-duelling law In the State. So high
was the position OF the parties, so great
were the esteem and love In which they
were held. and so horrible was the duel
between them, that the next session of
the Legislature succeeding this mournful
tragedy passed a law making both the