The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13
Gen. WALKERS LAST DUEL.
HIS MEETING WITH MARMADUKE
oEsCRIBED BY HIS SECOND.

SEuGAthhA SEAnNNNA ISA
nnduks's Charge Of Cowaraioe. or walk
srs Resentment. ana % the Scenes That
Followed the Fatal s~hst-wsiher's Dying
Message 20 the pIan whs KILLED Him.
WASHINGTON, June "a duel was fought In
September, 1868, by Gen. John Sappington Mar
maduko and Gen. Luclus Marsh Walker, both
Of the Confederate army, which resulted In the
death Of Gen. walker, Many accounts OF this
affair have been published. but all of them.
lacking details from an eyewitness, are erro.
noous. / give a truthful and circumstantial
account Of the affair related TO me by Col. Rob
ert H.. Crockett. who acted as second and friend
to Gen. Walker. and. as far as know. is the only
living person who witnessed the affair.
Gen. John 8. Marmaduke was the son Of
Meredith Miles Marmaduke. who was born in
Westmoreland county, Va, moved to Missouri,
and lecamo Governor OF that State In 1s44.
John s. Marmaduke was born In Missouri In
1888, and was graduated at tho Military Acad-
envy at West Point In 1857. He WINS appointed
q First Lieutenant in tho regular army of the
Confederate Statcs, and he Joined Gen. W. J.
Hardee IN southeast Missouri, and was soon
promoted . Northumberland, and In tho
autumn was made Colonel OF the Third Confcd-
erato Infantry. His regiment at Shiloh cap
tured the first prisoners OF the day. He
was wounded In tho second days fight,
and while In tho hospital was promoted
Brigadier-Genoral In 1883 he entered
Missouri with 1000 men and extricated
the Confederate forces near Cape Girardeau, but
being pursued, he brought out his forces with
difficulty. He took part In the attack on Hell
ena, Ark, In July, 1853. He was promoted q
Major-Goneral April 10, 1854. He was cap
tured near Fort Scott on Oct. "a, 1864, and he
remained n prisoner OF war at Fort Warren un.
All A.-.. T0nH T. 1901 - .-n. l.~A1l a..
ernor OF Missouri, and no died at Jefferson City,
Mo-. Dec. %. 1887.
Gen. Lucius Marsh Walker entered as a cadet
at the United States Military Academy on July
1. 1916, was Second Lieutenant Of the Dragons
on July !, 1850. and First Lieutenant In 1851.
He resigned from the United States Army on
March 81, 1852. He was Colonel Of the Fortieth
Tennessee Infantry In the Confederate army,
and appointed Brigadier-General of tho Pro
visional Army of the Confederate States March
IL, 1862. He was the nephew Of President
James X. Polk.
Col. Robert II. Crockett, who was the second Of
Gen. Walker in the duel. is a native Tennes-
sean, and a grandson Of tho celebrated Col.
David Crockett, and son Of John w. Crockett.
who at one time represented o part of his
fathers old district in Congress. He is now a
resident OF Stuttgart, Arkansas county, Ark,
and is Brigadier-General Of militia Of his State.
/ give the account Of the duel. and what led 10
1t, in Col. Crockett's own words:
"A few days prior to the evacuation OF Little
Rock by Gen. Price in September. 1868, 1t will
be that Gen. Steeles advance
forces were met at Reeds Bridge on Bayou
Meta, on the old military road, twelve miles
from Little Rock. by Prices cavalry under COM
mand of Gen. L. NJ. Walker, Gen. Marmaduke
commanding one brigade and Col. r. c. Newton
the other. Gems. Marmaduke and Walker were
both Brigadiers, but the latter ranked the
former by seniority Of commission. After the
battle, in which the Federals were repulsed, our
forces fell back toward Little Rock. Gen. Walker
still in command, whose headquarters were at
the Robinson place. FIVE miles from Little Rock,
on the same road. A day or two after the battle
a member of Gen. Marmaduke's staff, accom-
panied by a stranger whose name is not recol-
lected. rode up to Gen. Walkers headquarters
and stopped to dine. After dinner these gentle
men insisted that Gen. Walker and myself
should omp them to the city. Gen.
Walker asked Major RaRland This quartermas-
teri and myself II we would like to 60. we both
assented, and our horses were ordered.
After starting Gen. Walker and the stranger
rode on together. leaving Major Ragland. the
officer, and myself riding together In the rear.
He (Gen. Marmaduke's aide) said TO us: who
do you say won the fight at Reeds Bridge = to
! winch l replica LnAC zen. " dlk0r was IN COM
mand. and. of course. wac entitled to whatever
credit there was. but the boys who did the fight
ing won tho battle To which he said. somewhat
hastily: NO. Gen. Marmaduke won the fight,
and he says Gen. Walker acted the id cow
ard. Mind you. I do not say Con. Walker is
a coward. but Gen. Marmaduke says so.' To
this Major Ragland and myself made no re.
ply until we had nearly reached Gen. Marina
dukes headquarters on the same road. When
stopping Mt q little creek to let our horses drink
I said to him: DO you RENE ber what you said
a little way back OF Gen. Marmaduke's charge
against Gen. Walker 4 His answer was: Per
feotly we'll; but remember that l don't say Gen.
Walker is a id coward, but Gen. Marmaduke
does, and II I was not on Gen. Marmaduke's
stan I would like to be on Walkers star.'
must for reasons, decline to give the name
do SO would but grieve his friends. and is not
essential TO q proper, understanding. OF this mar.
r rsti ,n na HE sleeps Gr a his mo last s. slsen; Nay SSr his 8 q
never lived. l knew him intimately. and es.
teemed him as ono OF my best friends. But let
probably about 100 yards further on. we reached
Gen. Marmadpkc's hsadquarters.
stopped at Gen. Marmaduke's headqnartors,
S when T Cs1 6GuS w,1 If be P sSssnt !, at cd a,.i1s R Rf aon !
Marmadpke and one Of his aides, aside. and
stated ,t,t y. to III him ns what his brother Tot . STAFF ofieeF had
s dSlS Us pay via a TsPly Attention Tssi rof to S"f It. '' Yca ro i09er
mant Is drinking. and doesn't know what
made any such remark Just as We iGen.
Walker, Major Ragland. and MYSELF were pre-
ters, with whom ! had a few minutes c~onversa'
ton, necessarily delaying me. and Gen. Walker
and Major Ragland had got some distance
ahead OF me before I started. On ovortakine
them ! found, to my regret, that Major RaRland
had communicated to Gen. Walker the conver
sation which had passed between Gen. Marina!
to keep 1t from him until I could got 1t more
reliably. AS l rode up Gen. Walker turned tc
me-. his face wearing his usual smile. and said
Bob. Is II 80
What, Marshf' 1--WE were 30 intimate thai
in private we dropped titlos.I
"'Wha Ragland tells me--that Gen. Marina.
duke has been denouncing me as a coward
"'Yes, but Billy Price says that our Informant
Is off HIS balance to-day and not reliable. I am
sorry Ragland has repeated the report to you. ]
wanted to investigate IL n little, and II the
charge was actually made by Gen. Msrmaduke
70 get II In reliable shape before communicating
1t to you
AT this timo we saw Gen. Marmaduke and
several members Of his staff returning from
Little Rock. IsugEested TO Gen. Walker thnl