The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-03-11
i DUEL EXTRAORDINARY.

| lCdlS at i IdlO Alto and ReSacd. TIL
brave General La Vega who was ta
ken prisoner on that occasion, was
sent to the United States, where, fo
r the time, he became the lien of the
day. At our national capital, anC
elsewhere. he was received with dis
tinguished consideration" Like tho
famous Indian warrior, Black Hawk
he was everywhere saluted with pub
lie demonstrations; and his passage
2 through the country was more like
the triumphal procession of a victo
rious hero, than that of prisoner oil
war.
The news of this generous and com
phmentary reception of La Vega, wa
not long in reaching the Mexican army
and there were some of its officers, who
ambitious Of the same honors and at
tentions, and perhaps having in view
the chances and mischalces of pro
spectiye battle fields, frequently threw
themselves in the way of our troops.
and, demanding to be taken to head
quarters, claimed the same honors
that had been conferred upon their
superior.
AT first these voluntary prisoners
were kindly received by our good gen
eral, who not feeling disposed to com
ply with their ambitious desires, dis
missed them upon verbal parole. But
at length they became so numerous as
to prove quite a nuisance, and no at
tention whatever was paid to their APP
plications. Ibis was while our little
gallant army was in possession Of the
city of Matamoras, and previous TO its
advance upon the interior Of the
country.
One day there presented himself
in the grand plaza, a Mexican officer.
! in the full dress uniform of a major of
Cavalry or Lunceros. His toilet ap
peared to have been made with extra
ordinary care. He was resplendent
IN epaulets, gold lace and embroidery;
and parading III the most public man
ner among the plainly, aud even
coar5ely dressed American volunteers,
he shone like star Of the first mag
nitude, which had wandered from its
regular orbit among She meaneI con-
stellations. With his long sabre rat
ting tiercely upon the pavement at
eve1y step, the major moved haught-
lily through the crowd, attracting how
ever, only the good natured criticisms
Of the men, who of late, had become
somewhat familiar with such displays. |
After showing himself off for some
time in this way, the Mexican officer. |
81 iIyr Il Of ntt l.
attention of the sentinels, going their
rounds in front Of the guard house,
marched with dignified pace opposite |
to That building But even here, no
particular attention was paid to him,
beyond an occasional witticism, such |
as the inquiring IF his anxious
mother knew he was out" or, Il say
Major, can't you leave us lock of |
yoT hair" "What'll you take for
your shiny buttons, Colonel" How
was Mister Sanity Amy when you left
hcme' etc, which saluted him from
the soldiers off duty, who We're loiter
ing upon the seats under the shadoWy |
yerandahs of the place
At length having worried himself |
with this useless display of his bright |
uniform, without provoking an arrest,
the gallant major withdrew; again,
however, to make his appearance on
the following day, and for several days |
IN succession, Indifferent to the Jokes |
and jibes OF the fun loving volun-
teers.
Finding that he could not accom-,
N hi h11r
tended his promenades to the saloons
and hotels frequented by the Ameri-
can officers; and it was not long before
he managed to force himself upon the |
notice of group of Texan Rangers, |
who could not les so favorable an op-
portunity for fun pass by unimproved.
They accordingly began to pass their
good natured jokes upon the dashing
Lanceros in general, in such way
as to provoke at length the ire of the
major, who replied IN the same vein,
and accused the Texans of some histo
rlcal facts Of which they were not |
particularly proud; as well as limiting
at various acts of border violence. in |
which hangers were supposed to have
participated. At length, becoming
too personal in his remarks, Ranger |
captain, named Grayson, who spoke
the Spanish tiuently, gave him the lie
direct, and followed it up with a blow.
Swords were drawn, and blood no
doubt would have flowed, had not the
officers present interfered and sepa-
rated the combatants
The insulted major Immediately
withdrew; and the same afternoon |
Capt. Grayson was waited upon by
Mexican citizen, bearing challenge |
on the part Of his friend, Major Gar
cia, to mortal combat; and here [
Will let the Texan tell the story in his
own words, as he related it to me af
ter the fight, and while suffering from
an ugly wound, result of it.
"Of course" said the captain, Il
could do no less than accept the chal
lenge; and the little episode OF duel
on hand was hailed by my Texan com
rades with great rejoicing. They had
now been several days in idleness.and
were becoming rusty for the want of
some kind of excitement Still, know |
ing, as | supposed did, the Mexican
character, and having, according to
the laws Of the duello, the choice of
weapons, as well as the time and
place for the fight. | determined to
give the metal of my adversary a SO
we're trial. | knew he was an excel
lent swordsman: for our little skirmish
in the hotel had satisfied me of that:
and no doabt he was equally expert
in the use of the pistol. for in our fre-
quent encounters with Mexican caval
rv, during orr war of Texan Indepen
dence, we had often lost some of our
best men from the pistol shots of their
officers. But | had little respect for
the courage of the man, and knew
the aversion, amounting to horror,
with which his people regarded the
| bright rejecting surface of keen
| edged Texan bowie. | therefore con