Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-16

truth telling. We have, or to be more
definite, had In the employment OF this
uepartment-First Division Hospital
Corps-a negro teamster. named William m
Forrest, short, chunky specimen Of
Ebo, as black as tar. who, by his perss-
tent efforts at familiarity with myself
and many other mer rendered himself
very obnoxious. i had requested him on
the day previous TO the difficulty to either
address me properly when meeting me or
not at all. at which he seemed as much
surprised as incensed. On account Of the
encouragement he met from other white
men. He also had another grievance
against me-for reprmanding him for
wantonly Furnishing his mules, promising
him corporeal punishment for repetition
OF the same.
A BOXING BOUT.
On the evening of the encounter i came
into the grounds about o'clock on my
return from visit to my regiment. The
negro, Forrest, and two others, together
with four or five white men, were con-
gregated under the shade of the trees
just within the lines. [ was hailed by
young man of the Sixty-fifth New York
who wished to engage in friendly
boxing bout. 1 accepted his challenge,
closely pressed In an attempt to retreat,
ne broke through the crowd OF negroes
The negro Forrest became angered at
this. and turning to me, insolently said:
''You had better go away from here"
L again advised him that the least he
had TO say to me the better, whereupon
he replied: I'm damned soon make you
go when i get my gun" and quickly ran
under wagon, which served him as a
tent At this time the young man with
whom l had been boxing, was standing
about ten feet away, holding a club in
his hands. / told him to fetch it to me.
He seemed not TO hear, so L approached
him and repeated my request.
NEGRO HAD A RAZOR.
He refused. and as the matter re-
ouired prompt attention. / grasped it and
wrenched ii from him. / then ran back
10 the tent and looked in. just in time TO
see the negro secure a razor. He started
out. and right there Ceryeras attempted
rush from the bay of Santiago vas re-
peated. on a small scale, as our relative
positions were about the same. About
the time / was putting on the finishing
touches one of the white men grabbed
nv stick. and in a moment after 1 felt
its force across the side of my head and
race. IhlS lick, the only one L got IN
the entire encounter, by no means put
me out of the game. for in a minute l
had forced the club from the negro, and
holding him with one hand severely pun
ished him with the other At this stage
the other two negroes took a hand, and
forcing me a few steps back to where
there was stump about two feet nigh,
pushed me over il, head down and feet
uD. one negro trying TO strike me with
the stick and the other trying TO kick
me. Neither of them succeeded in doing
me any harm, for 1 had not been in this
position but a minute. when a young
friend came TO my aid and the affair
was all over, as the negroes ran. About
half an hour after this some genius of a
Washington Post reporters imagination
went over to the Third Virginia Regi-
ment and reported that had been killed
bv a negro. After receiving this report,
several of the men came over TO learn
If il was true. l met some of them In
the field and acquainted them of the un-
fruthfulness of the report, and thanking
them for their solicitude. we retired to
our respective quarters
THOMAS f. DUFF,
First Division Hospital. Second Army
Corps, Dunn Loring. Va.