The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-05-30

difference between a charge of cavalry
aud drove of nevis. When he had
related how he led his division at Get
tysburg, dashed forward Mt Spottsyl-
yanla and received three wounds Mt
Petersburg. | rose up rose up TO my
full height, suh-and, looking him
straight between the eyes. | said:
General Blum, yo' Will excuse me,
sub but where can | find yo'r wah rec
ordT
Nowhere he replied. They were
SO jealous of me that IT has never been
| written mp
I'VE had IA few other words, sub, and
felt that It was due to my dignity to
challenge him. He received the chal-
lenge coolIy and sent his friend to ar
| range matters. Claiming TO be sol
der and gentleman. he selected pick
| axes as weapons. Think OF It, sub
think OF gentleman taking such
course! refused, of co'se. Then he
turned TO plantation hoes, to cotton
hooks, to ball clubs and to long han
died shovels 1t was my duty under
the circumstances to preserve my dig
nifty, and II has gone down In history
that preserved II. ! insisted that we
fight with sword or pistol, and | re-
fused TO dignity him by debating his
proposals Then General Blum him
self called to see me. He found me
frigld and determined. Colonel Bun
kerr says he. 'yo' have doubted my ye-
racity, and | desire to shed yo'r blood.
| desire to shed 1t by the quart and the
o I'D xnt
will meet me at sunrise across the riy-
er-across the river, suhl AS the chal-
| lenged party have the choice OF weap-
ons. | Will name scythes. suh-scythes
at two pacesl The scythe Is an en-
blem OF time, Colonel Bunker. and 1t
was with a scythe l moved down
scores of the enemy Mt Appomattox.'
II stood on my dignity, suh-stood
on my dignity and rejected the weap-
ons. No gentleman had ever fought
duel with n scythe In his hands. 1t
would degrade the code-degrade the
code, sub, and make me public
laughing stock. I stormed at that
man, sub. ! begged and entreated and
even sought to bride him to meet me
with pistols or swords. But he was
firm. He was settled on scythes and
would not bulge. ! bowed him
out and appealed to the public. And
ON my honah. sub, on the honah of the
man who led the desperate charge at
Cedar Mountain. the public agreed with
General Blunt Yes, sub, the public
contended that 1t was my duty as
gentleman to engage IN duel with
scythesl | brought forward the code
for 800 years past but 1t made no diff
| ference.
"A duel with scythes, suh-a meet
| ing on the field OF honah with farm
ing implements! No gentleman's dig
nifty would permit Of it. | argued and
protested and disputed. but General
| Blum and the public were firm. In
standing to my guns | lost prestige.
At the end of three days scarcely a
man In town would nod to me, and
the newspapers were asking If Colo
mel Bunker was afraid. 1t was then,
sub, and only then, that | resolved to
fight the general with his own weap-
| ons. | must do 1t to save my prestige.
| The public was with me at once. l
had my pick of 20 different scythes,
and | was determined from the first
that | would begin at the generals
heels and gradually cut him down to
his neck. No mercy should be shown
In such a case. Public excitement ran
as high as IL state election was be-
ing held, and when the morning Of the
duel came there were hundreds on the
ground to see. | set 10th with my
Bcythe on my shoulder and was first
ON the ground but the general was
only few minutes behind me. / had
planned to begin at his heels, but his
plan was to begin at my head. / saw
It In his eyes as we stood there. Yes,
sub, he meant to decapltate me at the
first sweep. Mo- than that, he had
sent to New Orleans for a special
scythe, and he had secured one about
two rods long.
by and by we were ready. | felt
my loss Of dignity, but had to save
my honah. The word was about to be
given, and In another moment the en-
blems of time would have been swish
ing through the air, when a mewl who