The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-12-18

80 cod the most afflicted. Botn
hore the blood of revolutionary ancestors
q. great distinction. Both were NJ"
rors. brave and determined. Johnson
= q nroud and somewhat & man.
rid ancestral and personal. Jones ma
ture was more kindly and beneNoieh''
Without being demonstratlve ne was
markedly sympathetic. but Wheh Fou9eo
he was a lion rampant. Ills was III iHo9
evenly balanced nature we ever knew. II
was slow 10 amer. lut when wrought up
NV some supposed injury his enemy
MIGHT beware of him But he was pla-
hIa and forgiving as a child, and his
resentment melted before the pronered
hand az friendship as the early frost De-
fore the morning sun ray. Johnson was
sustere and tenacious of his enmlties. we
had been much with Johnson in our carry
school DAYS at Edenton and - ms 1ain-
er's elegant. hospitable home at san
don" on the Chowan river. we poarueu
together in the same FANNY "heh 4"
school and slept under the same blanket,
and after we entered the arena OF lie
we were confidential friends.
In passing through HEREFORD where
Johnson lived. from and to Edenton. our
native home. it was our genera! custom
10 stop awhile and call at Johnson 5 OIL
fee. We never heard him allude 70 MIS-
Jones but twice. Once, during a CONVEX
sation he expressed his admiration OF
Mrs. Jones lovely character and added
that "he was afraid he loved MRS. Jones
more han a man should love another
mans wife" At another time, on the
morning when the child was born TO Mrs.
referred TO, in his will made long after,
as his unfortunate daughter We met
Daniel johnson. and he announced TO US
the birth of the baby. and said that II
was 1.-The largest and finest baby Mrs.
Jones ever had. and that Mr.. Jones was
delighted over it."
On the morning that Jones passed
through Elizabeth City to meet Johnson
at the fatal field Of Bladensburg, We rode
TO town from the country in which we
then lived. Soon after We stopped at the
Leigh House. now the 'Albenafle
House." We met Zion Culpepper. with
| whom we had friendly relations and he
asked US # we had heard the news. We
asked what? He said that Mr.. Jones
| came down from his home in HEREFORD
that morning to take the stage for Norfolk
on his way to fight a duel with Daniel
Johnson at Bladensburg, near Washing
ton. d. c.. and that he had left about an
hour before. We replied that We were
sorry 10 near 1t, lAoI JoiulSOn Ia cNeIS
advantage. that Jones' SIGHT was very
| much impaired and that he could hardly
| recognize a man ten feet from him: that
Johnson was the best shot with a pistol,
a rife or a shot gun IN North Carolina;
| that he had cultivated pistol shooting at
q target as a fine art and could split q
| tape string at ten PAGES every time, and
that if he fred his pistol at Jones, Tom
Jones was a dead man. Oh no. said Zion,
Cod viii not suffer a good man, who has
been SO greatly wronged, TO be killed by
the man who has wronged him" lions
forecast was right. In less than a week
| from that time news came TO us. that
| johnson was killed by Jones at the first
fire by a pistol shot through the head.
Grief followed the sad tragedy. Fami-
lies who knew not sorrow. were made
wretched for life by the dread circurn-
stances and their tragic winding-up. The
chronicles Of DR.. Dick billiard furnish the
following painful incident:
"Charles f. Johnson. Sr., the father OF
| Daniel E. Johnson, was a wealthy fisher
man and farmer whose residence at Ban
dom On Chowan river was a seat Of lux
ury and elegant hospitality. The old gen
| tleman who was stately in person and
distinguished in life. was never happier
tIcH II TX tidAtd HIS diSiitN clOh
some festive occasions in his happy house
hold. At such a time. when nirth and
happiness ruled the hour, q steamer,
with mourning flags at half-mast landed
at his wharf Oh ChOwan river. and 4
mcurnful cortege unexpectedly bore Z
corpse TO the door Of the gay and festive
party at Band0n. 1t was the body OF the
unfortunate son who fell, mortally wound
ed on the bloody field Of Bladensburg.
Let us draw the veil over that scene of
family anguish. The body was sent home
for burial a few days after the sad event.
and we have heard that a now grave WAS
dug ter it in the yard near the window
at which the old father commonly sat.
And we have also heard that the old
man was never known to smile after
ward"
Now what is the sequel to this sad
chapter in the history Of the Albemarie
section? All the actors in it and all con-
nected in any way with it have passed
away, and none can be panied by this ar
ticle of an event that once gave tremb-
ling TO pallid lips. Some we trust to that
better land where strife and mourning
are unknown.
Jones never was himself again. Blind,
with poor health, miserable, he fingered
or, beloved as of yore. respected by all.
without an enemy in the world, and with
the pity and sympathy OF numerous
friends.
Some time in the ifties we went to
Hartford from a farm we had in Chowan
10 take the stage to Elizabeth City. We
were detained in Hartford for several
hours at night in waiting for the stage.
We went round TO Mr.. Jones residence
TO pass an hour with him. He met us ct
the door with his old-time courtesy and
cordially. We soon saw that he was
almost entirely blind. He was all alone.
and everything had an air of desolation.
Toward the end of our visit he asked us
What would his friends think of his taking
Betsy back to his home. After some
1esitancy over so delicate an enquiry. we
rcplled that We did not think his friends
would approve il, that We thought. thev
would prefer his getting a divorce from
her. he seemed sadder for my answer.
Atler a painful pause, somewhat prolong-
e"' ne SAID: / would not be here when
l me q ~Ornp nrnonnI;~-r