Amador ledger., 1900-07-13


difference between a charge Of cavalry
and a drove of nevis. When he had
related how he led his division at Get
tysburg, dashed forward at Spottsyl-
vania and received three wounds at
Petersburg, rose up-I rose up to my
full height, suh-and, looking him
straight between the eyes, 1 said:
General Blum, yo' will excuse me,
sub, but where can I find yo'r wah rec
ordr
Nowhere he replied. They were
SO jealous of me that it has never been
written up
I'VE had few other words, sub, and
felt that it was due to my dignity to
challenge him. He received the chal-
lenge coolly and sent his friend to ar
range matters. Claiming to be SOL
der and gentleman, he selected pick
axes as weapons. Think of 1t, sub
think Of gentleman taking such a
coursei I refused, of co'se. Then he
turned to plantation hoes, to cotton
hooks, to ball clubs and to long ham
died shovels. 1t was my duty under
the circumstances to preserve my dig
nifty, and 1t has gone down in history
that preserved 1t. insisted that we
fight with sword or pistol, and 1 re-
fused to dignity him by debating his
proposals. Then General Blum HIM
self called to see me. He found me
frigid and determined. Colonel Bun
ker,' says he, 'yo' have doubted my ye-
racity, and 1 desire to shed yo'r blood,
desire to shed it by the quart and the
gallon. If yo' are not a coward, yo'
will meet me at sunrise across the riv-
er-across the river, suh AS the chal-
lenged party have the choice of weap-
ons. I will name scythes, suh-scythes
at two pacesl The scythe is an en-
blem Of time, Colonel Bunker, and it
was with a scythe l moved down
scores Of the enemy at Appomatto1.'
n stood on my dignity, suh-stood
on my dignity and rejected the weap-
pms. No gentleman had ever fought
duel with scythe in his hands. 1t
would degrade the code-degrade the
code, sub, and make me a public
laughing stock. stormed at that
man, sub. I begged and entreated and
even sought to bribe him to meet me
Eith pistols or swords. But he was
arm. He was settled on scythes and
would not bulge. bowed him
put 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 Bluml Yes, sub, the public
contended that it was my duty as a
gentlemen to engage in a duel with
Ecythesl l brought forward the code
For 300 years past, but 1t made no diff.
ference.
: "A duel with scythes, suh-a meet
Ing on the field Of honah with farm.
ing tmplementsl No gentlemap's dig
nifty would permit Of t., ] argued and
protested and disputed, but General
Blum and the public were firm. In
standing to my guns 1 lost prestige.
A& the end Of three days scarcely a
man In town would nod to me, and
lhe newspapers were asking If Colo
nel Bunker was afraid. 1t was then,
rub, and only then, that resolved to
light the general with his own weap-
Bls. must do it to save my prestige.
The public was with me at once. 1
had my pick of 90 different scythes,
and I was determined from the first
that ! would begin at the generals
heels and gradually cut him down Ia
bis neck. No mercy should be shown
In such a case. Public excitement ran
Hs high as II a state election was be-
Ing held, and when the morning of the
duel came there were hundreds on the
ground to see. I set fo'th with my
Ecythe on my shoulder and was frsy
bn' the ground, but the general was
bn1y few minutes behind me. 1 had
planned to begin at his heels, but his
plan WIS to begin at my head. I saw
It IN his eyes as we stood there. Yes,
sub, he meant to decapitate me at the
6rst sweep. Mo- than that, he had
gent to New Orleans for a special
scythe, and he had secured one about
two rods long Il
"By and by we were ready. I felt
my loss Of dignity, but had to save
my hopab. The word was about to be
Et5Sn. ana Ia another mofnena the AsA-