Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-23
COLONEL BUNKER.
what Prevented His Duel Win cap
tain Slicer.

81 had just finished imbiblng
cocktail in the hotel bar room, SAID
Colonel Bunker when asked about the
| affair with Captain Slicer-"just nm
isbed and wiped off my chin, when
was approached by stranger. ne
had the carriage of a military man.
sub, and he looked like gentleman
T s,lh. and I liked the sound OF his
voice as he extended his hand and
said:
"I beg yo'r pardon, sub, but am
not in the presence of Colonel Bunk
er. late of the til Regiment!
"'Yo' are, sub, was my reply.
1.-THE Colonel Bunker who charged
at Antietam, was wounded at Bull
Run and save the day at South Noun
| tain?
i 1.-the same, sun
""Then, suh, says the gentleman
| as he gripped my hand with great
Eeartiness, permit me to introduce
myself as Captain Slicer, late OF the
general staff. l had rather shake
hands with yo', sub, than with any
king on earth. / have read and heard
! of yo', and did not want to die befo'
meetin' yo'.'
That's what he said, suh,' contin-
ued the Colonel, land if he was lay
! ing it on too thick it was not my
| fault. Although / had just finished
! cocktail, as l observed, | naturally
looked for him to order the drinks.
Perhaps | was wrong, sub, but that's
what | looked for. No drinks were
| ordered. | dallied with my glass and
looked at the decanters behind the
| bar, but the Captain was unmoved-
perfectly unmoved, sub. With a
nerve / never saw excelled on any bat
tlefieid of the late wah he motioned
me to chair, took seat himself, and
then went on to say:
"'Colonel Bunker, yo' must permit
me to observe that had yo'r plans been
carried out at Gettysburg we should
have won the day. That is a matter
of record, sub, and has gone down to
history for all time to come
"In my modest, unassuming way l
declined the honah thrust upon me, but
he was insistent. The Captain had
been reading UP on what seven diff
ferent histories say of wah record,
and it was no use for me to beg off.
The conversation lasted about an hour,
and at brief intervals l rose up and
looked at the decanters and remarked
on the long spell of drought. 1t was
all in vain, however. Captain Slicer
had the appearance of a gentleman,
but the appearance only. 1t was not
my place under the rules of etiquette
to ask him to drink, and the situation
was an embarrassing one. We finally
rose up to close the interview, and yo'
can imagine my establishment when he
stepped to the bar and asked for
glass of whisky and drank it off with a
wish for my continued good health. /
think left him abruptly-very abrupt
ly, suh-and after thinking the matter
over l sent for Majah Davis and told
him the whole circumstance and asked
his advice. Without an instant's hes
itation, the Majah said:
"'Yo' must challenge him, Colonel
yo' must call him out and pink him.
The insult is one which must be wiped
out in blood as soon as possible
THAT was my own opinion" said
the Colonel, "and Majah Davis and
Captain Hope kindly consented to act
as my seconds and arrange the affair
They called upon Captain Slicer. He
seemed somewhat put out, but he ac-
cepted the challenge just the same and
chose pistols at ten PAGES. 1t is need
less to say that l was highly gratified,
sub. A gentleman with foteen duelS
to his credit cannot fail to be pleased
over the prospects of fifteenth /
/
laid a small wager with the Majah
that would bore Captain Slicer
through the right shoulder at the first
fire, and then went to bed to sleep
soundly till six o'clock in the mawn-
in. At half-past We were on the field.
Five minutes later the Captain and his
party arrived. Little time was lost in
making ready, but as we took our
places Captain Slicer left his place
and walked over to me and said:
"Colonel Bunker l am here to fight
yo', sub, but befo' going further l
should like to know what it is all
about. In what way can l have
offended yo' sub?
'Suh.' says I as drew myself up to
my inches, our first meeting was in a
barroom. Yo' approached me and in