The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-17

story OF His Duei with Coussons Told
by an Eye witness.


Cor. Memphis Commercial-Appeal-)
Notice in your yesterdays issue OF
the death Of Colonel A H. Beio. the
well known editor Of the Galveston
News, and mention of the fact that
Captain Coussons. OF Richmond. Va,
had contributed a magnificent floral
Offering to the bier OF his former an
tagonist in a duel. recalls vividly TO
my mind one Of the tragic episodes OF
the war.
The brigade OF General Joseph r
Davis was composed OF the Second,
Eleventh and Forty-second Missis-
sippi regiments, the Fffty-afth North
Carolina and Fourth Alabama. divi-
sion OF Major General Law. Law was
from Alabama and had entered the
service as colonel of the Fourth Ala
bama, OF which regiment my friend
DR.. Hudson was surgeon and i was
at that time Of the Eleventh
Carolina was commanded by Colonel
Conally, Lieutenant Colonel Smith and
Major A. III. Belo.
Major Terrell was Laws chief of
staf and Coussons was an aide. In a
recent battle Major Terrell had criti-
cised the conduct OF the Fffty-ifth
North Carolina Colonel Conally
promptly sent him a challenge and
Belo followed Immediately with a chal-
lenge to C~oussons. The p~reliminaries
were quickly arranged for a duel com
bat. Conally n Terrell. Belo and
Coussons were to fight in the same
field at the same our. / received a
note from Major Belo in the evening
notifying me that he would fight
Coussons next morning n request
ing me to accompany him as his medi-
cal attendant. We met promptly at
the appointed hour in a little old bar
rem field. surrounded by a dense pine
forest. 1t was a dismal, cloudy morn
ing n h mourning of the winds
through h pines sounded like a fu-
neral dirge. The two hostile parties
were separated from view of each 9TH
er by an intervening ridge.
Dur party proceeded without delay.
to their deadly work. The other party.
it seemed adopting the better part of
valor, fell to parleying. Belo and Cous-
sons met, shook lands cordially n
entered into free and easy converse
ton about the latest war news, while
the seconds were arranging the ground.
In the choice of position, Coussons was
placed next to the woods, while Belo
stood out in the open. 1 see Belo yet
as he stood there dressed in full uni
form buttoned to the throat, tall slen-
der, symmetrical n erect as an In
dian chief. With the proud n grace
full poise of the head. curling red mus
tache and steel grey eyes. he looked
the picture of a warrior n a cavalier.
They were 9th dead game" but
wholly unlike. Belo represented the
highest type of the southern soldier,
apparently fond of life but ready to
sacrifice it for principle or good name.
Coussons was as cold n calm and
unrestrained as though the presence
Of danger was a pleasant anticipation.
His appearance was striking and pc
culiar; dressed in a gray shirt n
dark trousers he was devoid of a mill
tary feature, his hair long and black
as a raven, swept to his shoulders n
curled gracefully upward. His brow
and eyelashes were intensely black,
while his eyes were blue and clear as
the sky. His skin was fair and soft
n his expression dreamy and poeti-
cal. He had a strange foreign look,
as though he might have had in his
veins the mingled blood currents of
a West Indian n some proud old
Spanish Don. They bowed away from
each other to take their positions with
the grace of accomplished courtiers.
Colonel Goldsby was second to Cous
sons and Captain Towns to Belo. The
word" fell to Goldsby. Distance 40
PAGES, eapon mississippi rifles"
They had choice Of holding h weap-
n with muZZle up or down. Belo
held his up and consequently fired
with a falling shot. Coussons held his
down and fired with a rising shot. The
econds stood twenty PAGES back from
the line, facing each other half way
between the principals. The surgeons
stood the same distance back from the
line. but opposite to and facing his
prospective patient. Colonel Goldsby
called in a clear. deliberate voice:
Gentlemen, are you ready?" Ready"
was the prompt response. lone, two,
| three, fret" Bang-the fires were so
simultaneous as to sound like one re-
part. Instantly they brought their
guns back and stood motionless as be-
fore. When it was apparent that Meth
er would fall. Coussons bowed and
said. bad shooting, Major" Belo
I'VE must do better than that when
we meet the enemy again." Both
seemed playing for the mastery. Col
onel Goldsby asked, Gentlemen are
| you satisfied? Belo answered in a
clear, firm dice, mot satisfied" The
| guns were reloaded and positions re-
sumed. Gentlemen, are you ready?'
Bang-and the keen crack of the rifles
was instantaneous. After a moment of
awful suspense to US, Belo quietly re-
marked, bad shooting again, Cap
tain" Coussons answered sharply and
with apparent irritation. very bad"
as though he felt hat his marksman-
ship had discredited him. Again Colonel
Goldsby. who was a most refined and
cultured gentleman, with sympathies
as tender as a woman's. called out. al
most with anguish in his voice. Gen
tlemen, are you satisfied?' and once
more from Belo came the quick re-
Spouse that sent a chill through us all,
mot satisfied" The guns were re-
loaded for a third fire and I shall never
forget b expression Of pain on
Goldsby's fine, pale face. as he called
put for the third time, gentlemen, are
you ready?" At this critical moment
DR.. Hudson from the other party ap-
peared on the crest of h ridge wav-
ing his hat and shouting to US to hold
on. As he came up. hat in hand, his
first expression was don't fight 50 ID
fast; we are about to settle this matter
over yonder." Goldsby and Towne:
readily agreed to accent any settle.