Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-06-02
FAMOUS DUEL is RECALLED.
Story of Fight Between Thomas IT.
Benton and Andrew Jackson Retold
by Champ Clark.

/ by Champ Clark.
| Bryan and Champ Clark have buried
the hatchet, according to the Wash
! ington correspondents. They met at :
luncheon schook hands and ''all was
merry as a marriage bell. In the
course of the hatchet-burying lun-
cheon other guests persuaded the
Speaker of the House to tell one OF
his favorite stories-the tale of the
brawl between Andrew Jackson ano
Thomas Hart Benton. of Missouri.
! He wasn't Thomas Hart Benton OF
Missouri in those days, but Colonel
Benton of Tennessee, state which
has been the scene of a great many
famous duels and ''gun fights The
fight took place in 1913, and a curious
combinations of circumstances led up
to it. Benton had been one of Jack
sons aids and had been sent to Wash
ington by Jackson to straighten out
/ the Generals financial affairs with the
Federal Government. This Benton did
and did well.
In the meantime Benton's brother,
Jesse Benton, quarreled with William
Carroll, one of Jackson'S officers. The
quarrel proceeded in the conventional
manner; arrangements were made for
a duel. jackson consented to act as
Carrolfs second after he had tried un.
successfully to patch up the quarrel.
Well, the duel took place and both
men were wounded.
Colonel Benton, away in Washing
ton. got news of it and came home
across the mountains, breathing out
threats of vengeance against jackson.
Now Andrew jackson, whatever his
may have been. was not
the person to,pull in his horns because
of threats. Instead he got his shoot
in irons" in order and was waiting
in Nashville for Benton to
come back.
They met in a Nashville street in
front of the City Hotel, September 4,
1873, and jackson at once drew his pis
tol. There are various accounts of
just what happened then. So many
things happened and in such rapid
succession that it is hard to give
wholly accurate account of the affray
that followed. Anyhow, jackson gave
his adversary no time To draw gun,
bur forced him into the hotel and WAS
backing him down a hallway, a pistol
held close to his heart, when Jesse
Benton appeared. Jesse had pistol
that at close range WAS almost as eff
fective as a Gatling gun. He emptied
two bullets and Il slug into the future
President at short range. jackson fell,
his left shoulder mangled and his right
arm shattered, and at that moment
up rushed John Coffee, one of Jack
sons aids. Coffee believed Colonel
Benton had laid his chief low, and he
began firing at him. Benton fell down
stairs and was out of the combat.
In the meantime Stokely Hays. a
nephew of Jackson's, had drawn Il
dagger and grappled with Jesse Ben
ton, whose right arm he finally pinned
TO the floor with the knife. AT this
stage of the fight innocent bystand
ers.'' one or two of whom had been
wounded in the meantime, took hand
and pulled the combatants apart.
Everybody recovered from his
wounds, but the result of the duel WAS
that Benton was dead politically IN
"Old Hickory" was already
a tremendous favorite in the Mountain
State. and shortly after he had recoY-
cred from his wounds he won the Bat
tie of New Orleans. There was not
much popularity for the man who tried
to Kill him, even though the attempt
may have been justifiable.
Benton struck out for pastures new,
and the pastures he chose were those
of Missouri. Eight years after the
fight in Nashville Thomas III. Benton
went to Washington as the first Sena-
tor from Missouri. He served for 30
years.
jackson arrived as a member of the
Senate in 1923. His desk was next to
Benton's. and there was considerable
breathless curiosity as they sat silent
and refusing to recognize one another
the first day Jackson took his place.
The quarrel. however, was speedily
forgotten. "Old Hickory" sent his card
to Mr.. and Mrs Benton. and within an
hour received cards in return. The
next day the two statesmen shook
hands and there was general applause
in the Senate chamber as they did SO.
During Jackson's two administra-
tions the Senator from Missouri was
one of his most loyal adherents and
the two men were great friends They
tell a story of Benton's coming to the
White House once and asking to see
the President
You CANT see him. Senator" the
negro servant told him. He's upstairs
havin' bullet cut out of his arm"
';All right, George" said Benton.
I'll see him anyhow"
He went to the Presidents bedroom
and found Jackson with a doctor, cut
ting from his arm one of the bullets
Jesse Benton had fired from his Cat
ling-gun pistol more than 20 years be-
fore-Kansas City Times.
BEWARE OF THE RED HEAD.