The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-05-07

Inc duel was IOuSnt early IN the
morning of May 30,. 1906, writes NJ.
E. Bacon in The Tennessean, and
any one living in or near Adairville
can show you the spot, point out
the houses where both duelists and
their attendants stopped the preced-
ing night and other items of inter-
est connected with the affair. Why
Adairville was selected as the meet
ing place is not clear, unless it was
because it is just over the Kentucky
Tennessee line, and the fighters
wanted the encounter to take place in
another State than the one in which
they lived.
Dickinson was a famous shot with
the pistol, and between the time of
the acceptance of the challenge and
the meeting he did everything posi-
BILE to daunt his prospective adver-
sary by exhibitions of his wonderful
accuracy and quickness. In his home
he had a dummy prepared of about
the same size and general build as
the tall, spare form Of Gen. Jackson,
and would amuse his friends who
called to see him by asking: "and
where shall hit Gen. Jackson this
time?" No sooner would they reply:
I'm the eye," or I'm the heart than
his pistol would ring out and the bull
let would go true to the spot named
on the target.
On the road to the duelling ground
he entertained his companions and
those they would meet by shooting
small objects, even cutting small
cords in two as they swung free, or
hitting coins that were tipped into
the air. At one tavern where the
party stopped Dickinson went
through his performance and left
the severed string with the tavern
keeper, saying: "If Gen. Jackson
comes along this road, be kind
enough to show him that But
these things did not disconcert Old
Hickory.
Jackson and his party were the
first to reach the neighborhood of
the duelling ground, and they stop
ped at the home of a Mr.. Miller,
where travellers were wont to be car
ed for. About an hour later Dickin-
son and his party stopped at the
same place, but finding the others al
ready there they went a. short dis
tance further, to the home of Mr..
Harris, a son-in-law of Miller, where
they were taken in for the night.
Both of these houses are standing
to-day. The Miller house is of brick
and the earthquake of 1911 so bad
ly cracked the walls that it had to
be largely reconstructed. The Har-
ris house, rambling two-story frame
affair, is still extant, though plain
lily showing the ravages of time.
The next morning dawned bright
land clear, in sharp contrast to the
rainy, disagreeable day before.
Promptly at the appointed time the
principals, with their seconds and a
surgeon each, met near the Harris
home. Adairville pc pie will tell you
that the place selected was a paw
paw thicket, and that before the
duel could proceed the bushes had
to be cut away with pen knives.
Jackson's Iron Nerve.
Be that as it may, the prelimina-
ries were soon arranged and coin
was tossed for choice of positions.
Dickinson won and chose to stand
facing west, which put the sun at his
back, giving him quite an advantage.
The distance was measured off and
pegs set for each man to place his
toe against. At the word "Fire!'
Dickinson leveled his pistol and pull
ed the trigger. The bullet sped true
and hit Jackson in the breast, break
ing two ribs, an injury which weak
ened and troubled him for the rest
of his life. He showed so little
sign of being hit, however, that Dick
inson cried out: 'My God, I have
missed him."
Dickinson, so the tale of the Adair-
vile people goes, then stepped away
from his peg, but his seconds forced
him back and made him stand still
until Jackson could fire. The latter
calmly raised his pistol, took delib-
crate aim, and Dickson fell, with a
mortal wound He was taken back
to the Harris home and made as
comfortable as possible all day in
the shade of an enormous elm that
stood in the yard. When night came
on he was moved into the house, but
by that time his vitality was nearly
spent and he died about o'clock.