Evening star., 1915-01-10

HSyNUhN OF 1863 two equally Wearled DrlSa-
ESNsZ ders slipped quietly out of their tents in
SQSN the middle of the night to settle on the field
of honor a dispute that had arisen in the
heat of the fighting just ended One was General L. M.
Walker of Tennessee and the other General John Mar
maduke aterward Governor of Missouri on whose staff
served So far have been able to learn, this duel,
which resulted fatally for General Walker the only
duel fought between two graduates OF the United
States Military Academy at West Point.
The affair tragedy of the Gray, and tragedy in
erav 1t took place between daybreak and sunrise of
September g. in woodland glade on the farm OF God
frev Lefevre miles below Little Rock and the faces
of the nine present good matches tor Their uni
FORMS There grayer of counenance than all the
rest,-tfe negro boy who held the ambulance horses
Trees completely surrounded the grassy plot OF three
acres and after all these the and only lnanmae
thing in that that stands out in my memory IS
rank gray weed which to height OF two or three
feet in the intermediate center OF the field 1t was OF no
known Variety and may have sprung up musllroomhke
overnight but it played such conspicuous part in the
ensuing drama that it looms up as clearly and as
large as though it had been giant oak alone on the
landscape That weed directly responsible for Gen
eral Walkers DEATH as General Marmaduke afterward
told me.
The breach between General NIarnaduke and General
Walker at the battle of Helena, July 4, 1863
According to the plan of Lieutenant General Holiness
commanding the Confederate forces, General Walker was
to cooperate with and support General Marmaduke on his
left in an attack on Fort Ritter at sunrise In Marina
dukes report he stated "The attack upon Fort Ritter by
nv command failure have every reason to believe
that nv troops would have carried it, but General Walk
ers brigade did to support until after seven
o'clock Walkers brigade not only did not prevent rein
forceents from going Fort Ritter but the after
sunrise actually passed to left and onehaf mile to
rear and held that position during the day"
The Confederates rereated toward Little Rock, and
General Steele commanding the Federal forces soon be-
gan his advance sending out Davdsons cavalry to harass
the Confederate rear, which commanded by General
Marmaduke At Brownsville, General Walkers brigade
formed a junction with General Marmadukes command
and as Walker was the senior brgadier Marnaduke
ported to him his ranking officer. There brisk
srmshng each day the Federal cavalry slowly pushed
the Confederates back but General Walker decided not
to make stand until the command reached Reeds Bridge
on Bayou Metre. Bayou Metre sluggish stream
twelve miles north of Little Rock, with mry bed and
heavily tmbered banks. General Marnaduke had been
dspleased and chatting under the orders of General
Walker since leaving Brownsville He wanted to give
battle to the advancing Federals
General Marmaduke in command of the forces in
the field while General Walker had his headquarters about
mile in the After fierce and stubborn fight for
General Walker requesting him the field for
conference. Walker did not come and written request
sent to him. after which he arrived with his
staff amid the roar of artillery and small arms. There
short conference, and while Generals
Walker and Marmaduke, did not hear all that passed
between them but could see that General Marmaduke
angry General Walker soon left the field and Mar
maduke continued the fight until the Federas turned his
right flank when he burned the bridge and retreated
toward Little Rock, going into camp about eight miles
from that city.
SEVERAL days afterward General Walker with Colonel
General Marmadukes headquarters, and Marmaduke