Year: 1859




the chief items of interest connected with
the extraordinary duel between Gen. Jack
son and notorious gambler named Dick
iuson, which occurred or tho 29th of Anil
1907, pear the State line between Ken.
lucky and Tennessee. 1t appears tl;a.
jackson and Dickinson had stak ed five hun
drcd dollars on horse race and that Jack
son proved winner. lie took Dickinson's
note for the amount, and was satisfied with
the endorsement Jackson had many en-
emies who feared as well as hated him, and
they naturally crowded around Dickinson
and laid in wait for the first opportunity
that might present itself to bring him in
collision with the latter This was the
first occasion, and they made use of it, in
violation of all truth and mercy, for they
forced Dickinson--who, it seems was in
some respects, of an amiable and crcdulous
disposition beyond his own animositv and
suspicious, to believe that Jackson had
dlsparaged the character of his note i'm some
way or other; and hence the challenge. =
Jackson denied the churge entirely, but it
failed to conciliatc Dickinson, or even to
be believed 10y him against the representa-
tons OF those who were thus using him to
get their enemy out of the way; and the
challenge was accepted. The two rninci
pals were accompanied to the fatal spot by
ten or twelve friends each Sixteen feet
was the distance mt which the duo, was to
be fought, which will be better apprecia.
ted by rejecting that Il is only five PAGES
and one foot Now couple this with the
fact that Dickinson, the day before, practi-
sing at the image of man, fired four balls.
instantancously after the command each
time, into space capable of being covered
by silver dollar, aud some idea can be
formed of the barbarity of duels in those
days. 1t is said, also, on the same GOOD
authority, that Dickinson was so confident
of killing Jackson, that he was induced to
authorize bets to the amount of three thou
sand dollars that such would be the case.
All that now remained, was the attcndents
TO retire to a safe position and give the
words of command. They fired, but no
one fell. But an instant revealed the real
state of affairs, and Dicknson's friends ran
! forward to sustain him. A dark stream of
blood spirited from his side, and an omin-
lous indication was afforded in the fruit
less endcavOr to staunch it. A pawpaw
bush, standing hard by, afforded conve-
nient place to recline him while undergo
ing the process of examination. 1t was
found that the ball had entered the side
above the point of the hip bone and be-
low the ribs, and, passing entirely through
the body, was retarded by the opposite hip
bone and lodged idst within the skin.


The small difficulty of extraction but
showed the great danger of the wound
and AL hope was soon destroyed by the dis
covery of mingled hcmorrhage and pur-
eWg. The first thing, on discovering the
nature of the wound, was, to dispatch
courier to Dckinson's wife with the iutelli
genee that he was dangerously wounded.
lie was then conveyed back to his lodgings.
Here he was placed in room, and on two
feather beds underlaid by two mattresses.
He wrlthcd in unremitting torture until he
was too far gone to exhibit his suffcrings,
and gave vent all the while to his wound
that 1t passed through all his bedding, and
required it to be cicanscd up every few
hours. Thus he progressed until nine in
the evening. The bed stood in the middle
of the floor, and brilliant light illumina-
ted the room, when the clock struck nine.
just then he asked compaininely, why
they had blown opt the candle and left him
in the dark. The surgeon shook his head.
for he knew the infaliblc omen. He had
gone completely blind. The last spark of
light went out to him on earth. Again he
commenced cursing, and within FIVE min
utcs from the time of his blindness, his spirit
had fed from that suffering body. Dick
inson was man of great wealth, and was
the husband of blooming wife of twenty
FIVE





lie lived in Nashville, now, as then, the
capitol OF Tennessee He arose several
hours before dawn OH the day he LETT home.
His wlfc-wns ignorant of the duei and BE-
ing aroused by his restless pacing to and
fro, asked what was the matter He told
her that lie was to start that morning on
/ business, across Red River, in Kentucky;
but that he would be sure to be back by
to morrow night. Then approaching the
bed, and taking her cheeks between his
hands, he kissed lrer foY the Last time, re-
marking tenderly, "Good bye, darling ~
and Immediately set off with his party
With what soul crushing effect the dread
full tidings fell upon her hcartywe may en-
dcavor, at least, to imagine. Suffice it to,
say that her carriage had accomplished the
the long days ride while it was vel early
i'll the evening of the day following his
death, and she arrived in the neighborhood
before the news had spread mare than a
few miles on lcroad along which she came.
She first heard of his death about three
miles from where he was; and at oyery
breath uttered piercing shrek until she
reached the object of her deep Distress
Her youth and Beauty added much to the