Year: 1859

to be gone over with But an instant revealed
the real state of affairs, and Dickinson's friends
ran forward to sustain him. A dark stream of
blood spirited from his side, and an ominous in
dication was afforded in the fruitless endeavor
to staunch it. A bending pawpaw bush stand-
ing hard by, afforded convenient place to re-
cline him while undergoing the process of ex-
animation.


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 hipbone,
and lodged just within the skin. The small
officially of extraction but showed the great
danger of the wound; and all hope was soon
destroyed by the discovery of mingled hemor-
hage and purging


Large quantities of blood streamed from the
wound my informant Affirming that it was spill
ed over length of six feet; and so deep, that
it was of very perceptible depth at the hour Of
his visit though the ground was so very soft as
to yield easily to the pressure of the foot. He
noticed the pegs at which they planted their
feet while they fought and distinctly saw the
prints of their right heels deep down in the mel
low earth. He was nuch struck at seeing the
shortness of this distance-the most remarka-
BILE, he said, when it was considered how great
was the skill of the duelists. The first thing,
on discovering the nature of the wound, was
to dispatch a courier to Dickinsons wife with
the intelligence that he was dangerously
wounded" He was then conveyed back to his
lodgings.


He was placed in the room on two feather
beds, underlaid by two mattresses. He writhed
in unremitting torture until he was too far
gone to exhibit his suffering, and gave vent all
the while to his agony in the most awful bias
phemy He was remarkable for his reckless
profanity.


So profuse was the flow from his wound that
is passed through all his bedding, and required
to be cleaned up every few hours. Thus he
progressed until nine in the hevening. The
bed stood in the middle of tie floor, asd&a
brilliant ligh illuminated the room when the
clock struck nine. Just then he asked, COM
plainingly, why tkey had blown out the candle
and left him in the dark.


The surgeon shook his head, for he knew the
infallible omen. He had gone completely
blind. The last spark of light went out to
him on earth.


Again he commenced cursing, repeating,
"G-d d-m the ball that entered my body !'
and within FIVE minutes from the time of his
blindness his spirit had fed from that suffering
body.


Dickinson was man of great wealth, and was
the husband of blooming wife of twenty-five.
He lived in Nashville, now, as then, the cap
itol of Tennessee.


He arose several hours before dawn on the
day he left home. His wife was ignorant of
the duel; and being aroused by his restless pa
cling to and fro, asked what was the natter
He told her he was to start that morning on bu-
siness, across Red River, in Kentucky; but
that he would be sure to be back tomorrow
night" Then approaching the bed, and taking
her cheeks between his hands, he kissed her
for he Last huo Aar
lingp' and Immediately set off with his party.
With what soul-crushing effect the dreadful IT,
dings fell upon her heart we may endeavor, at
least, to imagine. Suffice it to say that her
carriage had accomplished the long days ride
while it was yet early in the evening of the
day following his death, and she arrived il the
neighborhood before the news has spread more
than few miles ON the road along which she
came.


She first heard of his death about three
miles from where she was, and her road led by
the residence of both my informants. They
are unanimous in declaring it the most over
wheiming picture of grief they ever witnessed.
She appeared to rave with mental agony, and
every breath uttered piercing shrick, until
she reached object the of her deep distress. Her
youth and beauty added much to the great
sympathy all felt in her sad bereavement.


When she reached his lifeless form she
rushed upon it in a frenzy of grief, and gave
vent to her feelings in kisses, embraces and
wild lamentations His coffin soon arrived
from neighboring village and, after passing
the lonely vigils of the night in holding an af-
fectionate guardianship over his mortal remains,
she set off, next morning, to conduct back the
mornful cortege.


The wagon which brought the aforemention-
cd emigrant family out to the West was that
which bore the lifeless body of Dickinson back
to Nashville.