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•greed with Overton that it would be better to receive Dickinson’s fire and take his chances. *At sundown they stopped at David Miller's tavern, on the banks of the Bed river, near the ground chosen for the duel, and asked for accommodations fm the night. It was promised. The party of eight dismounted anil turned tneir horses over to the attendant negroes. They were hardly in the tavern before the Dickinson cavalcade rode up and sought lodgings. Miller replied that his house was full, but if they chose to remain he would do the best he could for them. Dickinson asked how far it was to the next tavern, and was directed to a house two miles down the river kept by William Harrison. He and his friends passed the night at Harrison’s.tiacKson ate a hearty supper and smoked an old clay pipe. He conversed pleasantly and went to bed early. Before breakfast on the next morning the whole party rode down the road that wound along the banks of the stream. A mile below they expected to meet a ferryman, but os none appeared Jackson spurred his horse inti? the stream and dashed across, followed by his party. They rode into a poplar forest, and stopped near the center of a level river bottom, about two hundred yards from the road. Dickinson and his retinue were already there. They tied their horses, and Jackson turned and approached the opposite party. One of his friends asked him how he felt. “Oh, all right,” he replied. “ I shall wing him ; never fear.”Dickinson’s second won the choice of position and Jackson’s the office of giving the word. The eight paces were measured off and the men were placed. Both were perfectly collected. Strict dueling etiquette was preserved. Jackson wore a loose frock coat, buttoned carelessly over liis cliost, and concealing, in some degree, the extreme slenderness of his figure. Dickinson was the younger and handsomer man of the two. He was 25 and Jackson 39 years old. The Generals tall, erect figure and grave demeanor gave him a commanding air as he stood in the shade of the poplars in the bright May morn.“Are you ready? ” Overton inquired.“I am ready,” Dickinson replied, and Jackson reiterated the words.Quick as thought Overton shouted, with his old-country accent. “ Fere ! ”Dickinson as quickly raised his pistol and fired. Overton saw a puff of dust fly from the breast of the General’s coat. Jackson raised his left arm and placed it tightly across his chest. “ He is surely hit,*’ muttered his second, “and in a bad place, too; but no, he does not fall. ” Jackson, erect and grim, with teeth set firm, raised his pistol. Overton glanced at Dickinson. Amazed at the unwonted failure of his aim, and apparently appalled at the awful face and figure before him, the lawyer had unconsciously recoiled a pace or two. “Great God ! ” he faltered, “have I missed him ?”“Back to the mark, sir,’’roared Overton, with his hand on his pistol.Dickinson recovered his composure and toed the scratch. He averted his eyes from his antagonist. Jackson took deliberate aim and pulled the trigger. The pistol neither snapped nor went off. It stopped at half cock. Jackson drew the lock back to its place, took aim a second time, and fired. Dickinson’s face blanched. He reeled. His friends caught him in their arms, and gently seated him on the ground against a bush. His trousers reddened. They stripped off his clothes. The blood was gushing from his side in a torrent. The ball had passed through the body just below' the ribs, and lodged just under the skin above the opposite hip. All the doctors in Christendom could not have savednonae. The wound healed falsely. Some of the viscera were displaced and so remained.During the exciting session in 1825, when John Quinoy Adams was eleoted President over Jackson and Crawford by the action of Henry Clay, the wound broke out afresh. Jackson was closeted late one night with a member of Congress, in Washington, in deep converse over the situation. It is said that the member promised Jackson Clay’s support if lie would promise to make Clay Secretary of State. This would have elected the General, as three States were voting for Clay, three for Crawford, seven for Adams and eleven for Jackson. Long did the Congressman plead with the old man. It was useless; Jackson would not give an inch. At midnight the memlier took his leave. The hall lamp of the hotel had been extinguished and the General went stumbling upstairs in the dark. Upon reaching the top he supposed he had yet to ascend a stair, and made an awkward step forward. The viscera which had been displaced by Dickinson’s ball and had falsely healed were again severed from the breastbone, and the internal wound was thus reopened. The Generalstaggered to his room. Over a week elapsed before he was able to leave his bed. He had several attacks of bleeding at the lungs, caused by the wound. Many times was he brought by them to the verge of the grave. The affection was probably aggravated by his mode of treating it. When threatened with an attack he would bare his arm, bandage, take his penknife from his pocket, call his servant to hold a bowd and bleed himself. Often during his Presidency ho performed this operation during the night without any assistance. Thrice, while President, his friends despaired of his life, and during the greater part of liis term lie was debilitated to a degree that would have prevented most men from transacting business. During the first six years after his retirement from the Presidency liis health was not much worse tl.au it had usually been in Washington. Every attack of bleeding at the lungs, however, had left him a little weaker than he had ever been before, and his recovery was slower and less complete. During the last two years of his life lie could never be said to have rallied from these attacks. He grew very weak and had slight relief from pain. A cough tormented him day and night. He hud all the symptoms of consumption. Six mouths before death dropsical symptoms were developed. They increased, and he finally died June 8, 1815, thirty-nine years and nine days after the duel.Preferred the Hospital.Zach Chandler was not only a strong man and expert boxer, but he had the sand to back his muscle, and it didn’t take all day to rile him. Just at the close of the war, and the day before the grand review in Washington, the Senator came out to Bladensburg to visit the Michigan cavalry. The boys were in high spirits, and many of the Sixth were interested spectators of a boxing match, or rather of a series of set-to’s with the gloves. Zacli took his place in the circle unknown to all and attracted no attention until one of the boxers was driven back upon him. Leaning forward the Senator whispered:“Young man, I saw a dozen good chances for your left in there.”“Say, old coon, maybe you’re on the box ! ” called the other, as he overheard the remark.Zach peeled off liis alpaca coat, put down his hat, and took the gloves from the one who had been worsted. The other man was the best boxer in the regiment, and there was intense excitement as the two squared oil*. Not a pass was made for a minute, and then the Senator found an opening ami sent, a left-hander so straight and solid that
Newspaper Details
Fairfield Evening Journal
Fairfield, Iowa, US
Mon, Sep 12, 1881
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
TN, USA 04 Aug 2024
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