Lot 135
HENRY A. WISE PREPARES FOR A DUEL
HENRY A. WISE (1806-1876) Confederate brigadier general and Governor of Virginia who sent John Brown to the gallows. He died never accepting amnesty. Superb content and association A.L.S. "Henry A. Wise", 3pp., 4to., Washington, "5 O'clock P.M." May 7, 1842, in which a still-engaged Wise prompts his friend, future Confederate general Peter Burwell Starke, to give written testimony on his behalf regarding a duel worthy slight from Edward Stanley. In part: ..."Dear Sir, Will you please answer the following interrogatories by giving a full relation of all the facts which came within your observation and knowledge concerning the scene to which they allude: : '1st Did you not accompany me from the race field at about the hour of 4 O'clock. P.M. inst? 2nd How were we riding? 3rd Did we not overtake Edward Stanley, of the H. Reps., before arriving at the outer gate of the race track?...7th What occurred between him and myself in the act of overtaking and passing him? 8th How far had we passed him when going through the gate, and how far about the distance of 100 yards? 9th After passing through the gate and getting near a slash of mud and water about 100 yds. or more beyond the gate did he not quicken his pace and ride quickly directly up against my horse, and jostle both the horse and myself against yourself and horse on my right?' 10th Did his horse not spatter me very much with mud before he came in contact with me? 11th Did he pass on my left or right hand side? 12th Did he not ride beyond my horse and pass some 10 or 20 steps? 13th Did I not as soon as I recovered my position ride up directly to his left side and strike him with a riding stick? 14th Where did I strike him? 15th Could I have stricken him otherwise than I did, on the back of the head, riding up on his left with a stick in my right hand and both mounted on horse-back, going the same way? 16th What did he do after he was stricken? 17th What did he say? 18th Did I strike him more than once? 19th Was it a severe blow? 20th With what sort of stick? 21st Did the stick break in the blow?" "22nd Was there a carriage or a crowd near behind or beside him which caused him to ride up against my horse? 23rd Do you think his riding up against me was accidental or intentional, judging from the circumstances? 24th Was there any intervening object between him and myself which was suddenly moved so as to bring him upon me before he could check his horse? 25th Was it not a plain broad road and had he not abundant room both to see and to pass me without even spattering me with mud? 26th Did he offer any apology for riding up against me until after I struck him? Please add a full statement of any other facts within your knowledge, as to which you are not specially interrogated...". Countersigned in pencil by P.B. STARKE, noting receipt in holograph. Wise famously dueled Richard Coke in 1832 over his Congressional seat; records indicate that Wise and Stanley did indeed prepare to duel in 1842, but their respective seconds managed to avert the fight before it happened. Light, uneven toning and minor folds, very good.
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