Good Afternoon Boschong Subscribers, I located a newspaper held in the collection at the Alderman Library at Charlottesville, Virginia this morning with an account of the Duel fought by Peter Schwartz/Swartz/Black. This is quite interesting and worth sharing. It is interesting when dates get so screwed up. If you will notice the dates of the account of the duel by the reporter in Staunton to the newspaper in Alexandria as 3 February 1800, the duel had to have happened on the 20 January 1800 and Peter Schwartz/Swartz/Black died 24 hours later which would put his death on the 22 January 1800. I am thinking that this is the grandfather of Elizabeth Swartz, wife of Anderson Bushong of the New Market Battlefield family. ----------------- SOURCE: Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 6. Alexandria Times, page [3], vol. V, iss. 888 Publication Date: February 22, 1800 Published as: The Times; and District of Columbia Daily Advertiser Location: Alexandria, Virginia Headline: Staunton, Feb. 3. Communication --------------------- THE ACTUAL ACCOUNT AS TRANSCIBED BY ME DIRECTLY FROM THE ORIGINAL NEWSPAPER WHICH HAD BEEN PHOTO COPIED AND SENT BY E-MAIL. The Alexandria Times Alexandria, Virginia 22 February 1800 Page 3, Column 1 STAUNTON - 3 February COMMUNICATION An unfortunate catastrophe took place at Woodstock, Shenandoah County, on the 20th ult. Two gentlemen (both clock makers) being at the house of Adam Heiskell, happened to fall into a dispute, which mutually instilled, should be determined by a duel; accordingly they applied to Mr. Heiskell for a brace of pistols, who in conjunction with some other gentlemen, then present, agreed to accommodate them, with a view only of seeing them fight a sham battle. The combatants fixed upon their ground, and were accompanied by near twenty people, who were all eager to see what they considered harmless sport. Mr. Heiskell and Mr. Dentry (Or Deery as Minute book states?) were chosen as seconds, they, therefore loaded their pistols with powder, on which they put a paper wadding; the parties took their stand at 15 paces distance from each other, the word was given, and they both fired; the spectators, understanding the secret, raised a great laugh, and the disputants, finding themselves unhurt, agreed to make friends; accordingly they returned to Mr. Heiskell's house and after being there a short time, Mr. Peter Black, the unfortunate deceased, declared himself unsatisfied, as it had not been determined which of the two was the best man. They both agreed, therefore, to go out and take the second trial. The pistols were loaded as before excepting more wadding. The combatants took their stand this time at twenty paces; they threw up for the first fire, and Mr. Black won it; after discharging his pistol, he immediately turned about and run. Mr. Heiskell, thinking there could be no harm done, with powder, called out to Mr. Billings to pursue and make him beg his life; he accordingly run and soon came up with Mr. Black, seized him by the arm, and bringing the pistol in contact with his body, discharged the contents into his side, part of the wadding penetrated into the lungs, the remainder was driven along the outside of the ribs and lodged by the back gone. Mr. Black survived only 24 hours. He has left a wife and six children to lament his untimely end. ---------------------- Researched and Submitted by Gloria Bushong