THOMAS F. MARSHALL
395
his own every emotion of the human heart. turn the fire with steady aim. As the signal The case was tried at Elizabethtown, Ky., was given, Jackson fired without effect. Marshall then took deliberate aim and fired. whither it had been removed from Louis ville, the scene of the homicide, because of The cap was true, but there was no explosion, the public excitement in that place. When and of course Jackson stood unhurt. Marshall the news reached Louisville that the jury turned to his second, Sam Patterson, who had acquitted Ward, the popular fury was also his lieutenant, and asked what knew no bounds. A mob formed in the that meant. He replied that the ramrod streets and attacked the office of the Journal, was too short, and that he had not rammed because of the part Mr. Prentice had taken the ball home." "Oh, yes," said Marshall, as a witness for the defense, he having sarcastically, "I understand. You are my testified to the previous good character of lieutenant, and if I had been killed you would have succeeded me." Col. Tom the defendant. They also burned Critten den in effigy, he having volunteered his Hawkins, who was Jackson's second, then services to the defense because of a long stepped up, took the pistol, rammed the standing friendship with Ward's father, an ball home, and handed it back, offering act of true manhood, in keeping with the another fire, but Marshall was by that time character of Crittenden, which received too weak to stand any longer. Just before crossing over into the ene the approbation of all thinking men even at the time. To procure an acquittal for one mies' country Marshall had violently abused Cassius M- Clay, shaking his fist in Clay's against whom the popular feeling was run ning so high, and whose case, judged by the face and branding him in no uncertain terms as a cur and a blackguard. Clay facts alone, was unfavorable at best, re quired the highest degree of skill and elo made no attempt to resent the insults. quence, and it is an everlasting monument The next day Tom was rather the worse for of praise to the great lawyers associated in liquor and hearing a remark addressed by the defense that they fully supplied all that Clay to one of his officers asked him what was necessary of both, and that, too, in the he had said. Clay in a great fury told him teeth of an exceedingly able prosecution. that when he spoke, he spoke to gentlemen But it was not alone as orator and lawyer and not to a cur. Then Marshall said, "Oh that Marshall became known. At the out yes, Cash, you see I am in a bad condition break of the Mexican War he organized a and you want to make me mad and have cavalry company in Woodford County of me rush on you so you can shoot me down which he was made captain. This company like a dog." Whether this was Clay's was attached to the regiment commanded intention may well be doubted but it was by Col. .Humphrey Marshall, and marched certainly given color by his behavior the by land to the seat of war. At Camargo, day before. At another time while Mar Marshall became involved in a quarrel with shall was walking through the camp armed Lieut. James Jackson, and a duel was fought only with a small dress sword, Clay stepped between the two at a spot some twenty to his tent door and covered him with his miles from camp which they were compelled pistol. Marshall instantly turned his back to reach on horseback. Marshall was suffer and looking over his shoulder at Clay, said, ing from the flux and had frequently to "Shoot away, Cash, but its got to be a dismount so that when he reached the place clear case of murder. I am not going to of meeting he was barely able to stand. He give you a chance to assassinate me as you told a friend afterward that he had made did Sam Brown." The taunt referred to a up his mind to kill Jackson, and had braced deadly fray in Kentucky and was unde himself so that even if wounded he could re- served.
