A FIGHT BETWEEN DOUGLAS AND ALEXANDER, Smith County, TX ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by James H. Douglas- JimRedWing@aol.com 8 June 2001 ***************************************************************** A FIGHT BETWEEN DOUGLAS AND ALEXANDER. "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter XLI - Pages 194-199 Alexander Douglas was a preacher of standing in the Methodist Episcopal church and an active, energetic man, who relied upon his own efforts for a support. His ministerial position was a trying ordeal in those early days, but he possessed great force of character. In dealing with the bold, rough men of early times in Smith County, he sometimes laid aside his Methodism long enough to vindicate his right in conformity with the customs of the country. Captain W. R. Pierce, now of Lindale, and a worthy and popular farmer, and another old citizen of the county, tells a story illustrative of his character. In some way Douglas had given offense to C. C. Alexander, one of the first district clerks of Smith county. Alexander occasionally indulged in his cups, and was on this occasion on a "high lonesome." He was very abusive of Douglas in a crowd, with the usual compliments of profanity, Pierce, then a boy of eighteen years old, was a warm personal friend of Douglas, having formed an attachment for him in Alabama. Pierce was not willing to have his friend so roundly abused without some form of redress. He walked over to Douglas' residence to tell him of Alexander's conduct, and on entering found the preacher quietly reading the Bible and preparing a sermon for the next Sunday's services. He hesitated at first to mention the matter under the circumstances, but finally opened the subject and told Douglas that Alexander had said many hard things about him, and that, as an old Alabama friend, he was much hurt about it. Douglas put away his Bible and papers and walked with Pierce up to the court house square, meeting Alexander on the east side in an open space of ground, and demanded an unqualified retraction. Everybody was on the quivive, and when the men met quite a crowd gathered rapidly. They were both powerful men in strength and form, and in the prime of matured manhood. Douglas had received good training when a young man. The ball opened in a straight, shoulder-hitting style, and the fur flew. Both men seemed to be at home in this arena. The excitement was great, and Pierce, only a boy then, drew a bowie knife and kept the crowd from parting the combatants until the test of manhood of the two was fully tested. After a few rounds it was evident that the parson was gaining ground on his powerful adversary. He held him firmly by the collar, and, by rapid blows, forced him under the rules to call for quarters. Douglas put on his coat and remarked that he would not have cared if he had stayed at home and not come at all. The crowd laughed, in which the two belligerents joined heartily, and shook hands and party friendly. This made them strong, personal friends ever afterwards. Later on an incident connected with Douglas and an uncle of Capt. Riley Pierce is worthy of mention. A friend of the Pierces had been arrested by Sheriff John M. McKinley, the arrest growing out of a personal difficulty so common in those days. A bloody battle had been fought between the sheriff's party and some friends of the Pierces at Old Canton, now Omen, in which three or four men were killed and several wounded. The sheriff's party had triumphed. They brought the prisoner to Tyler, and placed him in jail. This unfortunate contest had grown out of a personal feud and neighborhood war between the Pierce party and other parties in Rusk county, and had almost assumed the magnitude of war. On the morning of the prisoner's incarceration, couriers from Old Canton reported a large rescuing party on the march from Rusk county. The sheriff summoned all the available men at hand to guard the jail. The excitement was intense, and the bloody fight of the day before, the many rumors of a large party of thirty or more men, well armed and desperate, expected to dash in every moment, put the ordinary citizens military courage to the test. About 8 o'clock in the morning, while the party were scattered, many of them being at breakfast. Will Hamilton, who had been dispatched down the Henderson road a mile or so, rode in under whip and spur and reported the rescuers only 300 yards behind him. A scene of consternation and panic ensued. Douglas was one of the guards and an old Alabama friend of the Pierces. Armed with a double-barrell shot- gun he reached the jail alone, just as Joe Pierce and two others dashed up to the jail and hailed the prisoner. Douglas spoke quietly to Pierce and asked the object of his mission, whether peaceable or warlike. Pierce replied: "I come for my friend and I must have him." Douglas replied: "So long as you keep within the limits of the law you can rely on your old-time friend, but I am here to guard the jail." Pierce replied that he would try the lawful means first, but would make no promise if bail was refused him. With this parley, Douglas and Pierce repaired to the court house and a preliminary examination resulted in the justice granting bail. The Pierces were in good financial circumstances and could give any reasonable amount of bail. At the time of the arrival of Hamilton reporting the rescuing party only 300 yards away, the sheriff's posse had their guns stacked in a small wooden blacksmith shop, which stood on the ground where the store house of Brown & McFarland now stands. The door was locked at the time and the men were nearly all without arms. If the party had attempted force, the resistance would have been very poor from the sheriff's crowd. This was an evidence of Douglas' nerve and coolness in cases of danger. After the prisoner was released Joe Pierce mounted a stump on the east side of the square and spoke with face ashen with rage and features displaying every element of desperate courage, if they had any desire to take vengeance out of the Pierces to sail in; that there were only four of them against forty, but they were ready for battle. The sheriff's party remained quiet and the other party became more pacific. One turbulent character at this time might easily have precipitated a bloody tragedy.