The friends of each were armed and prepared to take part in case any one should show foul play

The sad end of my third great-uncle, Jacob Tipton Lilly. Fought his way through the Civil War, returning home as a Captain.

It would be easy to be glib about this sad tragedy with a remark of the deadly seriousness of education, but the story stands on its own.

The American Citizen, Thursday, July 5, 1866

The Tallahatchian of the 23rd ultimo, gives an account of a difficulty which took place between R.F. Lee and Captain J.T. Smith, on the 18th which resulted in the death of both parties.

Capt. Smith was teaching school in Charleston [Mississippi], and Mr. Lee was one of his patrons. Some misunderstanding took place about one of Mr. Lee's children, and their mutual friends had interposed to settle it amicably. While this was progressing, Mr. Lee used some abusive language about Captain Smith, when pistols were drawn and they commenced firing. At the first Capt. Smith received a wound from which he died the following day. The friends of each were armed and prepared to take part in case any one should show foul play. During the fight, Mr. M.F. Holshouser, a cousin and intimate friend of Captain Smith, was shot through the leg by Mr. Lee. Those who saw Mr. Lee fire, are of the opinion that the pistol was directed at Mr. Holshouser. The excuse for firing at Holshouser is doubtless this: Captain Smith announced himself shot and his repeater empty, and H. was, as were nearly all the special friends of both parties, standing near by, with pistol in hand in a ready attitude. As soon as H. was shot he fired at Mr. Lee and killed him.

Mr. Lee and Capt. Smith were very highly esteemed in the community in which they lived.