William Dye
The Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 November 1862, page 3
NEWPORT NEWS
PISTOLS AND COFFEE FOR TWO-AN affair occurred near the corner of
Bellevue and Monmouth streets yesterday, which is likely to lead to a hostile
meeting between two well known citizens. It appears that a little son of
Mr. Wm Dye displayed a Secession flag, about as large as his hand, which excited
the ire of a Mr. David Pancost.
Mr. P peremptorily ordered the lad, a mere child, to destroy the flay instantly or put it out of sight. A lady named Echols, happening to overhear the remarks of Pancost, told him that the flay was only made as a curiosity, and that it should not be destroyed; whereupon Pancost took the flag away from the boy, and subsequently used abusive language to Mrs. Echols.
The husband of the latter came along at this juncture and being informed by his wife that Pancost had insulted her, he intimated to that gentleman that it would be well enough for him to prepare to receive a hostile message. A duel between the parties is therefore not altogether improbable.
We are informed by a prominent citizen that the loyalty of Mr. Pancost is not altogether above suspicion-the suspicions being based upon his conduct while in Nashville, before the Union troops occupied that place.