Robert West Alston was an American cotton planter who lived near Lake Miccosukee, Leon County, Florida.
Alston's son Augustus Alston entered a duel with George Taliaferro Ward, just north of Tallahassee, prior to Ward's entering the American Civil War.
Ward demanded more guns and insisted that Murat prop him up so that the contest might continue, but he fainted before his instructions could be carried out.
Before Ward had recovered sufficiently to fight, Alston was killed in a duel with Florida Militia Brigadier General Leigh Read.
Alston was head of the Whig party in Florida and Read was a leader of the Democrats.