Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-05-11

Mr.. wise said to MIR. Jones, " If this matter 10 not Ter
minated this shot, and is not settled, Will propose 10
shorten the distance" To which MIR. Jones repiieo,
"Af1er This shot, without effect, will entertain the pro.
position" Mr.. Graves had directed Mr.. Wise II tney
missed repeatedly, 10 preventa prolongation OF the analr
by proposing closer quarters; in consequence OF WHICH,
Mr.. Wise made the proposition, which would nave az
gravated the severity of the terms. The rihes oeine
loaded, the parties resumed their stations, ana neu i.
third time, very nearly together. Mr.. Ciliey was shot
through the body. He dropped his rifle, oeckoheu : one
near him, and said 10 him, &c am shot" put oo!n ms
hands to his wound, fell, and in two or 'htee minutes
expired.
Early in the day on which he fell, an agreement was
entered in,o between James Watson Webb, Daniel Jack.
son and William Il. Morell, to arm themselves; repair TO
the room of Mr.. Cilley, and force him 70 hsnt reoo WIN
pistols on the spot, or to pledge MS woIo OF mono, 70
rive Webb a meeting before Mr.. Graves; and, 1t Mr..
1ilIev would do neither, to shatter his right arm: lhey
accordingly took measures to ascertain whether MI Eii'
lev wus at his lodgings, and finding lIat he was ho!, they
proceeded, we'll armed. to Biadensourg, where IL was
laid the duel between Mr.. Graves and Mr.. Cilley was
10 take place. Before arriving there, II was agreed be-
tween Webb, Jackson and Morell, that Webb should ap'
proach MIR. Cilley, claim the quarrel, insist on hghuhg
him. and assure him If he aimed his rifle at MT graves,
he Webb would shoot him mir. Cilley] on the spot
II was supposed by them that Mr.. Graves or MIR. WISE,
or some Of The party, would raise a weapon at "eoo'
whereupon it was agreed that Webb should Instantly
shoe, MIR. Cilley, and that they should then deienu lneh''
selves in the best way they could. ,
No, 6ndinp the parties at Bladensburg, they followed
in pursuit to the old Magazine, and thence to the shofe
Of The Potomac, near the arsenal, at GreenIeal foiht,
whence, il being after 3 o'clock, r NJ, they returned 10
the CITY to await the result. alt is unnecessary TO add,
saw thew. in a statement draw n up by Webb, signed by
Jackson and Morell, and published in the New York
Courier and Enquirer, ''what would nave been the course
of Col. Webb, it Mr. Graves, instead OF Mr.. Cliley, hao
been injured. Suffice it 10 say that 1t was sanctioned oy
us: and however much we ~deplored 1t, we could not
doub, but the extraordinary position in which he would
have been placed, would have warranted the course oe'
termined upon 1t is difficult to Imagine what Is mere
darkly Swallowed forth, if il be not that, had MIR Ciliey
survived The encounter with MIR. Graves, and had the
latter suffered in il, it would then have been the iate OF
Mr.. Cilley to have encountered an assassin.
Such were the material facts aud circumstances which
attended the death Of Mr.. Ciley. The com'ni!'ee' en-
Pertaining the opinion that the cause oi Inc cha'iehge
was the cause Of the death Of MIR. Cilley, have sought
for it where il should be found in the most auihenuc
form, in the correspondence OF the partics. "
MIR. CiIley declined 10 receive the note OF Mr.. "eoo,
because he 'chose 10 be drawn into no controversy WI"
him" He placed his refusal 10 receive q demand Tor e3'
PLANTATION Of the word. spoken by him IN debate, soieIy
on the ground Of his own voluntary efecft0n, without as
signing any other reason. "Ele chose TO be drawn INTO no
controversy" with Webb. He declared, at the same
time, that he neither affirmed nor denied any thing III
regard to Webbs character, in declining to receive the
note. lie declared farther, that he had before stated,
and now repeated. that ne intended by the refusal no
d~isrespect to Mr.. Graves, and that he had said this only
in reply TO a remark of MIR. Graves, that this course
might place him in an unpleasant situation.
Mr.. Graves, in his second note, takes but one excep'
ton to this frs, note of Mr.. Cilley. 1t does not dis
claim any exception to him (Webb) personally as gen
tleman." He saws " Your note of yesterday, in reply
TO mine Of that date, is ~inexplicit, unsatisfactory, and IN
sufficient; among other things is thls-thai, IN your De
c!ining to receive Colonel Webb's communication, 1t
does not d~iscluim>any exception TO him, personally, as q
gentleman" 81 have, therefore, lie adds, 1" 10 inquire
whether you declined TO receive his communication on
the ground of any personal exception to him as a gentle.
man or a man OF honor A categorical answer Is ex-
pected."
Mr.. Cilley, in his second note, regrets that his first
was unsatisfactory, but cannot admit The right OF Mr.
Graves TO PROFOUND The question:, and, therefore, lie oe-
clines any further response 10 1t.
1t is difficult to conceive that MIR. Graves, upon this
correspondence OF Mr.. Cllley could have challenged HIM
for intending disrcspect 20 Mr.. Grdpesi for any such IN
tention was positively disclaimed, and, as appears, IN a
most une xce ptionabie and courteous manner, IN reply TO
a suggestion Of his own, which called for it; or for affirm.
ing or denying any thing in regard to the character OF
Webb, in declining TO receive his note; Tor any snch al
6rmation or denial is also disclaimed, IN equally pnsilVc
terms. Mr.. Cilley had declined 10 receive a call from
James Watson Webb, for explanation Of words spoken
in debate in the House of Representatives, and had put
his refusal solely on the ground that he chose 10 be drawn
into no controversy with him; but he is pressed farther,
and Intercepted beyond this limit, which he had assign
ed to himself, and a categorical answer is demanded 10
the question whether he declined on the ground OF any
personal exception to Webb as a gentleman or a man OF
honor. He denies The right to in,errogate him IN th,s
. 4a !" sJt for &c de q i1as e e 81 k sp'ss. ia i,as mt the just
maintenance of the privileges of this body, required
him to decline; and, denying the right to Interrogate, he,
therefore, refused to submit TO answer any farther: AND
il was because he refused to receive the note, and reius.
ed to answer any further, that he was challenged by ano-
Their member Of the same body.
This ma,teris not left open to inference or argument.
The cause Of the challenge appears in a manner which
precludes all doubt. 1t is s.iil farther sPeclhed and
avowed BY Mr.. Graves himself, in his own note, which
contains the challenge. 1t is stated clearly, %unequiVo'
cally, and with the utmost precision, and IS assigned ex'
pressly, and in form, as the cause Tor which The email
ienge is given: "As you have declined accepting
communication which | bore to you from Col. Webb,
and as by your note of yesterday you have refused 10
decline on grounds which would exonerate me from all
responsibility growing out of the affair, am lett no other
alternative but to ask that satisfaction which is rrcog,,
nized among gentlemen" Mr.. CIlley, by his mote OF
Yesterday" had refused to answer the question to which
a ''ca,e gorical answer had been demanded; that Is TO
say, "whelher be declined 10 receive Col, Webb CON-
municalion on the ground of any personal exception 10
him as q gentleman or man Of honor" The ground Of
challenge, therefore, is, by MIR. Graves himself, express.
ly stated to be, that Mr.. Clley declined TO receive the
communication from Webb, and, by his note Of February
22d, refused 10 answer that question, touching the honor
ui Webb
presented TO MIR. CiIIey, by which he was guided, and
upon which he acted, IN a manner involving the utmost
extremity Of human reponslhIilty. For tins cause, and
for this alone, he was challenged and fell by the hand Of
Mr.. Graves; unless II be admIssible TO oe!ieVe mat, atlet
all verbal communication had ceased between him and
his antagonist, and the difference had assumed the form
exclusively of a written correspondence between them,
he was challenged and fell for a cause not set up in that
correspondence, not put forth as a ground of complaint,
not made known to him or his friends as Il matter OF
grievance, and in regard to which, therefore, it may be
believed, he was profoundly ignorant, and had no oPpor-
tunity afforded him in any way, of voluntary satisfaction
or C explanation.
Nor is there any thing in what subsequently occurred,
az disclosed bv The Joint state nPnt of the seconds. or The
testimony Of any witness, which gives color 10 q sugges-
ton, that there was, at any time aiterwnrd q change of
the ground Of controversy.
No communication whatever, upon the subject Of diff.
ference took place between the principals, their respect
i've seconds, or friends, after the challenge was given,
before the first exchange of shots. Ofcourse no change
Of the ground Of controversy could have occurred un.
til after Mr.. CiIley bad received the fire of bis antago.