Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-03-29

70 Inquire where fit weapon could be got
and amer vain search for several hours,
went 10 mr Jones's room, and handed him my
FIRST note, about o o'clock p. IN. In that note
was particular to name that there should
be bat one ball. and to lessen the chances oi
q fatal shot by combining the parties to the
ssdownward horizontal position" until the word
+ s6re," thus shortening the time in which they II
2 could take aim and, not knowing where 10 II
get rife, or whether one could be got, the
main object Of the note was 10 gain time.
. wished to gain time, not only to procure
fit rife, but To afford an opportunity, II poss- |
ble. TO prevent the meeting. Indeed, re-
marked to mr. Jones, verbally, that knew OF
no person to whom could apply with Ger,
tsinty Of getting a tried weapon in the city OF
Washington, and expected to be obliged to
send to Philadelphia for one. lie seemed
to intimate that the time could not be post
poned for that purpose; said that there must
be fit weapons here, and asked IT j could not
procure one from the arsenal? replied that
! should not risk an untried rife, and told
him that would be obliged II he would In
form me where fit rifle could be got.
fixed upon the hour Of ! | a. IN, the next day,
a. the latest period when would inform mr.
Jones whether mr. Graves could be ready. ]
informed mr. Graves OF what had done, and
retired to rest.
About o'clock, at night, mr. Mcnlfee came
TO my room, awoke me out Of sleep, and In
formed me that mr. Graves's friends had pro-
cured for him rife, but, he said, it was In
exceedingly bad order The owner OF II has
since told me that it had not been used for
more than eighteen months, and It was very
rusty. ] directed mr. Menefee to have 1t
cleansed as early as possible, and that It must
be iricd in the morning before mr. Graves's
life was hazarded on it.
Early the next morning. went to the room
of the Hon. mr. llawes, where, according to
appointment with mr. Menefee the night pre-
vious, expected to meet mr. Graves. Not
finding mr. Graves there, l returned to Miss
Queens, my own boarding house, to break
fast, and found on my table, about 8 o'clock
q. m, the note of mr. Jones, informing me
that he would be at DR.. Reilly's until III
o'clock a. IN. on the Oath.
At 10 o'clock a. M, went to Dr. Reil'y's,
and wrote mr. Jones note that mr. Graves
could not be ready by IL m, and that would
inform him by l2a IN. when he could be rca-
dy was still anxious to delay the meeting,
and desirous to throw obstacles IN the way OF
il for that day. At about lOl a. IN. found
Inr Graves ut the arsenal, where he went to
have the rifle cleansed, and saw him try 1t
several times at a mark. lie was extremely
awkward, shot badly, and by no means llk-
ed the rifle he had. feared very much the
consequences Of going out with him under
such total want Of preparation and sklll,and
was still more than ever ANXIOUS tor delay as
were his other friends. But OH my return TO
my room, about ] Ii a. m. found two notes
from mr Jones, a rife, powder-f flask, with
powder and ball in it, lying on my table.
The FIRST note, dated l0s a. M, in reply to
mine of 10 a. M, stated that mr Jones had
.the pleasure to inform" Inc that he had ian
erceHent rife, in good order, which was at he
serpice of Mr. Graves" The second note,
which had not been delayed for an answer to
the FIRST, dated half of an hour only after the
first, rendered to me, "for the use Of mr.
Graves, the rifle referred to-" and there were
the rifle and lis appendages These notes
aud that rifle FASTENED the meeting. dared
delay no longer, without danger OF a taunt
for cowardce. Mr. Graves should have gone
upon the ground, after this, under every dis
advantage but he should not have used the
rifle sent him, because. though Gan excellent
rifle, in good order," Mr. CWey had, ef course,
preferred another 10 IL; and if mr. Graves had
missed with it, and been killed, would have
been Justly chargeable with his death. The
meeting was then to be had as soon as mr.
Graves's rtlc could be cleansed, as a surgeon
could be got, and as the parties could reach
field out Of the District of Columbia. ]
saw mr. Jones immediately, and we agreed
upon 3 O'clock p. M, a said In our JOINT
statement.
returned TO mr. IIawes's room, where mr.
Graves was, and informed him Of the appoint
ifent He then selected the Hon. John j.
Crittendcn, of the Senate, and tho Hon. X. III.
kiencfee, of the House, as the friends whom
was to consult. Mr. Graves retired, and
whilst the rifle was being cleansed, thea
submitted 10 mr. Critendcn and mr. Menefee
the question distiactly-rhat should be done
in case the parties missed We were oil
sure that mr. Graves would miss often.
l understood positively from mr. Graves,
that he would not be satisfied with any I'D
mission short Of what mr. Ciey had made TO
him, verbally, in their interviews. Our OBJ
ject, then, was to adopt or suggest some
form Of explanation or admission, which
should be as easy as possible for inr Cilley to
make, and which should satisfy mr Graves
This was our study, and we unanimously de-
ciaed lhat immediately after the first fire, !
should propose to mr. Cilley, or his second,
that he should assign some such reason, or
make some such disclaimer, for declining to
receive Col. Webb's note from mr. Graves, rs
he had made to mr. Graves in their private
conversation. Mr. Crittenden and mr. Meme
fee wrote down what they thought mr. Graves
should be satisfied with. The one wrote:
"'Fhat, in declining TO receive from mr
Graves the note from Colonel Webb, mr. Gil
ley was not influenced by considerations af-
fecting the honor Of Colonel Webb"
The other wrote:
"Mr Cilley states that he did not decline
to receive Col. Webb's communication from
nr Graves in consequence Of any personal
exception to Colonel Webb as gentleman
or man Of honor"
70 these added another form Of advance,
which should be opted as satisfactory.
"Mr Ciey declined to receive the commu
nicntion from Colonel Webb at the hands Of
mr. Graves, upon the ground that he, mr. Gil
icy, did not hold himself answerable to CO.
lionel Webb for words spoken in debate on
\ The floor Of tho House Of Representatives"
These, or any admissions approaching in
substance to these, were to be considered
satisfactory. carried the written PROPOSE
tions with me- in my pocket, on the ground
The reason why mr Graves would not be
satisfied with any thing shor, Of these was
because he alleged that Mr. CiHey had made