New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-12

and refused 10 answer IL. int HeAt S1SP "eS u
challenge from Graves to Cllley.
But what had Mr.. Clay to do with all this
Nothing in the ,corld, up to this point tie did
not know that any such difficulty had occurred
Bat, when he deemed himself compelled to cha!-
lenge Cillev, and had already written the chal-
lenge. Graves called on Mr.. Clay, his friend and
fellow. boarder, and stated to him in confidence the
.hole matter. Mr.. Clay was astonished and Cts
tressed-tod Mr.. Graves he g.. ough, not 10
nave been Involved in this affair, and that 1t might
md should be settled without bloodshed lie
asked to see the challenge and, on reading 1t, re-
marked that i, was naked and unqualified sum
mons to the field-that this must not be sent, but
one that would admit Of and invite peaceful ad-
ustment. Accordingly, he lore up the challenge
and wrote the following
"WAsHIyGroS CRY. Feb %. 1888.
As you have declined accepting communication which !
YOU have refused decline grounds winch would e1onerae
me d im I'll bu 70 hat Satisfaction which
azed gentlemen Ny rnS Ben h sea the
''"I lion. J. Clley'' ''''''''
MIR. Graves concuned with MIR. Clay in the
hope that the affair would be settled without a
combat, and left him. He despatched the above
challengeby Mr.. Wise, andit was promptly accept
ed Mr. Ciliey, (having, as the challenged party,
he choice Of weapons,) proposed riaeS-distance
eighty yards-but as we have given the chal-
Iengc, let us have the acceptance:
WASHINGTON. Feb. g, 1895
siR-Mr Cey propose, NEE; Mir Graves at such pnce
be y.9pon 10 be used on the occasion shall be es
parties placed side SIDE AT egh yards distance from eac
wards rife 10 be cooked aud trigger; set the words TO be
Neither purity shall fire before the fire nor after the
Word he o be ond Of q he e e enG, og
the position sr have The giving OF the word The dIes, To-
both parties Each putty have the ground besides ms
second surgeon and two other friends The seconds Tor The
pistols the ground but no other person shall haye
seconds Should Mr. Graves be able rife by
prescribed time shall be allowed ic that purpose
Hon Hrsp Spi Sey t sPeOF"' GEO. w JONES
Such were the conditions OF extraordinary Zero
city given TO this combat--nUt by Mr.. Graves,
nor by any friend OF Mr.. Graves. He wrote.
through Mr.. Wise, that the terms were unusual
and Objectionable" but it was not his right To
change them He had rarely fired pistol,
scarcely ever rifle, and never except from res;
He had no rife, and could not obtain one in sea-
son for the early meeting appointed on the other
side; but when Mr. Graves gave notice OF this as
a reason why the combat must be postponed, ne
was promptly informed that Mr.. Jones had ali
excellent rlfe (Dr. Duncans,) which was entirely
at his service! The rifle accompanied the note
This was declined, but an imperfect rifle procured
and gunsmith set to work to repair it, which he
did by little after II of the next day. Mean
time, Mr.. Cllley was practicing in firing at
mark, in preparation for the combat. Mr.. Wise
gave notice that Mr.. Graves would be ready
between /. and p o'clock the rifle was finished
about u; Graves fred i. once or twice TO test
it, uhc lock having been taken off and replaced
and The breech unscrewed and taken to pieces,
then proceeded TO the place designated; the duel
took place, and at the third fire Mr.. Cilley fell
dead
Such is true though brief history of the Mar.
tyr Cilley'-martyr to what!
Let facts be stated When it was whispered
about the Capitol that Graves and Cllley had
gone out to fight, the friends of both parties,
knowing that Cilley was good shot and Graves
none at all, supposed that Graves would be killed
One of Cilleys party took out his watch, and
noting the hour, said to all around him, Graves
is now dead man I" A few days afterwards,
son of Hon. Reuel Williams, Loco Senator from
Name received in Augusta letter from his
father in Washington dated at II O'Clock on
the day of the duel. A Wing was present
when he opened it in the Post Office and
read, "Ciley has gone out TO fight Graves, who
is by this time dead man." In postscript it
was added, "Thc body of Cilley has Just been
brought in" Such is the vanity of human ex.
pectations.
But what of Mr.. Clay? He knew not that
the parties had agreed to tight-he trusted that
the difficulty would be settled, until the wife OF
Mr. Graves called in alarm at the absence of her
husband, suspecting the cause. He then started
to seek the parties and induce a reconciliation
He was me, at the door by Messrs. Graves and
Wise with the .idings of the fatal termination OF
the combat He took the hand OF Mr. Graves,
burst into tears, and was for some time unable 10
utter word. No man deplored the catastrophe
more bitterly than he did. Some OF the ewes
troopers have indeed reported that he said, in
view of the excitement which this tragedy would
create " 1t will only be a nine days bubble F"
but this is stated on 10 authority, and if Mr..
Clay did say any thing which came to mind CAL
cuated to alleviate the mental agony and horror
of Graves, who could have the heart to reproach
him
Yet this is the man whom 10. Bosworh falsely
and meanly accuses OF causing the death OF Gil
lev and whom the Albany Argus OF Wednesday
charges with having VIGOROUSLY instigated to
its fatal termination the duel between Cilley and
Graves There is no duelisi alive who is not
an innocent man compared with the author OF
that atrocious and malignant ialsehood Can it
be possible that great and generous Statesman
a wise and benignant National Policy, are thus
to be lied down :?
Swindled Pennsylvania.
A Loco. Foco writes from Mauch Chunk 20 The