The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-07-24

! yards distance from each other 10 bold ths
! rides horizontally at arms length down.
wards the rifles TO be cooked and trigger,
I set the words to be "Geutiemsn, are vou
ready ?" After which neither answerip,
mo" the words to be ''Fire-one. tvs
three, four" Neither party shall fire before
| the word fire" nor after the word four
The positions of the parties at the ends 81
the line to be determined by lot. The secoud
of the party losing the position shall have the
giving of the word The dress to be ordi.
nary winter clothing and subject to the ex.
animation of both parties. Each party ma,
have on the ground, besides his second. a
surgeon and two other friends. The secou5s
for the execution of their respective trust ar,
allowed to have pair of pistols each on the
ground but no other person shall have any
weapon. The rifles to be loaded in the pres
ence Of the seconds. Should Mr.. Graves
not be able to procure rifle by the time pro-
scribed, time shall be allowed for that puE
pose.
Your very obedient servant.
GEO. w JONES
Hon. HENRY A. WISE.
Such were the conditions of extraordinary
ferocity given to this combat-not BY Mr..
-
He wrote, through Mr. Wise, that the terms
were unusual and Objectionable" but i,
was not his right to change them. He had
rarely fired pistol, scarcely ever rifle, and
never expect from rest. He had no rife,
and could not obtain one in season for the
early meeting appointed on the other side;
but when Mr.. Graves gave notice of this as
reason why the combat must be postponed,
l.. l.. IL
had an excellent rifle, (Dr. Duncan's,) which
was entirely at his service! The rifle ac-
companied the note. This was declined.
but an imperfect rife procured and gun
smith set to work TO repair il, which he did
by little after IL Of the next day. Mean
time, MIR. Cilley was practiciug in firing at
mark, in preparation for the combat. Mr..
Wise gave notice that Mr.. Graves would be
ready between 1-2 & 1-2 O'Clock, the rife
was finished about u; Graves fired it onceior
twice to test it, 1.-THE lock having been taken
of and replaced and the breech unscrewed
and taken to pieces then proceeded to the
place designated; the duel took place, and az
the third fire MIR. Ciley fell dead.
Such is true though brief history of the
Martyr Cilley'-martyr to what?
Let facts be stated When it was whis-
pered about the Capitol that Graves and
Cilley had gone out to fight, the friends of
both parties, showing that Cilley was good
shot and Graves none at all, supposed that
Graves would be killed. One of Cilley's
party took out his watch, and nothing the
hour, said To all around him, Graves is now
dead man ~ A few days afterwards, son
of Hon. Ruel Williams, Loco Senator from
Maine, received in Augusta letter from his
father in Washington dated at II o'clock on
the day of the duel. Wing was present
when he opened il in the Post Office and
read, ''Ciley has gone out TO fight Graves.
who is BY this time dead man. In post
script il was added, THE body Of Cilley has
Just been brought in Such is the vanity
Of human expectations
But what ofMr. Clay He knew not
that the parties had agreed TO fght-he tTus-
ted that the difficulty would be settled, until
the wife Of Mr.. Graves called in alarm at
the absence Of her husband, suspecting the
cause, lie then started to seek The parties
and induce a reconciliation.-He was met at
the door by Messrs. Graves and Wise with
the tidings Of the fatal termination Of the
combat. He took the hand of Mr.. Graves,
burst into tears, and was for some tiulo uu-
able to utter word. No man deplored the
catastrophe more bitterly than he did. Some
Of the evesdroppers have indeed reported
that he said. in view of the excitement which
this tragedy would create, at will only be
nine days bubble ~ but this is stated on no
authority, and if Mr.. Clay did say any thing
which came TO mind calculated to alleviate
the mental agony and horror of Graves, who
could have the heart to reproach himl
Yet this is the man whom 10. Boswortb
falsely and meanly accuses Of causing the
death Of Ciliey and whom the Albany Az
gus Of Wednesday charges with having
''notoriously instigated 10 its fatal termin-
alton the duel between Cilley and Graves"
There Is no duelist alive who is not an in
nocent man compared with tie author Of
that atrocicus and malignant falsehood
Can it be possible that great and generous
Statesmen, wise and benignant National
Policy, are thus TO be he'd down! Hear the
explicit testimony Of Mr. Graves in his letter
to Mr.. Clay:
Il do not recoliect naming the subject 10
you until the morning before the meeting.
when | called at your room, / think with
Mr.. Wise, and exhibited TO you the CORES
pondence, and perhaps detailed the circum-
stances of the affair. j remember that you
suggested TO some modification in the phrase
ology Of the challenge which | had written,
by which milder language was employed. and
the door was not so completely closed
against adjustment. | recollect well, al the
time you suggested the modification which
| believe was written by yourself on another
piece Of paper, you stated that you thought
the matter ought 10 be and would be amicably
adjusted, and in this remember Mr.. Wise
concurred with you in opinion. ] recollect
this the better, from the conviction. resting
on my mind at the time, that there were in
huences which I thought | saw more fully
than any of my friends, that initiated against
this view of the subject; some Of which /
think mentioned to you in reply to your
that you thought the matter would
be adjusted without hostile meeting. I
adopted your form, with but little or no
and suppose destroyed it, and
that drawn by myself.
sit is utterly untrue that you ever exhibited
to any wish that the meeting should take
place. believe had no friend in Wash
ington who more regrettedit. recollect.
after the affair, when we net at your board
ng-house, you seemed 10 sympathize most
deeply with me in my misfortunss you wept
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