Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-06-21
and therefore decline any further response to
it.
Very respectfully, "A
& IONA. CILLEY.
Hon. w J. GRAyEs


Ever since this melancholy tragedy we have
labored under the impression that the cause
of Mr.. Graves's challenging Mr.. Cilley was, that
Mr.. Cilley had refused to recognise General
Webb as a gentleman. Such, we think, has
been the public impression by the correspon-
dence which preceded and led to the fatal
result, and by the report of the special com,
mittee. The following extract from the report
settles this question::
This matter is not left open to inference or
argument. The cause of the challenge APP.
pears in manner which precludes all doubt.
1t Is still further specified 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 as
signed expressly, and in form, as the cause for
which the challenge is given. As you hare
declined accepting communication aohich
bore TO you from Colonel WeJ6, and as by yo,r
note Of yesterday you hare refused to decline
on grounds aoAicA acould eronerate me from all
responsibility groicing ont ofMe affair, am
tettno other alternative Int to ask that satistac
non ThicA as recognised among gentlemen. Mr..
Cilley, by his mote Of yesterday, had refused
dns,oer' had been demanded; that is to say,
lchether he declined to receire Colonel Webs
communication on the ground of any personal
exception to him as gentleman or man of
honor. The ground of challenge, therefore, is,
by Mr.. Graves himself, expressly stated to be,
that Mr. Cilley declined TO receire tie comma
n'cation from Webb, and, by his note of Feb
ruary I'D, refused to dnsacer that question,
touching the honor Of We5b. This was the
open and avowed cause, set forth and present
ed to Mr.. Cilley, by which he was guided, and
upon which he acted, in matter involving the
utmost extremity Of human responsibility.
For this cause, and for this alone, he was
challenged and fell by the hand Of Mr.. Ora, es"
General Webb, however, says that Mr..
Graves challenged Mr.. Cilley because ques-
ton of veracity had arisen between them. On
this point we turn to the report of the special
committee, and we find that, in their judgment,
there was not the slightest reason to believe
that there was any question Of veracity which
led to the challenge. To show how unreliable
General Webb's memory is as to this unfortu-
nate transaction, We quote from the report as
follows:
"The committee were disposed to pursue
this inquiry in every form. Not content with
tracing the cause Of the challenge in the written
correspondence, in the assignment of reasons
for the challenge under Mr.. Graves own hand.
and III the various propositions which were
submitted on the field, from the beginning to
the end OF the contest, they proceeded to put
to every witness who was believed to know
anything upon the subject the direct inquiry
xvhQ hnr Air.
time before Mr.. Cilley FELL communicated to
Mr.. Cilley, his second, or attendant friends,
that a question of veracity betw, en-, Mr.. Graves
and Mr.. Cilley was point Of iIiculty TO be
adjusted? Mr.. Jones answe. 80, Certainly
not to me, nor to Mr.. Cilley, at any time, TO
my knowledge, either before or during the day
the duel was fought. / did not hear Of the
existence of such a question until the Sunday
or Monday after Mr.. Cilley was killed. The
written correspondence between Mr.. Graves
and Mr.. Cilley does not show the existence of
any such question Of veracity.' Mr.. Bynum
answered, heard no such communication,
directly or indirectly, from either Mr. Graves or
his second made or intimated to Mr.. Clley or
any Of his friends before he FELL Mr.. Schaum-
burg answered, Il did not understand that
there was a question Of reracity' between the
parties, nor was there any conversation on the
subject. DIR. Duncan answered, There never
did to my knowledge / never heard the aues.
ton of veracity assigned during Mr.. Ciley's
life as the cause Of any difficulty Mr.. Pierce
answered, never held any conversation with
Mr.. Graves, or his second or attendant friends,
in relation to the late fatal duel, nor did ever
hear until subsequently to the oath Of Feb
ruary last, that any question of veracity be-
tween Mr.. Graves and Mr.. Cilley was a point
of difficulty to be adjusted DIR. Foltz an
swered, They did not Mr.. Wise answered,
: i do not know what Mr.. Graves may have
communicated to Mr.. Cilley at any time be-
fore he fell as TO question of veracity between
them, verbally. lbelieve thatI did state to Mr..
Jones, or 10 other friends of Mr.. Ciley on the
ground that Mr.. Graves said Mr. Cilley had assign
ed to him the reason for declining to receive the
note Of Colonel Webb, that he did not choose
to be held accountable for words spoken in de-
bate. / think ! SO informed Mr.. Jones when j
asked him if Mr. Cilley could not assign this
reason on the ground; but of this am moi
positive Mr.. Crittenden answered. Not that |
know Of ! know Of no communication be. |
tween any Of these parties other than as be- |
fore stated, so far as 1 now recollect Whether |
those communications involve any such uues- |
ton it is not for me 10 decide; no such ones. |
tion was made in terms, that know Of Mr.. |
Menefee answered, Mr.. Graves had no com. |
munication Of any kind with Mr.. Cilley. his
second, or attendant friends, and, of course.
did not communicate to them that such oues
ton was point Of difficulty Nor did the |
second Of Mr. Graves, so far as | remember. |
make such communication, except SO far as
may be implied by The propositions made by |
him in connection with the correspondence. |
&c. One, at least, Of the friends OF Mr.. Graves,
in the presence Of his second, made attempts |
to direct the attention Of the second and |
friends Of Mr.. Cilley to the difficulty which was
presented by the terms Of Mr.. Grayes's first |
note, lgiving his version Of what Mr.. Cilley |
had said, and the ground which Mr.. Cilley |
bad subsequently assumed. But il was not re- |
ferred TO, IN terms, as question Of veracity. |
II was believed that Mr.. Cilley had honorable |
grounds, which would be satisfactory to Mr.. |
Graves, and at the same time compatible with |
the truth, which would effect the object without |
making directly such a question whilst Efforts |
were pending to accommodate. Whether the |
views thus expressed were communicated TO
MIR. Cilley, know not For the character Of |
has l..