Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-08-26
statement of MIR. Seldom.

Statement of Mr.. SeduOn' ,
MnHts @ he AGa;r q Aons' ne S1"' i lI's J. Eg e.,
ani O. .lesn,ays Wi~, Esq.
The parties having exchanged shots with3u'
effect, the second Of Mr.. Old remarked tial us
principal being the challenger, and as nc eoIs.
ceiyed the aggrieved party, could make no pro-,
fer Of adjustment, but that he would suspehu
tbe challenge to allow the other side the opPor'
tunitv TO make anv if desired. THIS answer
wos from Mr. Wise: II not only believe, out
nm fully convinced that am the aggrieved
partv-tbat the challenge, which have been
forced TO accept was unnecessarily gNtH
can make no proposal for adjustment, "li'cn
have not already made. hereupon M.
Old> second replied: MY principal can on J,
renew the challenge, and demand asother IRE
a second fire having taken place without q,
feet. Mr.. Odds second said hc again suspended
the challenge, with the expression oil a nope
that bv a conference OF all the Trends Oh lhe
parties present on the ground. some mode Oh
satisfactory adjustment might be devised
Such conference thereupon took place. At II,
Mr.. Seldom suggested, May not salislac'or!
adjustment be effected on this basis All con-
troycrSy rs to the import OF the SPECIAL PHRASES
and general intent OF the articles OF Alr. WISE
being mutually discarded, may not Mr.. " Use
diSclam all intent 10 impugn the veracily ana
honor OF Mr. Old. and thcrcupon the !nattc:
be ended. and the parties resume their former
rcaiions:' Whercupon Mr.. Taliaterro re-
sponlcd b. the assurance that two days ago
Mr.. Wise had informed him that the cxpIana'
ton already gwen in writing was intended by
him As 4 disclaimer tantamount TO that when
Mr.. Sc,l,iOn now suggests
After some further consideration and inter
change of views among the friends present, Slr.
Sr,llnn moved that the fricpdS Of both princi-
nails prc.en; on the field unite i'll recommending
to them. respectively, the following as an ad-
iust,nrnt honorable and satisfactory to both
nartics. viz: All controversy rs to the import
If spcc;al phrases and Of the general intent oi
Mr.. Wisc's articles being considered as swept
AWAY nv the two fires intcrchaagc,l, and being
mutually discarded. Mr.. Wise dI>clains, A.
from the assurance 81 Mr. iHl'#ierrp II appears
he has heretofore Intended t. di>claim, aii m
tent in his articles, 10 reflect Oh the ,eracity
and honor of Mr.. Old. and ;hcrcupon the mat,
tiers growing out OF those articles be regarded
AS sunk in the past, and the parties resume
their former relations.
st this stage Mr. Ialiaic:ro suggested. ~ an
essential preliminary IL such recommendations
the friends present siio&ld unite in propound-
ing to the principals. simultaneously, the fol-
lowing questions to Mr.. Wise:
Did Won. Mr. Wise by your letter OF Thurs
day. at half:past four, p. NJ, intend to dl>cam
all imputation OH the vcracity and honor OF Mir
Old in Your editorial articles published on
Tuesday last" And to Mr.. Old,
did Won, Mr.. Old. in refusing to recognize
rs sufficient and satisfactory the explanation
contained IN Mr. WSe's letter OF Thursday last,
intend to impucn the sincerity Of MIR. Wise III
that explanation:
And that an affirmative or negative reply be
returned, each signed by the par addressed,
and to be delivered, 80 signed, Ia the other -
After some consideration during which Mr.
Taliatrrro declared such answers necessary To
Il basis of adjustment, general assent was given
to this suggestion. The questions were then
simultaneously propoundcd, and answered rs
follows. To the question to Mr.. Wise, he re-
spondcd:
al did intend Ia make such disclaimer. anu
thought such intention was distinctly conveyed
in that letter. q. JENNINGS WISE.
To the question to Mr.. Old, nc responded;
NO. did not intend to impugn the Sia-
rcr;ty of Mr.. Wise in his explanation for be-
lcycd he entertained the views expressed there
in; but did not consider it disclaimer Of
imputation on my ycracity and honor, nor
satisfactory explanation. VIZ. oL", JE.
The answers Of the principals being cXhlb.
tied that of each TO the other, were considered
BY them respectively as satisfactory. And,
thcrcupon the undersigned, beng all the friends
of both parties on the field, united in recon-
rncnding the acceptance and execution OF the
plan of adjustment as last above proposed By
Mr. Seldom, and their recommendation being
acceded to by the principals, the affair was CON
sidcrcd honorably terminated.
The foregoing minutes were prepared with
the interval of only about two hours rest, after
coming from the field, when my impressions
were most vivid and recollcct!onS distinct OF
all the transactions there. They were not de-
signed to give in detail. transactions and con-
fcrcnces that had occupied live or six hours.
but merely the matters deemed essential.
clearly to display the events Of the combat and
the proceedings that resulted in an honorable
adjustment They were prepared with an
earnest effort at accuracy, brcvity. and impair
tia!ity, so that thcy might commend themselves
to the remembrance and conviction of all the
persons present on the field, and be 1t once
adopted and signed by the friends of both par
ties. as AL authorized statement OF facts, and
united testimony to the honorable and Sats'ac'
tory character Of the adjustment.
Is soon rs completed, they were submit
ted To the friends of Mr.. Wise, and left with
them for consideration. confidently expect
cd they would be ut once approved and signed,
and that all the parties Interested in the matter
might leave the next morning. About . OF 10
O'Clock that night. however, Mr.. Taaicrro. one
of Mr.. Wisc's friends on the licll, called to in
form me that some differences OF recollection
concerning the transactions, described in the
minute as following the propounding. slmuta.
neously, OF the questions to the principals, eN-
listed between them and myself. That they
feared they would not be able 10 arrange the
matter 81 as 20 sign the minutes that night,
but that If | wished to return TO Rich
mond next morning. Mr.. Wise desired I'm to
say they would try to complete them that night
and, il unable. would bring them down to
Richmond in day or so afterwards. Mr.. Ia
laferro and myself had n brief conversation IN
the entry to my room, (wfcrc were some vi>l-
tors and we both thought there was so near
4 coincidence in our reductions OF the trans.
actions at the point indicated, that there would
he little difficulty in according to the same
statement the next morning. |, therefore, re-
oicstcd him to thank Mr.. Wise for the conSid-
Grafton of his message. but that thinking it oc'
sirabc the official statement should be made as
early as possible, should remain and that
would meet his friends to compare rccolcc;ions
and arrange it the next day
Accordingly, the next morning, ] called and
found Mr.. Wise himself and Mr.. Taliafcrro; Col.
Davis. believe had left that morning. On con-
vcrsation with Mr. Wise. soon found that the
difference Of impression was more decided and
material than had imagined, and that the tri-
vial differences OF recollection, as had concclv'
cd them, between Mr.. Taliaferro and myself,
covered essentially different views of the mode
of adjustment. did not, Indeed, consider this
difference as upsettlng the adjustment or remit
ting the principal, to their hostile relations, but
as involving serious consideration Of the eSti-
mates that might be placed upon the mode of