, 1860-04-21
coss1pABoUT DUELL1NG.


g-meu, who, falling into dispute, agreed to
gentlemen" By swords and daggcrs. They
ought IN 1caT,,th year after the landingof the
'ilgrims, and both were severely though not
wounded, There was no statute
n relation to the offence, SO the elders got TO-
,ethcr to consider the method Of punishment
t was decided they should be tied together
,ecL md hecls with stout thongs, and be com.
,elled to endure each others companlonship
;or twenty -four hours, without food or drink
rhe sentence was carried into execution; and
'he ridieule which.was thrown upon the practice
If duellipg BY this cvent, has descended to our
own day.
Within year or two after the Cilley and
Graves duel in Washington. by which Cilley
was murdered, Mr. Graves, even then stricken
with horror by the neyer-failing remembrance
Of his crime, WIS On his way from Kentucky, |
through the interior Of this State, to one Of the
Northern counties. The couch stopped for the
night at Pekin, Tazewell county, at hotel then
kept by Sam. Knott, afterward braTe lieuten-
mt in the 4th Illinois Regiment Of Mexican
volunteers. It Was announced soon after Mr..
Graves' arrival who be was Knott said moth
ing then, but when Mr. Graves asked for a bed,
{he had not taken supper) addressed him thus:
"So, sir, you cannot sleep in my house. You
j" are not worth enough to buy lodging under
tiny roof. Go, there is blood on your hands"
The ex-Congressman went, and with his cloak
wrapped around him, passed the night in the
coach in the stable yard. Poor Knott died on
shipboard, between Vera Cruz md New Or
leuns, after hnring gone through oil the dangers
Of the campaign. As man Of true courage
and magnnnimity, he had IN aversion to the
Duel which he could not conceal
1t is a little singular that Illinois, settled ut
first By men from the States where the Code IS
recognized, should hare escaped with the lew
luels that hare been fought on her SOIL The
case related in Gov. Ford's History Of the State,
in whicl, the survivor in fatal meeting was
tried by jury and hung, may hare done much
to give an early and salu'ary direction 10 public
opiuion in tLis matter. Across tue river, IN
Missouri, the Duel has never been unpopular.
Her politicians, editors, laxyers, doctors, ETC.,
were only few years ago particularly fond oi
appealy TO the Code as the arbiter Of their quar-
rcls. Al! our older readers will recol1eet the
fight between Didd1e and Pettis--both gentle
men Of distinction and both Of unquestionable
courage. They fought with pistols at distance
Of only fuefeft. When in position, their weap-
ons overlapped. Both MS cool md collected as
clergyman in the pulpit, fired at the word.
Both were killed. Cases Of lesser note, IN an
carly day, we're By no means unfrequent; but
the practice never crossed the river into ILL
nois. Gen. Shields, when living at Belleyille,
used TO show that he had The blood Of Donn.y.
brook in his veins; and at one time it was
thought that be was determined upon setto
with Senator, thin Judge. Tfumbuil; hut bis
| yaporing came to naught, and the two gentle
men now maintain friendly personal relations.
4 great deal Of fun Was had by the joSers in
| Springfield, about m atEa,r in which, long time
ago, our good friend Lincoln The candi.
date for the Presidency, was engaged
| young lady Of that city, now the wife Of g
distinguished statesman, wrote paragraph III
bnrlesque vein for the Sangamon Journal, in
which Gen. Shields was good. d.humoredly ridi
culed for his connection with some public
measure. The General was greatly incensed
and demanded Of the editor the name Of the Of
Tending party. "Old Sim" put linn cfI with
request for twenty-five hours to consider th'
matter; and, shortly afterward, meeting Lin
coin, told him his perp1exity. "Tcll him
wrote i'll" said Lincoln and tell him he did
After deal Of diplomacy to get 4 rctraction o
the offensive parts Of the paragraph in question
Shields sent challcngc, which Lincoln accept
ed, named broadswords as tile weapons, md a1
uufrequented, well.woodcd island in the Missis
sirpi, just below Alton, as the place. s'0ld Abe
was first on the ground, and when Shields ar
rived he found his antagonist, his sword in on
hand and hatchet in the other, With his Goa
Of, clearing away the undcr-brush! Before th
preliminary arrangements were completed
Jonx ]. uARp1S, who somehow had 20
wind Of what was af|oat, appeared on th
scene, called them both ID fools, md b.
his arguments addressed to their con1mon.senst
and by his ridiculc Of the figure that they, tw
we'll grown, bearded men, were making thcrt
each With frog-stickcr in his hand, broke u
the 6g ght! We do not know how Gen. Shield
|
feels; but We have heard Of Lincoln's sayin
'nat Tue acceptance o1 tne cnalenge WIS III
meanest 'n'ng &c ever olo IN h's 1He' aaro'1
1oan WHOM PRAYER man never $1,000, heVe
came oo' o1 ina. terrible charge a. buen
Vista, to which be led the End Regiment Of iii
nois Volunteers. II the e-cnts Of lis Life passe
Ill qu'es res'e~ before his mina as he iay wound
ea ano dsing IN 'hat 1atal 1asioe' NC doubt no
1hfs ae1 o1 hls' oy winch hepresentea Two real!
brave men from engaging in fatal str1ie, VIZ
not the least oi the CONSCIENTIOUS Oh tna' o''1e
hourl
The stringent clause IN our state const''u',o
IN relation 10 ooe'l!ne nao us organ II 'a's WIS
"omeHoe's o' LUG eonS11u''ona1e eon'en'ie
r both oi whom have llved long enough to +
pent their tolly-had ~ordy encounter
some bitterness Which was followed by eha
lenge- The oe!n ngereofs properly accompanie
went 10 d. LOUIS On olooas DEEDS intent
ihere 1he5 were arrested reasoned WILL III
iaugaeo a1' ano 1e1ufnea 10 taeir constsneat
: inends. Next Day the proh'b't'on OF duclling
, "ho~ s'aaus' vas presented TO the convcnt't
aud aaoptca' "e 40 not remember that n du
I nus been fought IN Illinois since
4 sooo stofy Is 1olo o1 TWO gentlemen OF tt
3 and between whom duel might auy doy ha
beca expected. One Of them fell sick, and I
r ter somewhat lingering il'ness,it wns report
!, that be must die. His cid enemy craycd pe
mission TO scc him. It vas granted. md Il
fnlto,rinc co]loouv tool n1oce.