National Republican., 1873-11-22
A "REMINISCENCES.
ACCOUNT OF THE aRAvEs.ciLLY FuSI,

Csuse. that Led to tho Hostile MeetiuE-
How wess Go, Out aud Grnv,s Oct h
tho Pisht-The Connection OF Clay, Crit
tendea and Other, with tho Ahair-The
Subsequent Excitement Over tho Fatal
Resist.
The following graphic description OF the
Graves-Cilley duel is extracted from q private
letter written by Ex-Governor Wise, OF virginia,
one Of the seconds In the affair, TO friend now
temporarily resident In Washington. The letter
Is dated iu 1855:
In issI the United States Sank contest was
ended by the expiration Of Its charter, never 10
Ne revived. Soon afterwards saw the error OF
my Views In regard to It's re-charter, and would
never again maintain them.
To prevent the crash Of millions and the loss
to the innocent which did follow, had con-
tended manfaly for = continuation OF the corpo-
ration by Congress long snouah at least to save
inc public credit and to ease tho downfall OF the
bank to private individuals, stockholders, note
holders ma creditors aud debtors But was
wrong, the ,ry,sion Of state and hank had 10 be
ny violence and no other man could have
sifectetI II but Genersl jackson. II made bit
tkrness Of political feutis -h,eh hope never 70
Dee again, The Pcnnsy sanis hank system was
worse, and rejoice siill that wAusd upon It
ffom the start
The excitement at the time brought me fnto the
chief difficulty Of my iife-thc celebrated Graves
and Cilley duel Of 1880. without my knowledge,
counsel, advice, Information or suspicion even,
ono Hon. VIM. J. Graves, Of Kentucky, carried q
letter for James Watson Webb, Of New YORK,
to the Hon. Sots.lsh Cilley. / have never seen
that paper, accorcfry 20 my recollection, to this
hour. Nc. Ciey had said soiretsue harsh Of
Webb In debate In the House of Representatives.
Webb, l believe, demanded. satisfaction Of Mr..
Ciley through Mr.. Graves, as his friend and
bearer Of his challenge. Mr. Cilley declined TO
receive the paper, as Mr.. Graves alleged, on the
ground that he did not choose to be held ac-
equitable for words spoken In debate, and
would not recognize webbs right TO call upon
Inn for words spoken Of ant concerning him on
the noos n no House. How this was never
kew, for wss rtormed nothing shout the af.
fair for days, pcrsrss 4 week, sitter u com.
msnced. Nc. Graves haG e~usnitsd win Webb,
with Mr.. Clay and with other psfssns BEFORE he
came to me for advice. Then his oily ssxfety
was to do his full duty to his principal a1d 10
more.
1 ADVISED him that Mr.. CIlleys ground was
perfectly tenahle and could not be excepted to.
The ground that he did not choose to waive his
bic for words spoken N debate, aid not ssssil the
character of Mr.. Webb as q gentleman. Hc said
he admitted that, hut Mr.. Galley had expressed
mi Il In writlhg In The form he had assumed in
his nTst interview with him. advised him then
TO address him respectfully ln writing and TO re-
Saest MN e say upon ", wna, ground .n y was ths,
hands. This he did. did not carry the letter
The rerly Of Mr.. Cilley was unsatisfactory In
this: that II did not admit what Mr.. Graves had
stated.to have occurred verbally between them
In the nrst Interview. This seemed to raise q
question OF veracity; but i still advised Mr.
Graves not to go further than to demand whether
Mr.. Cilley meant to assail his statement as un
true. He repeatedly saw Mr.. Clay, as his chic
adviser, and, after rome day or two Of delay, h,
came 70 me TO take his challenge TO Mr.. Cilley
declined TO do 50, and begged him TO sleel
upon Il at least pne night, The next moruinl
after his applcstiop " me be came to my roor
and again urged m6 Y eesshIs challenge. ! dls
ground OF challenge saye thli n veracity, and
he called upon that ground was srye Nj. ellie
would dlsclsim all Impeachment OF his 7erstity
and that would be an end OF the affair. Ne va
not Obliged to dlsclaim imputation upon Webb
No could plead his privilege only without afirm
ing or diselainIing anything to him. He then, a
ptessly, On the ground that Mr.. Ciey had as
sailed hs siaiemsnt a. 20 whist occurred betwee
them nhe1 he dst taJried webbs note. l sti
with him 10 The room, MI oi Mf. NJ cSy % and 70 c oo1is
with him. did no. Mr.. Graves and myself sut
mitted our differences Of views, when Mr.. Cls
took the challenge which Graves hal written
and pronounced II TO be Improper, sAcatise h
had based his call upon the wrong groutfi=th
ground OF rcrdc'tg. lie said there was but On
celve Webb's note At Mr.. Graves hand, aud un
less he would disclalm imputation upon Webb a
asentlcman Mr, Graves was bound by the cod
OF honor to step into Webb's shoes and to cha
lenge directly for that cause. lie threw IN
challenge written by Graves aside, and drew th
form Of the one which was taken afterwards !
Graves copied It and then again pressed me
bear 1t. l declined on the ground that di
not aeproye OF the form. differed In opinio
with Mr. Clay, and could net bear the chslleng
" 1t was based upon point Of punctiiis, whic
never could be adjusted In any case withou
blood. Dy this time Of the interview Mr.. Men
my opinion, and as soon as I declined, MI
Graves applied 10 Messrs. Clay and Menifee /
bear witness that, in my absence on one occi
sion In the House, he had, without asking tn
right Of the wrong OF my controversy, taken u
my personal quarrel, and was reHdy 10 light Il
me; that he had more confidence n me than I
any one else as bis friend on the groand, an
that " allowed him to go there without guar
ing his life aud honor, and he was brought bse
corpse or crippled, that he desired his W.T.
and his children and his faulty to know that
had failed to stand by him after knew that b
WAS determined to go TO the field whether wen
with him or not. could not stand this appea
guard his life and his honor Il be was bent O
fighting against my advice. I then bore his cha
lenge, copied by Mr.. Graves from Mr.. Clay
IN NV avn ;pisd ~ npeynna shn s,,,a w io,ine
At night General George W. Jones, q noble
brave mar, brought the acceptance, an
Again was taken 10 Nessrs. Clay and Menife,
Mr.. Clay instantly exclaimed: "No Kentuckia
can back out from q rine." That settled II
where to lind a rine. The next morning sa
Mr.. Jones. My object was delay, and told hi
must have time 70 20 to Philadelphia for
rin,; that knew o. none reliable nearer. II
can be depended upon In the whole District q
Columbia" l was cut, and said shortly "ff 20
hnow OF one, ST, ! would be glad n you woul
Ing, sure enough, found q rine, powder nasl
bullet moulds, &c., on my table, and a polit
note not rendering & 10 me the gun for the use Z
the part OF Mr. Jones, but It had the bad efes
uf Fastening the duel. He had not understoo
me, and doubtless meant to serve Mr. Grave,
Mr.. Graves had been out that morning an
could not shoot at all with any ACCURACY at ID
mark. and found his hand olumsey and nngt
no coarse In It's touch that II could not taste
hair trigger. lie would IRE before the wor
with the trigger set, and could not hit q man no
neaIn door at eigaty yards. But had procure
large, good rine from John q. Rives, ESQ.,, O
Washington, and had II nled with vneRir th
night before, 80 dirty had II been for month,
aud by the time appointed ! got Mr.. Grave
accompanied by me as His armed arr S seccu j, IL AIDE
by Hon. John J. Crittenden and Hon. Richard Il
henitee. Mr. Ci!ley was accompanied by HoI
Ne'. "NhtH ss hCtOuut ulutu U
Hon. Dr. Duncan, OF Ohio, and Hon. jesse By
mum, OF North Carolina. Before we went ou
the propositions OF Adjustment were written 10
my guide In case adjustment should be pre-
posed.
Mr.. Graves won the position, Mr.. Cilley IN
word. selected the west because the win
was setting from the mort west, and knew tha
Mi. Cllley WAS crack shot, but thought that h
would not make allowance for the resistance q
the wind against hs ball, which l suppose
would be about six inches for that dlstanc,
That saved Brcycs life. Mr.. Cllley stood cas-
Graves west, and they fred at o'clock, D. IN
nearly acroaS the rays OF the sun-Mr. Grave
face In the light, Mr. Cilleys In the shade; sh
latter having the advantage In that. He ha
another advantage-Graves was SO coarse In h
6nger that ordered him TO keep it out OF III
sptnner until lie caught sight; to receive his ~
yersafys Ore aud not to nre himself before ID
word three. At the nrst nre Graves obeye
orders coolly, but Mr.. Cilley did not get his ba
forty yards from his toes-he was hasiy and ol
his nTe. This evidently disturbed him; not hi
nerves. but MS temper. Graves was very slo'
the nrst time, aud Mr.. Cilleys loss OF nre ey
IDENTITY made him dcsirOus Of another exchanu q
OF shots. Unknown TO me, forty yards on " hen Nj
Menifee put the rlne In Mr.. ufayes' hands the se
ond time, he upbraided him for being too slow ~
made him put HIS nngor In the spanner again
my orders. Al the word my eyes were OF couTl
on Mr.. Cilley. The second time he was calm aI
collected. At the word "nre" on went Grave
Iiie not ten steps from his toes. Ciiley rails,
deliberately and shot at doad aim at about ty
and q hall count. turned 10 Graves, W,
dropped the breech OF his ride as ran up 10 hll
lie had been tugglDg AZ his trigger, and thoug