The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-02-26
Hard on FOOte.
The STORY OF HIS Two DUELs WITH SAR.
GENT S. PRENTIss.

The brazen efrontery of Henry s. Foote il
exposing his willingness to fight duel will
Jefferson Davis, is only surpassed by til,
malignity of the motive by which he is slim
ulated. It is but too patent that he is yainl.
striving to attain consequence and capita
with the Republican party. To those wht
know, and who is ignorant of, the fact, that he
foisted himself upon the State which placed
him in the Confederate Senate as true ane
firm Southerner while in all his purposes ano
conduct he was marplot, working the destruc
tion of the south, and that in the last, gloomy
days of Southern depression and distress, that
he secretly slipped from his Senatorial seat and
slyly passed the lines of Gen. Lee, into Wash
ington City, with intent to betray his com
rades; that he was coldly and ignominiously re.
pulsed at Washington, and he again returned
secretly to Richmond and audacously essayed
to resume his seat as Confederate Senator, it
is not surprising that in his desperation he
snatched at every plank to save his sinking
frame. The friends of Jefferson Davis know
we'll that he will not soil his character as q
statesman, general and a Christian gentleman,
by conflict with any such man as Foote, and
some of his friends think he should not have
even condescended to publish the card in which
he declines to notice him. If Foote really
Wallis, OIO oSoC, w NuSA1 AAC
had better look down among the renegades
and traitors who were so numerous between
the lines of the late contending armies.
In speaking of Henry S. Foote, we are re-
minded of the account which the late talented
Sargent s. Prentiss gave of the causes of the
two duels between him and Foote.
This is the substance of the matter we have
heard as detailed by Prentiss:
A friend of Prentiss was at the point of death
from an attack of mania potu. For week
his physician had essayed every known remedy
to put their patient to sleep, but in vain.
Prentiss knew that Foote had made a visit to
Texas. He was nursing his sick friend, when
consultation of the doctors was held, and
they announced that the case was hopeless,
unless the patient could be put to sleep, but
that they would exhaust all the means known
to the profession.
Prentiss sprang from his seat, and said to
the doctors, On it, give him Foote'S book
on Texas to read. I will insure its soporifc
effect" The remark of Prentiss was to good q
joke to be kept, and it reached the ears of
Foote, who challenged, and Prentiss was too
much of Southern cavalier to decline, and
they met, and Foote was wounded, and the
parties made friends.
1t happened that the meeting was so notori::
GUS that very large collection crossed the
river at Vicksburg to witness it, and among
them number of boys, who were so anxious
ito get full sight, that they climbed up many
trees about the grounds. When the seconds
had planted the parties, Prentiss locked around
and saw the boys in the trees, and jestingly
remarked, "Boys, you had better take care,
Foote shoots mighty wild" This remark was
published in the papers, and annoyed Foote to
such degree, that he again challenged Prem
tiss, who met him second time as a gentle
manly solace to Foote'S wounded spirit. At
the meeting Foote fred and missed, and Prem
tiss fired his pistol in the air, and the parties
were again reconciled.
Foote'S Texas dropped still-born from the
press, and it is believed it would be hard to
find copy, valuable as it might prove as q
narc0tic.-PGris Kentuckidn.