The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-23
RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS.

RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS.
The article in a recent number of the Bull.
LErN about Famous Duels," has put me to
my recollections.
In the year 1885, there was deadly feud
among some of the students of the South Car
olina College. The parties to this quarrel
were William Boyce. William Whaley, Maxy
Gregg, Louis Wigfall, and several others. 1t
finally narrowed down to personal confiic:
between William Boyce, who subsequently
became a member of Congress from the Rich
land District of South Carolina, and William
Whaley, who became, and still is, noted
lawyer of Charleston. Their chief friends
were wigfall for Whaley and Maxy Gregg for
Boyce. Wigfall and Gregg became noted in
the late Confederate War.
was sitting at my desk in the hall Of the
House of Representatives, for I was mem
Der from the Parish of st. Johns Colleton,
when young Whaley came to me and said
that he had been challenged to fight duel
by another student, named William Boyce,
and wished me to act as his second. This
declined to do; but he was SO urgent, being
from my own parish, and the son Of one OF
my warmest friends, that finally consented,
and resigning my seat as member, repaired
to Charleston, as 1t was understood that the
parties were to fight at Fort Moultrie, or at
Magrath's farm, in the vicinity Of Charleston.
The negotiations looking to an amicable ar
rangement by the mutual friends of the par
ties, were carried on at the Planters Hotel,
on Church street.
At the request of young Whaley's father, l
called to my aid the assistance of ex-Gov.
John l.. Wilson. The greatest difficulty
experienced, however. was from the acrimo-
NOUS conduct of Wigfall, and the imperious
tone and temper of Maxy Gregg. who wished
to play dictator, and to conduct everything
according to his own free will But in this
he was disappointed At length an amicable
adjustment was effected on the basis Of let
ter written BY Col. Pierce Butler, who was
afterwards Governor of South Carolina, and
who fell at Cherubusco in the Mexican war,
bravely fighting at the head OF the Palmetto
regiment.
I lett Charleston for my home on Wadma-
law Island, Whaley and Wigfall being in COM
pany with me as far as Rantouls. l had
been at home only few days when friend
called on me and said that there had been sad
work in Charleston between Whaley and
Boyce; that three young men out of four
had been shot down, and that there was very
great excitement
went to Charleston Immediately and had
an interview with VIM. Boyce and his brother
John. when learned for the first time what
had occurred after parting with Whaley and
Wigfall.
Il appears that Wigfall had gone home
with Whaley to Edisto Island. and had
urged him to break the adjustment and re-
new the quarrel. They returned to Charles
ton during Christmas week, and Whaley
wrote to Boyce for the purpose Of renewing
the quarrel, engaging Shubrick Pinckney as
his friend Boyce refused to disturb the
when Whaley notified him that
he would post him at the Courthouse. The
parties met accordingly, Whaley being &C
by Pinckney and Boyce by Maxey
Gregg. When Whaley was about to stick the
postage on the Courthouse Boyce attempted
to throw his cloak off, when Whaley fired, the
ball striking Boyce on the hip and ranging
around the spine.
Just as he fell, Pinckney fired at Gregg.
The ball struck bunch Of keys in the vest of
Gregg, and he fell near his friend. AT this
moment Pinckney called to Whaley, saying:
{" We have killed them both, and must now
save ourselves" They turned to leave, and.
when crossing Meeting street, Gregg raised
himself on his hands and knees, and calling
to Pinckney to halt, fred at him, the ball
both of Pinckney's thighs, and
bringing him to the ground.
The cause of this sanguinary affair, Louis
Wigfall, and who was deserving of the severest
censure, lived to become notorious in the
Confederate war as a member of Congress
from Texas, in which State he bullied old
Sam Houston on every stump, and destroyed
the popularity of the debauched old dragon.
Cen Maxy Gregg died a glorious death.
He was General in the Confederate army,
and when shot down on one of the battle
fields of Virginia, he said to his aide-de-camp,
" Tell Governor Pickens that if l am to die
now, freely give my life for theindependence
Of South Carolina"