The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-02-10
The Hill-Yancey Affair.

The H1ll.Hancey AHair.
In view of the industrious circulation
of the story that Hon. B. 81. Hill, while
member of the Confederate States SEN
ate, inflicted injuries upon Mr.. Yancey
which resulted in the death of that gen.
tleman, it is proper to republish the
statement of an eye witness of the whole
affair. from which it will sufficiently ap-
pear that Mr.. Hill did not hurl Mr.. Yam
cey violently upon desk, thereby 30
straining his spine as to make him a
mental and physical wreck, dropping
from day to day, having convulsions, ETC.,
ETC., as the lively imagination of North
ern correspondents has stated. We have
the account from the Montgomery Ad-
vertiser, which originally published the
statement in its issue of October 4, 1865,
and now reproduce it to yindicate Mr.
Hill from the unjust aspersion of being q
"quasi murderer" The story, when all
told, is that there was an alteration and
that Mr.. Hill threw an inkstand at Mr.
Yancey, which struck that gentleman on
the head and inflicted slight scalp
wound. Mr.. Y. was not stricken insen-
sible nor did the blow produce any seri:
Gus or lasting injury whatever. The full
statement is as follows:
"Mr. Yancey and Mr.. Hill did have 9
difficulty in the Confederate Senate, not
however, upon discussion of the navy
bill, but of the Supreme Court bill. MIR
Y. had spoken !; Mr.. Hill in reply
reviewed Mr.. Y.'s record in style
which was regarded as offensive by Sena'
tors. Mr.. Yancey arose, when Mr.. IL
had taken his seat, and remarked that a.
other Senators desired to speak on the
question, he would not consume the time
of the Senate then, but that at proper
time he would endeavor to do justice
| both to the Senator from Georgia and tc
himself. He desired only to say then
that the assertions of the Senator from
Georgia in regard to what he was pleased
to term his autobiography were false, ano
he knew them to be false when he made
them. Mr.. Hill responded quickly from
his seat that he threw the falsehood back
| in his teeth. Upon motion, the Senate
went into secret session. Mr.. Yancey
was then appealed to to adjust the mat
ter. but reiterated what he had said, and
took his seat. Thereupon, Mr.. Hill
threw a heavy glass inkstand, which
struck Mr.. Y. on the side of his face
bruising it and causing the blood to aou
profuseIy, but not knocking him down o.
doing anv serious injury. Mr.. YancoJ
rushed at Mr.. Hill, but was prevented
from striking him, and here the figh
| ended. A committee was appointed ane
retired, to report what was due the Sen
ate for q breach of decorum. Willis
they we're out various speeches were made
to reconcile the parties. Mr.. Yancey
was. for long time, inexorable, bu
when appeals were made to him as *
the effect such a rupture would have
upon the cause, he was disposed to yiele
to the opportunities of friends. To ag
grayate the matter, the committee re
ported censuring both parties-Mr; Yam
cey for the language he had used, ane
MI. Hill for throwing the inkstand.
"Mr. Yancey protested against the re
port to the last but it was finally accep
ted by the Senate, and was afterwards re
considered and withdrawn, upon condi
ton that he would not prosecute hi
claim for personal redress any further, hi
reserving to himself the right to reply tt
Mr.: Hills speech in public, which hi
afterwards did, in g powerful and mos
overwhelming effort. The Senate wa!
engaged from about noon till midnight IL
the settlement of the affair. Member
were bound to secresy, and no correc
statement could be obtained except from
some of them since the fall of the Con
federacy has made all things public
The authentic report is probably among
the private papers of Mr.. T., but oul
statement is sufficiently accurate fol
present purposes, being had from th'
memory of a Senator who was an ey'
witness, and is generally careful of facts
at is thus apparent that this difficult,
had no effect on Mr.. Yancey's rapid de
cline in health. In fact, abundant testi
mony could be adduced, if necessary
from his physician here, to show that h
had been prey to disease for years
He had violent attack of spinal dis
ease while canvassing for the Washing
ton Monument after The Presidential cleo
ton in 1856, from which it was long
doubted whether he would recover, ane
this completely racked and distorted hi
erect and small but powerful frame. HI
was affected for many years with the dis
| ease of the kidneys, from which he died
During his last illness his pains were
most excruciating, but he bore himsel
like true Christian statesman, as he was
through all his sufferings. He was a
times delirious with internal agony, ant
would make most eloquent speeches, ant
imagine himself in line of battle charging
triumphantly on the enemies of his coun
try. He never despaired, or for oncG
| faltered in his devotion to Southern indie
pendence; but thought Mr.. Davis want
ing in forecast, vigor and popular sympa'
thies for great leader. As to his CON
tinuously crying to be put out OF sight
that is simply made out of whole cloth
and very thin texture at that.
"Mr. Yancey died, as he lived, loyal tc
his convictions. He forgave his enemies
and prayed God to forgive them for the
misconstruction of his motives and hi
conduct. A simple marble slab was put
over his grave, not because he wished his
resting place hid from view, but because
time was required to erect suitable
monument"
"A little dirty, dyspeptic newspaper
has been started at Brainerd, Minnesota
under the name of the Centennial Third
Tsrn,er. In a salutatory, which is s.: