The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-10-05
The Graves.Cilley Duel.

The Louisville COurier-JOornal says {:
The famous Graves and Cilley duel
took place in 1887. Mr.. Wise was the
second of the former, and Mr.. George
W. Jones, of Iowa, the second of the
latter. 1t grew out of an attack by Mr.
Cilley on James Watson Webb, of the
Courier and Enquirer. Graves first
acted as the friend of Webb, when
Clley refused to be accountable for
words spoken in debate. A question
OF veracity having subsequently arisen,
Graves became principal, and acted
by the advice of Henry Clay. Mr.. Wise
was opposed to the duel, and desired to
delay it, and, if possible, settle the
affair by negotiation. He declined
several times to bear the challenge to
Mr.. Cilley and, Oh the last occasion of
his ooing SO, "Mr. Graves appealed to
Messrs. Clay and Menefee to bear wit
ness that on one occasion, in the alb
sense of Mr.. Wise from the House of
representatives, he had, without asking
the right or the wrong of Mr.. Wis
controversy, taken up his personal quar-
rel, and was ready to fight for him-tbat
he had more confidence i'll him than any
one else as his friend on the ground !;
and that if he (Wise) suffered him to
go upon the field without guarding his
life and his honor, and he was brought
back corpse, he desired his wife, his
children and his friends to know that he
(Wise) had failed to stand by him after
lie knew ne was determined to fight. !"
Wise could not withstand this appeal.
He carried the challenge to Mr.. Oilley,
copied by Mr.. Graves from Mr.. Clay's
manuscript. Mr.. Wise had, however,
resolved to prevent, if possible, the
hostile meeting.
After nightfall Mr.. George W. Jones
brought an acceptance, and tho terms
proposed-eighty ysrds, with rifles.
Mr.. Wise demurred. Mr.. Clay instant
ly exclaimed "No Kentuckian can
back out flom rife |" Mr.. Wise's OBJ
jec6 still being that of delay, he met
Mr.. Jones the next morning, and said
he must have time to go to Philadelphia
for rife, as he did not know where
else to get one that was reliable. Mr..
Jones replied: "Certainly, sir, there
must be gun which can be relied on
in the whole District of Columbia |"
At this answer Mr.. Wise was somewhat
P.S'NNo; uiu iepiiCu II JOu huoW
of one, sir, would be glad if you
would furnish me with it." Thereupon,
the next morning, rife, powder flask,
bullet molds, etc., were found upon
Mr.. Wise's table, with q polite note
rendering the rifle, etc., "to Mr..
Graves. Graves was very bad and
Cilley crack shot yet at the third fire
the latter was shot, and died in few
moments. ..
His death led to great public excite
ment, and a committee of investigation
was ordered by the House. The chief
onns of the affair was sought to be placed
on Wise and even those with whom he
had acted from personal motives allowed
this opinion to prevail in order to shield
themselves. Mr. James Watson Webb,
III l642, alleged in the Courier and En-
QuSrer that Mr.. Wise had instigated the
duel. Such charge was totally unjust,
emanating as it did from Mr.. Webb.
who was directly connected with the
affair. So after this allegation had ap-
peared in the Courier and Enquirer,
Mr.. Wise published the facts of the case
in the Madisonian. Mr.. Clay replied,
admitting his whole part in the affair
and generally justified Mr.. Wise as well
as himself. ...