Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-01-25


three gun-shots were heard. At day
break the island was visited and a
search was instituted for the two duel
lists. They were found at length, both
prone on the ground. Jackson was ly-
ing next to the ground, his opponent,
stock dead, stretched across his body.
Jackson was alive and recovered from
the effects of the fight Foryears and
years jackson was the idol of Georgia,
and left behind him a posterity as brill
liant and as brave as he himself.
1t is literally impossible TO describe
the uncomfortable passion that moved
the actors in this period of Georgia S
history. Men were colossal in their
hates, inexorable in ferocity. The
Yazoo Fraud divided the State into two
factions, that divided every hamlet in
the State. Speaking of the opposite
faction, Gov. Troup said, in a public
speech: "If | ever forgive one of them
his sins, may the good God never for
give me MINER The Clarkes, John
and Elijah, were the leaders of one fac
ton, and VIM. II. Crawford, one of the
most distinguished men the nation ever
produced, led the other. The Clarkes
were for long time autocrats of Upper
Georgia. Their reign was at length
disturbed by the advent of young
Virginian, who, by his ardent nature
and splendid talent, soon organized an
opposition to them. They could not
brook this interference, and determined
to put Crawford to the test. A young
man named Van Allen, an ardent fol-
lower of the Clarkes, was very soon
thrown into q discussion with Craw-
ford, which resulted in the reception of
a challenge by the latter. The State
then stood still to see what Crawford
would do. If he refused to fight he was
ruined and disgraced. If he did fight
his death was n probability. He was
very prompt in the matter. He at
once accepted Van Aliens challenge.
They met in the presence of a large
crowd. Crawford was not known to be
n good shot, but was exceedingly cool.
He walked to his position with firm,
measured step, biting piece of twig.
When he reached the stand he threw
the twig to one side, turned his flank to
his opponent, and settled himself into Il
statue. At the command his arm rose
slowly, but steadily, as if it were part
of machine. When it came to dead
level he pulled the trigger, and Van
Allen dropped dead. This action, of
course, added to Crawford's reputation,
but the Clarkes only opposed him the
more bitterly. At length John Clarke
sent him challenge. Crawford ac-
cepted, and went to the field. He
acted with the same coolness as before,
but missed his man and received ball
in his own wrist. He had two other
" affairs" before he could shake his
enemies off. He was a strong advocate
of the code, and believed it to be .veri-
table peacemaker.
This feud gradually went beyond the
limits of the State. The antagonism
between Crawford of Georgia and Cal
houn of South Carolina soon arrayed
the two States behind their respective
champions. The hatred between the
people of the States was intense and
personal. 1t resulted, of course, in
numberless challenges and meetings.
Among the most notable of these was
the quarrel between Col. Cumming OF
Georgia and the great McDuffie OF
South Carolina, who was probably the
finest orator the South ever produced.
The origin of this duel is quite amusing.
Some articles signed &C. rejecting
severely upon Crawford, appeared in
the Augusta Chronicle. 1t was believed
that they were written by McDuffie. A
reply to them was prepared by Richard
Henry Wilde, then a member of Con
gress, attacking Mcpuflie as the sup
posed author of the first articles. II
was assumed by &C." who was not Nc
Duf1ie, that the writer of the reply to
his article was Col. Cumming. He
thereupon lampooned him severely
Thus these two gentlemen had each
been attacked because of an authorship
purely putative, and challenge passed
between them. 1t mattered not that
neither was originally at fault. One
was Georgian, the other Carolinan-that
was sufficient The meeting took place
on the Georgia border Col. Cumming
desired to fight in shirt sleeves; McDuf-
fie suggested "frock or surtout coat. "
The suggestion was agreed to and the
parties met, Cumming being clad in a
suit of linen and McDuflie in full suit
of silk, When the parties came to their
places Cumming was notably cool and
self-possessed; McDuflie was. considera-
bly, agitated but very determined. At the
word "Firer' Cummings bullet went
straight to its mark, entering McDuflie's 8
back just below the heart and lodg-
ing against his spine; while McDuflie's S
bullet struck the ground about four feet
in front of him; his pistol was fired at
random. The surgeons were then sum-
moned, and it is said that the "sur-
geons of both parties advised dis
continuance of the fight.
This duel made a great stir. The
Georgia papers charged McDuffie with
disreputable conduct in several points.
They said that Cummings pistol "was
loaded for the side and not for the back,
and for the resistance of common dra-
perry and not of several folds of strong
silk" These illusions were due to the
fact that McDuffie had turned trifle
too far away from his opponent, and to
the peculiarity of his dress. He was
also upbraided for leaving the field
after a single shot. McDuffie's friends
retorted that he left the field upon the
advice of his surgeons-that his dress
was of Il single fold of silk, and that his
position was accidental. These contro-
versies led to the appearance of an
anonymous piece that gave an account
of the affair offensive to Col. Cumming.
Assuming that McDuffie had written or
inspired it, he challenged him again
McDuffie accepted, and the parties very
soon went to the field Here the sec
onds had difficulty about the terms,
and the meeting was adjourned to an
other day and another place. At this
third meeting Cummings bullet again
sped straight to its work, and shattered
McDuflie's arm and deranged his aim
so that his bullet went harmlessly into
the air. Col. Cumming was man of
great strength of character. He always
professed a contempt for Northerners.
At the battle of Lundy's Lane he was
severely wounded and was borne to a
room where Preston, of South Carolina,
also wounded, was lying, almost delir-
ious with pain. Late at night he was
awakened by hearing Cumming burst
into a boisterous laugh. "What are
you laughing aboutP" he asked. ~