The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-03-21
OLD-TIME SOUTHERN DUELs.

Last spring, in a visit to New Orleans,
[ was entertained by an old resident with
"reminiscences of famous duels. Twenty
years ago, the st. Louis Hotel, now used
as a State House, was the fashionable
resort of New Orleans. Its rotunda was
frequented nightly by men of wealth,
cotton and sugar brokers, lawyers, poll
ticians, slave-dealers and professional
duelists. During the winter season, the
rich planters of Louisiana and Missis
sippi brought their families to New Or
leans and lived in the ST. Louis and st.
Charles Hotels The French Opera
House was nightly packed with an audi
euce of beautiful women, resplendent in
dress and blazing with diamonds, accom-
panied by husbands, brothers, fathers
and lovers-a gay, giddy throng, intent
upon quaffing to the very dregs the cup
of pleasure. Three nights in the week,
after the opera, an immense swinging
floor was swung over the parquet, and
dancing followed, sometimes until dawn.
From the Opera House, on nights when
there were no balls, the young bloods,
after the opera was over, congregated in
therotunda of the st. Louis Hotel, which
was then one of the finest public rooms
in the United States. A grand dome,
beautifully frescoed, surmounted it,
lighted during the day from the top by
skyGghts, and at night by magnificent
chandelier and one hundred gas Jets
around the sides. Small marble-top
tables were placed around the sides
of the rotunda, where parties of two and
three gossiped over their wine. At one
side stood the slave block, and nearly
every night there was a slave auction.
A gallery from the second story enabled
the lady guests at the hotel to look upon
all that went on below. When the st.
Louis Hotel was purchased by the War
moth State Government, d few years ago,
the rotunda was converted into Senate
Chamber. The old slave block stood to
the right of the Presidents desk, and is
there yet if it has not been removed since
the Nichols Government came into pos
session of the State House.
Of course, the code was recognized by
everybody. Duels were SO common that
they scarcely excited curiosity The
large French population of New Orleans,
together with an admixture of Spanish.
made the rapier the favorite weapon
The famous duelists were practiced
swordsmen, as well as expert pistol
shots. 1t was the custom of those pests
OF society 20 frequent the rotunda of the
St Louis Hotel, and, like the Irishman at
the Donnybrook Fair, they were spelling
or fight
A young gentleman from Mississippi,
the son of wealthy planter, went to
New Orleans to spend the gay season.
He could not have been typical young
Southerner, because he was quiet, mod
est and unassuming. His great wealth,
fine personal appearance, cultivated
mind and engaging manners had marked
him as a superior being among the
throng of hard drinking, loud talking,
staggering young men of that period.
He was favorite with The ladies, and by
his general department excited the envy
and the ire of the bravoes, who, not
withstanding their well-known absolute
ness, we're admitted into society. More
than one of them had attempted to
fasten a quarrel upon him, but had not
succeeded. At length one of the most
reckless of the famous duelists deter
mined to grossly insult him. Accord
ingly one evening, while the young Mis-
sissippian was sitting at table IL the
rotunda, slipping glass of wine with a
friend, the professional cut throat
stepped up to the table, and, seizing the
glass of wine, dashed it in his enemy's
face. 1t was supposed that, according
to the code, a peremptory challenge
must follow. But the Mississippian
knew his man, and had perfect control
of himself He said nothing, did moth
ing; but quietly retired. He was voted
a coward, of course, by the thronE. The
next day passed and he was not seen. Tt
was supposed he had quit the city. That
evening the staggering duelist who had
given him a mortal affront was in the
rotunda, the lion of the night. Sudden