Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-20
r o. Dorner, ESQ.,;

HAMILTON, OHIO March Is 10 ~.
o. Dormer, Esq;
DEAR SIR am IN receipt of your letter CT
the first instant. l am the only living man
who knows all about the Brooks B uriIngame
affair, about which you make inquiry.
You are clearly in error in regard to the mat
ter. 1t occurred IN those stormy days, a
quarter of a century ago, when knock
downs, the drawing of bowie knives
and pistols were not infrequent In
the halls of congress, and duels and
rumors of duels in Washington. Sen
ator Butler, OF South Carolina, was Brooks s
uncle. He was a very aged man, totterlng
over the grave. He had been stricken with
paralysis, and troubled like an aspen leaf.
Sumner, in making a very aggressive anti
slavery eech IN the senate, assalled Butler
and referred to his weakness. Sumner was
| then forty-fve years old, full six feet high,
| well propOrtioEed, and a fine specimen OF
| physical development. Brooks the nephew,
| looked for Sumner on the avenue to chastlse
! him. Failing to find him, he went to the
senate chamber, after the body had adjourn
| ed and there beat Sumner over the head
| with a gutta- percha cane fearfully. L ar
| rived in the chamber soon aiterward, washed
! the blood eff Sumner and brought him to
consciousness | also requested the surgeon
| to sew up his scalp wounds and take him TO
| his clearinghouse. The next day (being
chairman of the ways aud means commlttee)
| | offered resolution for an investigation,
| and was appointed chairman OF the commit
| tee. Subsequently, as chairman, reported
| a resolution to expel Brooks, which was car
| ried Brooks was reelected, and came back
| to the house of representatives. Some
| months afterward Burllngame made care
| fuly-prepared speech, III which ne referred
| to Brooks, saying: He stole into the SEN
| ate chamber 10 a cowardly way, and there
smote the senator from Nassachu2etts as Cam
| smote his brother" There was then a chai-
lenge expected, Of course. However, friends
| inte1fered, and some explanations were
| made on BurIingame's part, which
were accepted 10y Brooks's friends.
| and published. ThereUpon the New
England press commented severely
| on Burlingame's concessions, and charged
| him with showing the tohite feather. These
| things stung him to the quick Then for the
| first time he came to me for counsel. told
| him that if he really did not mean what he
said in his speech ne ought to take 1t back
| urequivocally; II he did mean 1t, he could
| afford to say SO, and accept the consequences.
| He then came out IN a card in the National
| InteIhgencer' saying in substance, tuat ne
maintained what he had said in his speech.
| This speedily broJ ght him what was In sub
stance a challenge. 1t was not delivered 10y
keltt, as you suppose but by General 20
| Lane, of Mexican war fame, then the dele
| gate from Oregon. 1t amply invited Bnrhn-
game out of the District OF Columbia to SCI
| tie the affair. This, Of course, meant . chai
| lenge, and was so worded to evade The law
of congress. Burlingame again pressed me
| into his service. | wrote the reply and de-
| livered it 10 General Lane. He called on me
| to name the place outside of the district. |
| named the ''CIifton House, on the Canada
side of the Niagara Falls, and the following
| Thursday morning at Six o clock" for the
| meeting. | sent Buriingame to New York
| the same night to prevent his arrest. Two
| days after this Lane came out In the papers
| Directing to the Clifton House, because IT
| WAS IN the north, and he did not intend 10 t. Ike
Brooks through the enemY's country" Ire
| piled, thai being called on to name place
| outside of the District, | was not fool enough
| to name Richmond or Charleston, and take
my friend through his ''enemys country"
| Brooks was arrested and put under bonds. |
| telegraphed Buriingame t. return. He did
| SO. He, too, was arrested and put under
| bonds-myself his surety. Burlingdme i'm
| mediately left for tie wet. Soon afterward
Brooks and Lane, and their friends, discov
| cred that 1t was regarded among duelists a
let dOa0n on their part and that Burlingame's
record was all right Lane wrote 10 me a
threatening letter, asking to open up the cor
respondence, and saying that unless | in
formed them where letter would reach Mr..
Burlingame by the next Tuesday, they would
make e.rpOSe, etc. To that | promptly re-
piled, in substance, that BurllDgame had
gone west, and if they wanted him to go and |
hunt him; that If they hankered for my blood |
they need not wait nil Tuesday and that they |
might hurry up the cakes" that l was on |
hand, ct This ended the correspondence. |
l will simply add that it was well known to |
members of congress, from the south and |
from the NORTH that | was the best shot,
both with rife and pistol, there was in the
body. There seemed to be a prevailing
opinion, too, that would fight if called on.
This was, perhaps, because | had more cheek
than most members. You know that cheek
is often mistaken for courage. Whether it is
SO in my case, am not proper juGge. l
never received but one challenge fer duel
and that party soon found reason to with
draw it when he learned from a southern
friend that / meant business
Although differing widely in politics at that
time, Brooks was nay warm personal friend, |
and died so. So was General Lane.
The popular opinion that Brooks was
coward Is far from correct. He was sensl-
tive and Impetuous, but had many excellent
traits Of character. In haste. Very truly
yCurs, LEWIS ID. CAMPBELL.