Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-09-06
STATEMENT OF A PARTICIPANT.
Col. Cash Gives Graphic Account
Of His Duel with ShannOn.

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statement and defense of his actor
in the celebrated duel between him
self and Col. Shannon. The appen
ded extract is deeply interesting:
"At the solicitation of Col. VIM
NJ. Shannon, a distinguished lawyer
of Camden, and a prominent either
of South Carolina, met that gen
tleman at Dubois Bridge, Darlington
County, s. G., on the 5th day Of July,
1880, for the purpose of settling
personal difficulty that had arisen be.
tween us. We fought in the usua
manner of dueling. The fight was
fair and equal, and there has been nc
complaint on the part of his friends
that ! sought or obtained any adj
vantage over him. He fell at my
fire, and can honestly say do not
believe drawer man ever bit the
dust. He went down with his colors
flying and fronting the foe,
"He died upon Che ralnparts Of his
enemy. and 4witha smile upon his
face he filled here's grave. Since
my troubles with Col. Shannon be-
gan ! have frequently heard him
spoken of as self-willed, imperious
and intolerant man, who was often
brought into difficulties with his as
sociates. Of that ! know nothing.
For twenty five or thirty years he
was to me
THE GENIAL, CULTIVATED GENTLE
with whom it was pleasure to meet.
We were Of the same age, and when
young resembled each other so much
that one was often taken for the 9th
or, and when we did meet enjoyed
these mistakes. ] was fond of him,
and the feeling seemed reciprocal
and forbid that should now seek to
cast reproach upon his memory.
Most honorably has he settled his
account with me, and we have pass
ed receipts as to the affairs Of this
world.
"From that eventful 5th of July |
have been an object Of the grossest
Misrepresentation and most relentless
persecution. Every falsehood that
the imagination could invent that
was at all likely to fit the public ear
has been freely published by a clam
orous press to my detriment. | have
been represented as bounding down
my victims, availing myself Of a
long sought opportunity as being in
perfect practice and capable Of per-
forming miracles with a pistol. |
have been assaulted by one Of the
most INSCRIPTIONS and corrupt pub
lie men who ever disgraced America.
His attacks upon me have been pub
lished in nearly all the papers Of the
State, and when | sought to reply,
was forced to 60 to a Republican
newspaper TO obtain a right denied
me by my own party. Yes, reader, |,
A LIFELONG DEMOCRAT,
who had neither sought nor held Of
flee since the close of the war, and
who had given my entire estate OF
1000 acres rent free, to advance the
interests OF the Democrats in 1876,
was forced to the necessity Of asking
tavors of those to whom had spent
my lie in opposition. Losing a hope
of reaching, the public through the
ordinary channels, | now adopt the
only means available to me, and beg
the indulgence of the reader while ]
make bare and plain all the facts
connected with this sad affair.""
After a statement of the causes
leading to the duel, Col. Cash pro-
ceeds with a full description Of the
affair on the field.
In accordance with the above ar
rangement | met Col. Shannon at
Dubois Bridge on the 9Th day Of July
When | drove upon the ground l saw
about one hundred persons standing
in groups over the field, about one
half of whom collected around my
carriage after ! had left ii. They
were a motley mass of white people,
mulattoes and freed negroes. | had
never seen them before, and / did
not address any remark to them, in