The Worthington advance., 1881-09-08

But February blossoms, pure and colds
Frail gifts from Natures half-reluctapt hand
What il he deems them meaningless and paje?
l see the signs Of spring about the land,
| And these chillt snowdrops, fresh from wintery
Are the forerunners Of a world ofhewers.
Sarah Drudnet
row COL. SHANNON WAS KILLED.
Cruelty OF the Duel,ng Co.'e.-A Cold
Bloo<1ctl Relation by Col. Cash OF tho Wa,
He Killed Col. Shannon.
From the Cincinnati Gazette, Aug. %.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 2l.-Col. Cash, o1
South Carolina, has published a defense o
his action in the matter OF the duel in which
he killed Col. Shannon. His cool descrip.
| tion of the duel, as we'll as many other mat.
ters which he introduces, throws an in
| teresting light over certain phases of that
civilization which includes the code. and
indulges in somewhat curious defenses
Of it.
Col. Cash opens his pamphlet as follows,
with partial description Of his duel:
At the solicitation Of Col. William Shan
non, distinguished lawyer of Camden
and prominent citizen of South Carolina,
met that gentleman at Dubois Bridge,
Darlington county, s. c., on the 9Th oi
July. 1880. for the purpose ct settling a
| personal difficulty tint had arisen between
| MS. We fought in the usual manner OF
.dueling. The fight was fair and equal,
and there has been no complaint en- the
part of his friends that sought or obtain
! ed any advantage over him. He fell at MY
fire, and I can honestly say that don't
believe btaSer man ever bit the dust. He
| went down with his colors flying and front
ing the foe. He died upon the ramparts
| of his enemy, and with q smile uron his
| face, he filled hero's grave Since my
troubles with Col. Shannon began 1 have
frequently heard him spoken of as u self
willed, imperious. and intolerant man, who
was eften brought into difficulties with his
associates. OF that know nothing. FOR
IS or 80 yeats he was to me the genial.
cultivated gentleman, with whom it was a
pleasure to meet. We were Of tho same
age, and when young resembled each other
so much that one was often taken for the
other: and when We did meet enjoyed these
mistakes. 1 was fond of him, and the
feeling seemed reciprocal. God forbid
that should now seek to cast reproach up-
on his memory. Most honorably has he
settled his account with me, and We have
passed receipts as to the affairs of this
world.
"From that eventful 5th of July have
been an object of the grossest misreprtsent-
alton and most relentless persecution.
Every falsehood that the imagination could
invent that was at all likely to fit the pub
lie ear has been freely published by a
clamorous press to my dctriment. have
been represented as pounding down nv
victim, availing myself of long sought
opportunity as being In perfect
practice and capable of performing mira
cles with a pistol, have been assaulted
by one of the most unscrupulous and cor
rnpt pnblic men who ever disgraced Amer
lea. His attacks upon me have been pub
lished in nearly oil the papers of the state,
aud when I sought permission to reply /
MAS forced to 20 to a republican newspaper
to obtain a right denied me by nv own
party. Yes, reader, I, lifelong democrat
| who had neither sought nor held office
| since tho close of the war, and who had
given my entire estate of 1000 acres, rent
free, toadvance the interests of the demo.
Gratis in 1876, was forced to the necessity ot
asking favors of those to whom had spent
nv life in opposition. Losing all hope of
of reaching the public through the ordinar,
channels, I now adopt the only means
available to me, and beg the indulgence o1
the rea Ter while make bare and plain al
the facts connected with this sad affair
| After statement of the causes leading
to the duel, Col: Cash proceeds with full
description of the affair on the field,
in accordance with the above arrange.
| ment met Col Shannon at Dubois bridge
on the 5th day of July. When I drove IN.
on the ground I saw about 100 person.
! standing in groups over the field, abou
| one half of whom collected around III,
carriage after had left it. They were
| motley mass of white people, mulattoes an(
freed negroes. / had never seen them be-
fore, and did not address any remark tt
them in aividually or collectively, nor tax,
any notice of them in any manner. S.
soon as arrived upon the ground some O
Col. Shannons party advanced toward tn.
| center Of the field, where I and some of m,
friends went to meet them. Here the pis
tolls were loaded aud near by the pegs wer,
set. and was directed by my friend, Mr.
William 3. Sanders, to take my position
My brother-in-1aw, Captain Ellerbe, ant
my son. w. B. Cash, came to bid me fare
we'll. Our meeting was about 100 yard
from the group referred to. Capt. Elerb,
said: Remember, old fellow, you are shoot
ing at long taw, and my son said, Father
| remember now how poor mother wa!
treated
II replied: If Col. Shannon does no
disable me before shoot: will send m,
bullet through his heart This is verba
tim the conversation that passed betvee1
us. It was spoken in low tone, and NJ
one else heard it, and all statements to tn,
contrary are absolutely false. When I tool
! my position 7 drew from my pocket q pho
tograph likeness of Mrs. Cash, and Will,
taking what I supposed might be my las
look at the picture Col. Shannon took hi.
position, and, I am informed, salutcd m,
friends and myself. did not see his act
and therefore did not return the salute. tt
others this may appear small matter, bu
the circumstance Las annoyed me yer,
much, and I cannot get over it.
"Mr. johnson had won the word, and il
was his duty to direct the fight. It woult
be impossible for any man to fill any posi-
tion or to discharge any duty more perfectl,
or more fairly than he performed his par
on that occasion. When asked: Gentle.
men, are you ready?" Col. Shannon was tht
first to reply and never can forget his game,
cock crow of defiance. His voice was loud
clear, and firm. A moment after respond.
ed, Ready! ana Mr. johnson gave the sig.
nal. At 'one' Col. Shannon fired, and
felt burning sensation on my right cheel
and neck, and thought I was shot. Tn.
fire and smoke FROM Col. Shannon's pisto
obscured the upper portion of his person
and caused a moments delay in my firing
I fired at two and saw white spot through
his black coat precisely where had aimed
and yet he stood firm AMI unmoved. Thu
thought aashed upon mo that had beer
cheated. 1t was only for q moment, for h&
stepped once forward, toward me- ther
turned to his right and staggered. turned
my eyes away and saw no more. Tht
friends of both parties seemed somewhat
| excited, and then changed their position.
and approached the point where Col. Shan.
non had fallen. called Mr.. Sanders bacl
and requested him to ask if tho gentlemen
were satisfied, as the code required hi
should do, 10 which Mr.. johnson replied
and l think said: MY God, what more
could we ask?" Do You know that Col
Shannon has been shot?' I then asked Mr.
Sanders to take me off the tield,' and
rode off with my friend, A. Fl. Warlng, il
the first vehicle that was ready to move
mo word was spoken for come consider.