The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-02-05

Glasgow TX. " Times.

a writer in tho Courier-Journal
denies that Graves, who killed Cilley
many years ago in n famous duel, was
so beset with the hauntings of the
murdered man as to require n light
wherever he slept at night. The same
traditional story is connected with the
later years of the most famous duelist
America has produced. We allude to
Col. Alexander McKeith McClung. of
Mississippi, who perhaps was the au-
thor of more unhappiness in the duel
ing line than any other man of any
age or country. His unhappiness was
known to his friends, and to every
body who lived in Mississippi in his
day, and his melancholy and utter
reckiessness OF life scarcely knew any
bounds. The story, however, of his
never trusting himself to sleep with
out IA light was utterly imaginary.
The writer Of this enjoyed the pleas
ure of Col. McClung's acquaintance
in dnte-beiium times, and had the
amplest opportunity of knowing his
personal eccentricities. On the Occa-
sion of their coming together for the
first time to spend night in the same
bedroom, knowing McClung's reputa-
ton in this particular matter, we pur-
posely hurried to bed with II view OF
granting the fullest license to his
habits. When ready for retiring he
inquired as to our readiness for blow
ing out the candle, and OH being favor
ably responded to he blew out the
light and after Il pleasant half-hour's
chat both dropped asleep. On awaken
ing in the morning the sun was just
Using and turning our eyes towards
the Colonel's bed, which set parallel
with ours, he was nowhere To be seen,
though his clothes hung over the
chair-back just rs he had left them on
retiring. While wondering where he
could have gotten, slight noise inn
behind the bed and on the
floor caught the ear, and dropping the
head little by the side of the bed we
him lying on the naked
floor without any clothing save II
gown. and with his head on his
for pillow. Upon our
inquiry as to his fancy for so rough II
place TO lie, he remarked that in the
Mexican war necessity gave him
habit which he now found Il great
luxury, and that he always grew tired
of a bed and betook himself to the
naked floor to rest. Poor McClung
A brighter genius and grander cour-
age, embodied in Il finer physique than
his, man never possessed. In prose or
pen or tongue-his genius
broke forth like shower of dia-
monds. He cOurtel death by reckless
daring in battle and wooed il ut the
hands of personal encounter, but 1t
seemed to slip away like n mornings
longer the heavy shadows which re-
dogged his every step.
He made every preparation for suicide.
He shaved, washed and dressed, then
pouring water upon the hotel floor to
see it, direction in order to avoid hav-
ng his life's blood stain his clothes he
put himself in position and placed
/ pistol to his head and sent a ball
,rashing through his skull, producing
death. The following
fragment of poetry written by him
gives painful evidence of the torture
which he saw no riddance from except
n death. Our readers will see that
Is poetry is exquisitely fine and its
sentiment touchingly pathetic:
: Swiftly speed o'er the waves of time,
Spirit of death,
N manhOOd's morn, in youthful prime, |
| WOO thy breath
for the hues of hope have fled
Like the dolphin's light,
And dark are the clouds above my head,
As the starless nighty
Oh vainly the mariner signs for the rest
OF the peaceful haven;
rhe pilgrim saint for the home of the |
blessed,
The calm of heaven:
The galley slave for the night wings breath
At burning noon,
Iut more gladly I'd springto thy cold arms,
Death
Come soon Come soon! "