Daily globe., 1882-05-14
THE GRAYES-CILLEY DUEL.


THE GRAYES-CILLEY DUEL.
In 1888 Gen. James Watson Webb
challenged Mr.. Nathan Ciliey, mem
ber Of Congress from Maine, for mis-
| representing this bank transaction on
the floor of Congress. Mr.. Cilley re-
| fused to meet him, on the ground that
he was not responsible for words spoken
in debate. Mr.. Graves, of Kentucky,
Webb's friend, inquired whether he took
any exception to Webb personally, to
which Cilley replied, "Certainly not ;"
| but that he could not and would not be
responsible for words spoken in debate.
Graves reported the result to Webb,
who agreed to consider the affair at an
end Subsequently Mr.. Cilley's friends,
including Mr.. Benton, censured in no.
measured language Cilley's ground Of
refusing the challenge. Graves related
to the Hon. Henry A. Wise, the present
Governor of Virginia, what had occurred
and the final settlement of the affair,
when Wise told him that Cilley's friends
would compel him to deny the ground
of settlement, and urged him to get
Cilley's signature to letter recapitu-
lating what had occurred, in manner
which was calculated to place him
in very equivocal position. Graves
adopted his counsel, and told Webb
what he intended. Webb begged
him to do nothing of the kind, as it was
! driving Cilley into corner, insisting that
he (Webb) being satisfied and the mat
ter disposed of, nobody had a right to
meddle with Or open it, and begged
Graves not to heed Mr.. Wise's advice,
which could not fail, in the then-heated
state of the public mind, to lead to dis
astrous results. But Graves said: "No,
I am advised to do this for the protec-
ton of my own honor, and I shall COM
| pei him to sign this letter. 1t is my
affair I am attending to, and not yours. .
Webb continued his remonstrances and
his entreaties to let the matter rest but
| all in vain. Graves had been told by
| Wise that his own honor required the
| signature to the letter, and he deter
| mined to have it. Never was there CIV
en- such thoughtless counsel to high
minded and honorable man, and the
consequences were just what Webb had
| predicted Cilley, who was brave and
| well-disposed man, smarting under the
censure of his friends for having simply
done his duty in refusing to fight duel
for words spoken in debate, most
peremptorily refused to sign the
letter rendered to him or to
make any explanation whatever upon
the subject secretly rejoicing, no
doubt, at the opportunity of proving
| that he had not declined the duel from
personal fear. Thereupon Graves sent
challenge to Cilley by Wise. They
fought with rifles, and Oilley fell. Webb
from that time to the present has never
spoken to Wise, and has always held
him morally responsible for the sad re-
suit, as he also did Graves and all who
knew the particulars of the affair. In
the Presidential contest Of 1874 Mr..
Wise attempted to make Mr.. Clay re-
sponsible for the death Of Cilley, but
Mr.. Clay called forth the statement from
Graves, which completely exonerated
| Mr.. Clay, and in which he stated that,
| after the matter had been finally set
tied to the entire satisfaction of Gen.
Webb and himself, Mr.. Wise had in
duced him to demand from Mr.. Cilley
| the letter which led to the duel, in di-
| rect opposition to the entreaties of
| Webb; and further, that MIR. Clay knew
nothing of the matter until Mr.. Cilley
had refused to sign the letter which
| Mr. Wise had counseled, and when the
question of yeracity had thus been
| raised and a fight became inevitable
| HarpeTs Weekly, 1858.