Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-18
DUELSANDDUELISTS
Some of the Exploits of Col. Meclung,
an old.Time advocate of the Code
Fatal Meetings.
A Man Who Killed His Opponent in
Nearly Every Eaeounter-The
Best Shot On Record.
Philadelphia Times New orleans Letter. !,

| pL;1.5f.. rr.,,.< New Orleans Letter.
The fsyorite weapon OF the creole In their
encounters was the ceieasaGrde, OF iour-sided
rapier, or the pistol, wnlIe tne american
chung 10 the rifle or snessun, VII ~ wien ne
was generally more profclen': ness iaeer
sippiaus and AIabamisns, and duels with
them were necessarily much more fatal than
| with The ool;c6e,nnr3e where wounds were fire.
onent and csSnaIt;ss lev. OF the Mississippi
| duelists CoIoneI McC5nng, fellow-ofhcer
| with left Davis in the First Mississippi
Rifles. and who served with distinction in the
Mexican war, was one Of the most dangerous,
| killing his opponent in nearly every encoun-
ter he had. He came OF soou sIrginia
| family, being a nephew o. CnisI'1 nstice
| Marshall bnf when under the influence of
liuuor was morose and dietatorial. He
moved to Mississippi in 1884. and had been
| in the State onIv few months when he be-
came involved In quarrel with Colonel
Allen. one of The most beloved and honored
men in Mississippi. II wss trivial quarrel,
but McClung refused to allow oil any settle
ment and brought the sfsir 10 duei- The
terms were such as would nave seemed ex-
traordinary to the creole ADMIRERS OF the
code, and it is doubtful whether they would
have recognized il as legitimate duel. The
two antagonists were 70 stand forty PAGES
apart. armed with bowie-knife and pistol,
and were to advance on each other, firing at
discretion. Allen kept his pistol covering
McClupg as he slowly advanced on him.
What was the surprise of the audience TO see
McClung suddenly raise his pistol, aim
and fire at a distance oil over IOO feet.
Allen fell to the ground, shot through the
mouth and mortally wounded. Meetings.
shot on this occasion is the best on record in
Southern duel, 100 feet being much
LONGER RANGE than the dueling pistol is
suited to.
This was only one Of Meetings. many af-
fairs, in all of which his opponents were
killed, one of them being his own cousin.
His last fight Was with young man by the
name of Menifee, brother of Kentucky's
famous congressman OF that name The
weapons chosen were Mississippi rifles, the
same as originally selected for the late New
Orleans editorial meeting. The duel was
big affair in Vicksburg where it was fought.
Everybody knew Of il. On the day OF its &C.
curreuce the motley population OF the little
Mississippi town poured out to witness 1t,
and planters even from sfar off came up in
their carriages to have sight OF meeting
where it was felt sure blood would be shed.
Sixty yards was the distance chosen, and
when the seconds went TO measure OH the
ground it was with great difficulty that the
crowd could be forced back so as to allow the
fight to 60 on.
The positions were taken and the rifles
were placed in the combatants' hands.
"Are you readyw
"Ready," both firmly responded.
Fire; one, two"- Here Menifee's rifle
exploded, and the bullet whistled by the
head of McClung and lodged in tree that
appeared 10 be on an exact line with the
body of the latter.
To the surprise of everybody, instead of
firing his piece McClung attempted to break
it in half, and with fierce oath hurled it a
distance OF twenty feet away, where il
alighted upon pile OF soft sand and stuck,
muzzle down, several feet in 1t.
The seconds soon learned the cause of this
strange action-the gun had hung fire. Il
was rescued, the sand removed from the
muzzle and reloaded. After an interval OF
ten minutes the combaisnts resumed their
positions, and the crowd gathered around
them again. During the interval many bets
had been wagered on the result of the duel,
the odds being generally in favor of Menifee,
who was popular favorite, and who, more
over, was generally supposed to be more pro-
6cient with the rifle. The word was again
given. This time McClung's piece was more
faithful. Before Menifee's finger had
pressed the trigger of the rifle that of Nc
Chung had been discharged, aud the ball,
striking the cock of Menifee's gun, hurled a
PicSc u IL 0CCP lnlO Tie VI d1u OI the uQlOT-
tunate young map, who fell and died
before ne could -s7 remoFed from the
field. Meetings. actions on seeing his
antagonist fall were those of a maniac.
Rising to his full hight he peered through
the smoke to see that his enemy was
dead. He then dropped upon his knees and
pressing his rifle teuderly 10 his bosom
kissed it affecticnately, as lover would his
mistress or a mother her child. II is said
that he even uttered a prayer of thankful
ness 10 God "for having directed the bullet
SO WE'LL" This was the las. duel in which
McClung engaged, as few were willing TO
risk their lives in an encounter with him.
After serving with distinction 10 the Mexi-
can war he returned to Mississippi, but he
had become more morose than ever and
deeply melancholy. His enemies claimed
that he was haunted by the spirits of those
whom he had slain in duels, story which
wal commonly believed when, in 1856, with
out any explanation whatever, he blew out
his brains with pistol with which he had
frequently killed others. Thus by his own
hands died one OF the most determined and
Southern duelists of the time.