The Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1882-1883, 1882-09-01
A Mississippi Shot.


with distinction in the Mexican wa
was one OF the most dangerous, kill
ing his oppobent in every duel. H.
came Of q good Virginia family, be
ing o nephew Of Chief Justice Mar
shall, but when under tho influence
Of liquor was morose and dictatorial.
He moved to Mississippi in 1884 md
had been in the State only q few
months when he became involved in Q
quarrel with C,l. Allen. The terml
we're unusual in affairs Of the code
Toe two antagonists wore to stand
forty PAGES apart, armed with bowie
knife and pistol, and were to adrante
on each other firing a. discretion,
Allen kept his pistol covering Nc
Lung as he slowly advanced on him.
What WAS the surprise Of the spec.
tators to SEQ McC'ung suddenly raise
his pistol, aim and fire at distance
of over q hundred feet. Allen fell
to the ground shot in the mouth and
mortally wounded. McC.ungs shot
on this occasion is the best on record
in q Southern duel, one hundred feet
beirg much longer range than the
dueliug pistol is suited to.
This was only one Of McCluugs
many affairs in which his opponent
was killed, one of them being his own
cousin. His last fight was with a
young mau by ths name of I'm ifec,
brother OF Keniucky's famous con-
gressman of that name. TIE wcap-
ons chosen were Mississippi rifles,
The duel was a big affair in Vicks.
burg, opposite which it was fought
Every body knew Of it. On tho day
OF its occurrence tho motley popula-
ton of the little Mississippi town
poured out to witness il. aud plan
ters even from afar off came in their
carriages to have sight Of d meet
ing whore it was felt sure blood would
be shed. sixty yards was the dis.
tance chosep, and when the seconds
went to measure the ground 1t was
great difficulty that the crowd could
be kept back 80 as TO allow the fight
to go on.
The positions were taken and the
siflas woro placed in tho eosAb.tants
hands.
Are Sou readyT
'R,adyp both firmly responded.
Fire. one. two.' Here Ma a,ifee's
rifle exploded, and the b lie. wnis-
tied by the head OF McC.ung aud
lodged in a tree that appeared to be
ON an exact line with tho body Of the
latter.
To the surprise Of everybody, in
stead of firing his piece McCluns
attempted to break it in half, aud
with q fierce oath hurled it q
distance OF about twenty feet away.
where it alighted upon pile of soft
sand and stuck, muzzle down, sever
oil feet in it.
The seconds soon learned the
cause Of this curious action-the
gun had hung FIRE. It was res.
cued, the sand removed from the
muzzle and reloaded. After On in
terval often minutes the combatants
resumed their positions aud the
crowd gathered around them again.
During the interval many bets had
been wageted on the result OF the
duel, the odds being generally in
favor Of Minifee, who was Q popular
favorite, dnd who. moreover, was
Q c,usidsred moro proficient with
the rifle. The word was given.
This time McOlung's piece was
more faithful. Before Msuifs.'. fin
ger had pressed tie trigger of his
rifle that Of McC,ung had been dis
charged, md the ball striking the
lock Of Manifee's gun, hurled q piece
oft deep into the brain OF the unfor-
tunate young man, who fell aud
died before he could bo removed
from the field.
This was the last duei IN Wnicn
M,Clupg engaged, as few wero will
ing to risk their lives in an encoun-
ter with him. After serving with
distinction In the Mexican war he
returned TO Mississippi; but he Ind
become moro morose than ever. and
deeply melancholy. His enemies
claimed that he was haunted by the
spirits Of those whom be had slair
in duels. Q story which was common
ly believed when 10 1865 he blow Gu
his own brains.
MIRA McSpil,kins' cold: A very