The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-07-19
AUGUST BELMosTs DUEL.
Why ne Eimps Lib,e an Array Of the Pete
mao Veteran

lCeeh Whg.I
A somewhAt sanguinary affair hap
pened AGAR this town nearly forty-oDt
years ago in which the well-knowr
banker and Democratic politician, An
gust Belmont, YVES one Of the prominent
participants. On Wednesday evening
August IS, 1841, two parties OF men, In
carriages, drove up TO the two hotels o.
the town. There was. says the chronicle
OF the day, Gan apparent strangeness in
their actions" and the wiseacres OF the
town were at their wits end to determine
the object Of their visit. About twelve
o'clock q confer snce was held between
representatives Of the two parties,
numerous inquiries in the meantime
having been made as to the distance TO
the Delaware line and other questions
asked, indicating that duel, or at least
some hostile encounter, was in contem-
plation between these mysterious gentry.
Late in the night, or rather early in
the morning, they left the town, driv-
ing directly east. They were followed
by some citizens Of the village, whose
curiosity had induced them to watch
their movements, but we're not overtaken,
and no one, it seems, resident in Elkton
was an eyewitness 10 the duel, which
occurred at IN early hour on the morn
ing OF the twenty-sixth, on Grey's Hill,
about one mile east Of the town. As it
nfterward proved, the principles in the
affair had taken assumed names, one OF
them being addressed as Moore the
other as Goldsmith. In reality, how
ever, they were Mr.. August Belmont, OF
New York, the American agent OF the
Rothschilds, and who has since figured
very prominently as q New York Demo
cratic politician, and Mr.. William LAY.
ward, Of South Carolina. They had
been together residents OF the American
Hotel, in New York, and the quarrel
seems TO have originated in Glove af-
fair" Hayward's brother stated at the
time that Belmont's intimacy with a
lady had been resented by Hayward,
and the former having spoken Of the
latter in terms not particularly compli-
mentary, Hayward had struck Belmont,
whereupon the Inter had challenged
him 10 mortal combat. Intent upon
blood, they had arranged duel, TO be
fought upon the classic soil Of Della
ware, and for that purpose had taken
carriages at Wilmington and driven to
Elkton, intending to meet upon the
field Of honor by sunrise, just over the
Delaware line.
As it turned out, however, they did
not drive far enough east, and the soil
OF Grey's Hill, in Cecil County, wa.
Redeemed with the blood Of the Hebrew
banker, and which in later years, the
execution Of Swift, the murderer Of
Kilhour, rendered more notorious. A
gentleman named Lake acted as second
TO Belmont, and Mr.. Purdy served Hay
ward in similar capacity. Arriving
upon the ground, the principals were
placed by their seconds, and upon the
first round Mr.. Belmont was shot in the
hip. One fire, it seems, was sufficient
to appease the wounded feelings of these
chivalrous gentlemen, and Mr.. Belmont
was borne bleeding 10 his carriage. At
the time it was supposed that he was
MORALLY wounded.
Taking TO their carriages, the sanguin-
airy Southerner and tho Hebrew were
driven TO Wilmington, Elkton, not then,
nor since, so far as we know, having
been honored by the presence Of either
Of these barbaric gentlemen.