River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-09-14
THE HILL.YANCEY AFFAIR

The Late Georgia senator Not Ac-
cOuntable for the Death of His Col
league in the Confederate Congress.
DIR. James 3. Hamilton, of Georgia,
who was surgeon in the confederate
army, and friend of Ben Hill and
Yancey, gives the following as the true
version of the difficulty between them:
"The trouble between Mr.. Hill and Mr..
Yancey," he said, "grew out of politics,
and dated back to 1850. 1t came about
in this way: When Mr.. Toombs, of
Georgia, was in congress, he made a
very strong speech against the cOmpro-
mise measure as proposed by Mr.. Clay
This was, believe, in the thirty-frst
congress. 1t is generally known as the
compromise of 1850. When congress
adjourned, Mr.. Toombs, for some rea-
son or other, in the campaign for gov
ernor in Georgia, felt it incumbent
upon himself to change his views, and
made very powerful speech in favor
of the very measure he had so earnest
" opposed in congress. Mr.. Hill re-
piled to Mr.. Toombs, and was so hard
on him that A. H. Stephens came to
the assistance of Mr.. T9ombs. Mr..
Hill then proceeded iii another speech
to show up the inconsistency of both
Mr.. Toombs and Mr.. Stephens. Mr..
Stephens took offense of what Mr..
Hill said, and sent him a challenge to
mortal combat The challenge was
borne by Judge Thomas w. Thomas.
Mr.. Hill informed Mr. Thomas, who
was more powerful man ply sically
than Mr.. Hill, that he would not ac-
cept a challenge from Mr.. Stephens;
that Mr.. Stephens was an invalid,
whereupon Mr.. Thomas suggested to
Mr.. Hill that ne (Thomas) was not an
invalid, and he could fight him. This
Mr.. Hill declined to do, assigning as q
reason that he was class leader in
the Methodist church. That ended
that difficulty"
"Then Mr.. Hill did not, as is gener-
ally believed, by physical force, throw
Mr.. Yancey across a desk?"
"When Mr.. Hill was sent to the con-
federate senate ne was very much OPP
posed to the war. Mr.. Yancey was a
fire eater, and a great hater of Presi-
dent jeff. Davis. Mr.. Hill assumed the
championship OF Mr.. Davis in the SEN
ate, took sides with and defended him
in everything he seid and did. This
SO exasperated Yancey that one day in
the senate, after Mr.. Hill had con-
cluded speech in defense of Mr..
Davis, he rose in his place, and in that
style of his which was simply inimita-
BILE, proceeded to charge Mr.. Hill with
inconsistency, and want of ardor for
the cause of the south. He brought
up Mr.. Hills past record, and finally
referred to the Stephens difficulty, and
intimated that Hill was coward.
When he did that Mr.. Hill picked up
all ink stand and threw it at Yancey,
Just grazing his cheek-bone. Yancey,
in lodging, slipped and fell backward
over his desk and thereby hurting
himself slightly. That was all there
was CT it."
"Then not producing such spinal
injury as to eventually cause his
death?'
"He did not. He was not within ten
feet of Mr. Yancey."
Then the seemingly premature
death of Mr.. Yancey was not in any
sense caused or brought about by Mr..
Hnl?"
at was not. MIR. Yancey died of
Bright's disease of the kidneys. This
you can state rs fact, as true as Holy
Writ"