Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-13
POLITICAL DUELS.
Famous Encounters Between Members
of Congress-

lngtOn letter TO the Boston -AQCefLlSeT, nNe
Senator'S and Representatives, during
their term as members, have been killed
in duels. Only two of these barbaroUs
meetings are generally remembered
those in which Cnley and Graves, Clay
and Randolph figured. The rest have
almost been forgotten. and the idea of a
Congressman being challenged to fight
for words uttered in debate is hardly con-
ceiyable now.
The most tragic duel in Congress was
that in which the eloquent Jonathan
Cilley Of Maine WIS killed by W. j.
Graves OfKentucky. Cnley was the most
brilliant Northern Representative of his
time. and to this day many men believe
that he was murdered by prearranged
plot. The moment before he was shot he
said that be entertained for Graves ''the
highest respect and most kind feelings"
The matter was from the reading in de-
bate by CilleY Of a report concerning
James Watson Webb. then the editor Of
the New FORK Courier. Webb sent a
challenge By Graves, which Cilley refused
to receive, as he had no desire for a
quarrel. Graves considered this refusal
as an insult, and demanded satisfaction
Somuch was then said in Congress by
Southerners about the cowardice Of North
ern men that Cilley felt called upon to ac-
cept. Webb sent his challenge February
81, 1883, Cilley was killed the 24th. The
parties met in an open field little out
side the district, on the Maryland side
Just at the close of the wintry afternoon.
Graves had with him Henry \. Wise of
Virginia and Senator Crittenden of Ken
lucky. Cilley was accompanied by Con-
gFessmen Jones Of Wisconsin and Bynum
Of North Carolina. Congressman Calhoun
and Halves Of Kentucky looked on as
spectators. The distance was eighty
Yards, the weapons rifles. The first time
Cilley fired first. but neither was hit.
CIlley's friends then asked for a settle
ment. The surgeon urged that the de-
mands of honor had been satisfied Wise
insisted that the fight should 90 on, and
again the men took their places. This
time Graves fired first, and again both
missed. Graves, as Wise said. ''per-
emptOrily and repeatedly insisted on an
other shot, At this point the outsiders
demanded that the fight should stoD
Wise would hear nothing of it unless
Cilley would declare Webb to be a man of
honor or persist in his refusal to accept
the challenge on his privilege as a mem
Der. Cilley, of course, declined to do
either, but again expressed his aYOWal of
no ill-feeling towards Graves. It was
near dark when the two men again took
their places. If this shot does not settle
said Wise, and it was agreed to. Both
men fired the third time very nearly to-
gether. Cilley dropped his rifle, beckOned
to his second, said to him, Il am shot"
put his hand to the wound. fell, and in
two minutes was dead. Early in the dav
Webb had agreed with two friends. so
bitter was the conspiracy to kill CiIley.
to 90 around to his room. Then they
were to force him to fight Webb on the
spot, or give Webb a meeting before
Graves. If he refused to do either they
were to shatter his right arm. Not find
ing him. they went around to Bladens-
burg, where the duel was expected to oc-
cur. They agreed that Webb should then
approach Clliey, claim the quarrel. insist
on fighting him, and assure him that II he
lifted his rifle on Graves. webb would
shoot him on the spot II was supposed
by them that Wise would raise his rife on
Webb, WhereUpOn 1t was agreed that
Webb should instantly shoot Cilley, and
then they should defend themselves the
best way they could. Not finding the
duelists they determined in case Cillev
had killed Graves to murder him at the
first opportunity. This determination
they had the hardih0Od to publish in
Webb's New York paper. 4 great funeral
was given to Cilley three days after his
death, and a special committee of seven
members appointed to investigate the
several weeks. So bitter were the friends
Of Graves that threats were made against
the committee. TOucey of Connecticut
afterwards Buchanan's Secretary of the
Navy, was the chairman, and he said that
the committee had been warned TO be on
their guard. They reported that the
whole body of duelsts had violated the
privileges of the House. The eve Of rea-
son. they said. ''can discover, in the
whole course of Mr.. Cilley, no Otfense to-
wards those who pursued him. Nor can
his death be indicated or excused by any
circumstance whatsoever. not even bY
that custom, which was formerly sup
posed to be proof of some kind of cOur-
age, but which has in modern times
degenerated into game of chance and
scramble for undue advantages" They
therefore recommended that Graves be
expelled and Wise censured. The debate
went on for three weeks. Graves friends
delayed action by every conceivable
means. At first tw0-thirds of the house
seemed determined to support the COM
mittee. But they were finally wearied
out. At one time Graves tried to prevent
the report from going into the Globe.
This was allowed, and then the matter was
indefinitely postponed. That fall Graves
was reelected to Congress, and died ten
years afterward. None of the parties
were ever tried in any way. Crittenden
was afterwards Governor of Kentucky.
Senator again, and later Att0rney-General
of the United States under President Fill
more. Jones Of Wisconsin, who had
acted as Cilley's second, felt aggrieved at
the committees report, and was unseated
from Congress soon after. But ten years
later he turned up in the Senate from
Iowa, where he served until near the close
of Buchanan's term. His loyalty became
suspected when the war broke out. and
l. .~.r,Nc Ffr1an
ton harbor. BynUm, Cilley's other friend.
soon after fought a duel with Jenifer of
MARYLAND, in which several shots were
exchanged without harm to either party.
In the next Congress he had a difficulty
on the floor of the House with Congress-
man Garland of Louisiana. and then was
lost to sight on a sugar plantation in
Louisiana. This was the only duel ever
made a subject OfCOngressiO inyestlga-
ton, and in so fragrant case no action
was taken.
Another famous duel was that of 1926,
between Clay and John Randolph. The
former was Secretary of State, and Ran
dOlph a Senator from Virginia. For some
structures uttered in debate upon the
alleged combination between Clay and
John Quincy Adams, bv which the latter
had been elected President, the Secretary
challenged the Senator. The latter could
have pleaded his privilege; he could have
refused because Clay had already been
given the lie in public twice, and had
taken no notice. Instead, he sent this
reply:
ssMr. Randolph accepts the challenge
Of Mr.. Clay; at the same time he protests
against the right of any minister of the
executive government to hold him respon-
sible for words spoken in debate, in crimi-
nation of such minister or the administra-
ton under which he shall have taken
office"
Clay's friends insisted that Randolph
had said in his speech that he would be
personally responsible for it, but Randolph
denied it, and the minutes as taken down
by the reporters contained no such words.
Clay's challenge was therefore entirely
voluntary. Before the meeting Randolph
sent for Thomas Benton, then Senator,
and told him that while he felt obliged to
meet CLAY. yet he had determined not to
return the fire. This intention lac sx-
pressed to others. Colonel Tattnall was
RandOlph's second; General Jesup,
Clay's. They met at four O'Clock one
Saturday afternoon in April, Just across
the Little Fall bridge on the Virginia
bank. The distance was ten PAGES and
the weapons pistols. Benton was much