The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-11
A Story OF Gems. Nathaniel Lyon and
II. III. Anderson.

Rs IL. Ak-erSons
The following, which we have never
seen IN print, gives an account Of an In.
teresting incidettt In the early life OF
Geu. r. H. Anderson of Sumter County
South Carolina, who died some years ago,
This item will possibly be news to many
Of his old friends:
Upon one oceasion Captain Anderson,
Of the Second Dragoone, afterward O
Lieutenant General In the Confederate
service, gave dinner party, at which
were present several of the officers Of the
garrison as well as the members Of q
general court.martial that was then In
session at the post. Captain Lyon and
myself we're among the number.
Although Captain Anderson was q
citizen of South Carolina, and his host,
Lyon plunged as soon as he could get the
opportunity into harangue against the
South and It's peculiar institution, in
e7hich he used all the power Of invective
that he possessed In SO great a degree.
Among the guests were General Mans.
ileld, Killed at Antietam General Ram.
sey, Chief Of Ordinance during the war
Col. O. F. Smith, who, If he had lived,
would certainly have given good &C.
count OF himself on the side Of the Union,
and General Casey, who 30 highly dis.
tinguished himself Mt the battle Of Fair
Oaks. All of these were Northern men
who had nc liking for slavery, but they
were all dumbfounded ut the violence OF
Lyons attack. AS for the Southerners,
they looked indignant, Of course, all but
the host, Captain Anderson, who sat at
the head of his table smiling serenely at
Lyons abuse, and by occasionally
addressing a word or two to those nearest
to hinni trying to make the occasion pass
as pleasantly as was possible under the
circumstances. But that evening, while
several of us, Including Captain Lyon,
were sitting in Major Merri!l'a quarters,
Anderson entered the room. 10 ioose::
around him, and his eyes at once lighted
on the mar OF whom us was evidently in
search, and whom he had not found in
his own quarters.
captain Lyon" he said, approaching
his antagonist, you took occasion to-day,
when / from my position was helpless to
repel your insults, to Commit m outrage,
for which l am now going to punish you.
do not mean to heap personal abuse on
you, for ever one here present knows
what I think of you, and that kind of
retaliation would do very little harm I
am going to thrash you."
He took astep toward Lyon, who, hear.
ing this speech, had remained quietly in
his chair glaring at his adversary, and
evidently worked up to the point of doing
mischief. AS Anderson came nearer,
Lyon, still without moving limb, said,
with as much composure as he could
command:
Captain Anderson, if you come step
nearer I'll kill you"
Instantly several Of us rushed between
the two, and Anderson, without word
further, withdrew.
About an hour afterwards was reused
from bed by some one at the door, and
on going down stairs found Captain Ly-
on. at once suspected what had hap.
pened, but was not allowed to remain
long in state of uncertainty. "Ander.
son has challenged me-" he said.
you will have to accept" answered.
"No, shall not accept; have con-
scientious scruples against dueling, and
besides, it is contrary to law, and am q
law.abiding man."
"Then you will be sent to Coventry
without delay. You have grossly insult
ed Anderson in his own house, and You
must give him satisfaction, or you will be
run out of the army"
II don't care; am willing to endure
persecution for the sake of my convic.
tions. shall not fight him. If he
attacks me, shall kill him as would a
dog"
I argued the matter with him I was
many years younger than am now
md fha rao,,lf u,oo that 10 e.o1l., 49,
sented to meet Anderson, provided
would act as his second, and that the duel
should take place with pistols across q
table.
| demonstrated with him on this latter
point, and told him that I was quite sure
Major Sibley, Anderson's second, would
perenptorily refuse to allow lis principal
to fight after such murderous fashion.
He was firm, however, SO had confer.
ence early. the following morning with
Major Sibley, and, az I had expected,
Lyons Germs we're regarded by him as
altogether outside TIC pale of the lave Of
dueling, and as being bar5arous, murder
ous, unusual, and ungen :lemanly.
There was nothing left for Anderson
to do but to horsewhip Lyon or inflict
some other gross indignity on him, and
this he would certainly have attempted
but for the fact that Sibley and I gothim
and Lyon to agree that the matter should
be referred to a council of officers whose
decision should be binding. This body,
after due deliberation, decided that Cap.
tain Lyon had been guilty OF grave
offence, and that he should apologize to
Captain Anderson in the presence OF
every officer Of the post.
This was q bitter dose for Lyon to
swallow, but there was no escape. He
declared to me that he would rather cut
off his right hand than do what it had
been. decreed he must do. He fumed
and fretted over the matter till he work.
ed himself up to such O a.state of excite.
ment as made me fear for the strength oi
his mind to resist it, but he finally cooled
down and began to look at the matter
philosophically.
Mrs. Hammond and were to have q
reception that evening for the members
of the court martial, and they snd all the
officers of the garrison and their wives
would accordingly be together ut my
quarters. Il was decided that at nine
O'Clock Captain Lyon should tender his
apology In their presence. Every one
was there, and at nine O'Clock Captain
Anderson stationed himself at one end
Of tho drawing.room. The last beat oi
tho drums sounding tsttoo had hardly
died away when Captain Lyon, In full
uniform, entered the apartment. he
looked neither 10 the right nor to the
left, but with me at his side, as his escor!
and host, he walked through She lonp
line of officers-all In full uniform--lnd
ladies till he came within four or five feel