Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-04-01

the arrangements were made. Long
before sunrise of Fob. IL, 1861, both
parties, their seconds, and their sur.
geons. started for the field Of combat
Ihe spot selected was very retired
one, near tbs Ohio river, in the vicinity
OF Covington, and one half mile from u
place called the Fonr-miie house, kept
by Mr.. Metcalf. The duel was to take
pace as near day break as possible, and
The majority Of the party had arrived at
Metcaif's as the light broke upon q
very stormy morning, All OF the party
was present except Mr.. Moody's surgeon,
who had missed his way and who com.
PEELED the parties to wait until ten
o'clock. Had DIR. Buke been on time tha
duel would have been fought, and M.
Moody, instead of being now United
States senator, would have been in all
probability killed, or have killed his
antagonist. Between dayhreak md
this time friends of both parties, Colonel
w Il. Ierrill, and Colonel Thomas T.,
Jones, did all they could to adjust the
difficulty and finally succeeded.
Heffren withdrew the charges which
Moody objected to, and the parties vent
back to Covingten together to be ar
rested by the sheriff on the road. They
got out of his hands very easily, and it
IS a curious thing in connection with
the settlement of the duel that Buell.,
one OF Moody's seconds resigned his po
sition rather than listen to an adjust
ment. He said that congress had go
disgrRced the code that he would hear
of nothing that did not involve a fight.
The correspondence of this duel lies be-
fore me. Where get it is no matter. 1t
is Interesting at the present time as
giving some idea as to how gentlemen
settled their difficulties in 1861. I give
extracts. Here is verbatim COPY Of
Mr.. Moody's challenge. Itis dated:
Indianapolis, Feb. 5, 1861 Honorable
ID. Heffren Sir: Your unprovoked and
insulting attack upon me in the house
of representatives, on Friday last, can
not suffer to pass. But you have now
had time for cool reflection, and depreca
ting as dc the use of the code duello,
OR violence OF any sort, except as last
resort, now giye,you an aEopportnnity to
withdraw your offensive language.
My friend. MIR. Gordon, will hand you
this and receive any communication
from you in relation to the matter.
q. @. MooDy.
To this note j. g. Walker. Mr.. Hef.
fren's second, replies and accepts the
challeRe for his principal, but states
that the language objected to is not
specified. The next letter is from Moody,
lnquiiing where bis opponent can be
found outside of the state, and few
short tlettersMtGlla@ fxina4tlis nlana Of
meeting at Covington, Ky. Three days
later, at Coyington. Hetiern asked Moody
to state the language uron winch the
duel turns, Moody replies that it was the
assertion that he had been engaged in
swamp land frauds. Heffern hereunon
withdraws this charge, but reiterates his
other attack in such way that Moody
will be satisfied with nothing but q fight.
At p. p,, of Feb. 8, Mr.. Moody writes
the following:
Latonia Springs KY, Feb. 9, 1861
The Honorable Horace Heffren- Sir:
You have refused the demand / made
upon you for an honorable adjustment
of the difficulties between us. 1 there.
fore demand the satisfaction you prom
ised. Please to name the tima, place
and mode, when and where it will be ac-
corded, You're, q. q. MOODY.
A Letter or two more, and the following
terms of the duel, signed by General
Walker, Mr.. Heffren's second, are aaliv-
cred to MIR. Moody. Il ls addressed to
Mr.. Moody's second. and reads
Newport, KY, Feb. 10. 1861 Major
George P. Buell-Sir: Mr.. Heffren will
meet Mr.. Moody tomorrow morning as
nearly sunrise as possible, and at place
within few miles Of the city to be des-
ignated to you as soon as selected.
The rife is the weapon selected,
brace of which will be furnished by me,
as the friend of Mr.. Heffren, the choice
viii be given to sou, as the friend of
Mr.. Moody, and the other returned for
the use of his antagonist.
3 The choice of the ground will he de.
cided by lot, and the second of the party
not securing such choice shall give the
word of command, unless these two
points shall be determined by the mutual
agreement of the seconds.
The distance shall be seventy five
yards.
The guns loaded, cooked, and with
triggers set, shall be handed to the
parties, who shall take their position
side toward side, and hold their pieces
in the order of "present arms" The
words of caution will then be: Gen
tlemen, are yon ready ?" when both
parties shall respond ready" The
words OF command will be given as fol-
lows "Fire! one! two! three!
stop!" The firing shall be done between
the words fire and stop, and neither
party ahall take any rest for tho support
Of his gnn, nor move from the position
Of present arms" until the command of
fire is given, nor fire after the command
Of stop is uttered by the second
under the penalty of being shot down
by tue second of his antagonist.
Two friends, iii addition to the chief
seconds and surgeons, may attend each
OF the principals on the field, and no
more unless mutually agreed upon by
the seconds, and no friend or second
shall have more than one revolving
pistol in his possession, nor shall he
carry to the field any extra weapon.
Please signify yonr concurrence in
these specifications which are given, I
believe in conformity to the code of
honor; and inferm me also of the hour
the place OF meeting. Respectfully
yours. j. @. WALKER.
To this letter George p. Buell. return
ed the following;
Colonel J. q. Walker-Sir: I have
the honor to acknowledge the receipt Of
your note. dated Feb. 10th, and to ac-
cede, as the friend Of Mr.. Moody, to
your proposition. reserying only the
privilege which i may possibly exercise,
Of making suggestions as the quality OF
rifles to be used by Mr. Moody shall
see you at three O'Clock this afternoon
to learn from you the ground on which
the parties shall meat, etc. Respect
fully yours, GEtsRaE P. BUELL.,
The numerous letters which brought
about the settlement of the duel and