The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-06-16
DUELING IN OLD TINES.
AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF THE
CODE tS II WAS.


CODE ts II WAS.
Incidents of the Field of Honor in Ante B:lIul
Days--One of Paddy O'Cork's Best Sketches
The Career of McClunS--His skill With
Pistol--Other Interesting Incidents.
From the Atlanta Constitutional
However barbarous may be the custom
of dueling, as such, it is still fact 0
historical value that no dueling commu
nifty ever yet failed to send out good sol
diers in time of war l have been tol(
by old residents Of Mississippi that tn
career Of McClung at first stimulated ap
peals to the lex taionis, but that toward
the last it acted as deterrent example
The duel ceased to be duel in the ordi
nary acceptation of the word and became
butchery. McClung, of course, RAJ
little or no risk, and it filed the public
generally with a sickening contempt tc
realize that the leading men of Missis
sippi lived practically by the sufer,nce
of mailman. To refuse to fight due
with him was, Of course, out of the
question This was not allowed by the
code. To fight him meant death. His
skill with the pistol was fully up to that
of DR.. Carver or Buffalo Bill with the
rife, difference in weapons being con.
sidered. On one occasion he killed q
black bird hopping about on the ground
20 yards distant
I once heard Mr.. Jefferson Davis
reprimand second who boasted that he
had brought his principal out with fly
ing colors, to the utter confusion OF his
antagonist, by little piece of general
ship. He explained that the seconds
were supposed to be arbitrators, each rep
resenting both parties, and that it was
the duty of the seconds to see perfect
fairness, both IN arranging terms of set
tlement and on the field
One of the most charming and anus
ing little works / have hit upon recently
is by H. S. Fulkerson, OF Vicksburg,
Miss. He calls it Random Reconec-
tons Of Early Days in Mississippi" In
this he gives description of q notable
duel that occurred in his own observa-
ton. He tells the story well, and /
wish to show my appreciation by para
phrasing it for the readers of the ---.
The event took place on Grand Gulf, on
the Mississippi river, then a place Of
1,2O0inhabitants, and a rival of Vicksburg.
1t was almost duel of professions, Allen
being lawyer md MaIsteler a physi-
cian
Allen was tall, slender, Smooth-faced
fellow; Marsteller was rather plump and
heavy set, and wore whiskerS. Alien
was married and Marsteler was bache-
lor. It is not known what was the cause
of the duel. The usual preliminaries re-
suited in bringing the two together upon
the field of honor. Allen was excited
and vociferous, and expressed the abso-
lutte certainty of his conviction that he
would kill lis enemy. He stripped him
self to the waist, absolutely nude, and
Marsteller threw off his coat. As the
second called out, Gentlemen, are you
ready?" Allen answered ssno," and pro-
ceeded to explain to the second how the
word should be given. The object was
to unnerve Marsteller, who, however,
quietly lowered his pistol and waited.
EsThe second,'' continues Mr.. Fulkerson,
'scalled out distinctly but with trembling
voice: Gentlemen, are you ready? Fire!
Onel two! three!' The fired, both of
them 50 nearly together at the word one,
that it seemed to the bystanders to be
but a single loud report. A great volume
of smoke completely enveloped them,
and We all looked on in profound silence
till it rose and disclosed the two figures
standing and looking savagely at each
other and each with apparent astonish-
ment that his adversary was not prone
upon the earth, and we, the spectators,
equally surprised Immediately Marstel-
ler began to sink slowly to the ground
and Allen turned away bloody and limp
ing in the direction of my perch. I
reached him as he sat down upon a log
near by. 4 single ball had
passed through both thighs, high up. A
Single ball had struck Marsteller in the
hip and he lay upon the ground, where
he had stood. Allen was carried home.
Ntarsteler soon recovered, arose and de-
manded that Allen be brought back as
he desired another shot, saying: II am
not satisfied" He went TO his room un-
aided, probed his wound, extracted the
ball and never lost day by it. This is
what we nowadays call nerve Peace
was made between the two, but Marstel
Ter always had a lingering desire for
another shot, circumstance that often
threatened to cause q renewal of the
difficulty.
Speaking of New Orleans, reminds me
of the celebrated Howell and Henry duel
that took place at the so-called Half
Way. The various accounts of this
affair contain so many conflicting details
that Z follow the one that strikes me as
being most plausible. Joe Howell, a
giant six feet six inches il his stocking
feet, brother-in-law of Nh. Jefferson
Davis, had been with Walker in Mica
ragla, and while there had had an alter.
cation with a Major Henry, a wonderful,
character, q combination of HuGbras
Casanova and Knight Of the Leopard.
The recorded feats of his bravery put to
the blush Leatherstocking and all his
kind. The cause Of the difficulty was
never known. On the way out HoweI's
second gave his principal some good ad-
vice which the latter received with ''Tut,
tut, my boy; teach your grandmother
how to suck eggs. An immense con-
course of people had preceded the ad-
yersaries to the field.
Both parties were noted for their