The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-20
LAST OF THE DUELISTS
Colonel E. B. C. Cash, of South
Carolina.

CaTOIlnd.
CHARLEsToN, s. c., March 17.-[Special. !
The recent death Of Colonel L. b. c. Cash
marks the close of one of the saddest, strangest
and most remarkable tragedies in the history
OF South Carolina, save, perhaps, the series Of
tragedies that marked the fateful period be-
tween the years 1861 and 1863.
The name of Cash is closely identified with
the history Of Chesterfield county, and is writ
ten in blood Colonel Cash delighted to call
himself one of the old school gentlemen of
ante -belum South Carolina. The owner of
nearly half county, 1t is said, in the very
garden spot of tho state, the rich Pee-Dce sec
ton, the master Of a thousand slaves, he lived
a life Of rude luxury. Whatever the sum OF
their possession, the Cashes before the war
were wealthy. owned large tracts of land and
many slaves. At the breaking out Of the war
Colonel Cash raised regiment of soldiers, af-
terward known as the 9Th South Carolina vol
unteers. To their equipment he is said TO
have contributed literally.
HIS WAR RECORD.
Colonel Cash's war record seems to have
been brief. He commanded the 9Th South
Carolina Volunteers at the first battle Of Ma
nassas, and his name appears in the dispatches
of General Bonham, General kershaw and
other officials in July, 1861. 1t IS also men
toned by Lieutenant. Colonel j. w. Henagan
in report announcing that he had taken
command OF the Sth regiment, owing to the
illness Of Colonel E. Il. q. Cash
In General Kershaw's report of the engage
ment near Stone Bridge July Il, 1861, Colonel
Cash is said TO have distinguished himself by
his courageous bearing and his able and effi-
cient conduct of the regiment during the
whole day"
After that Colonel Cash's name does not APP
pear in the official reports embodied in the
"Records of the War of the Rebellion" printed
by order of congress. 1t is said that he resign
ed after bong in the service about one year,
and returned to his home i'll Chesterfield
county
FULL BARNS.
During the war, tho story COOS, when pro-
visions were growing scarce and, in the OK
pressiye language OF the times, it took a
bushel OF confederate money to buy quart of
corn meal, the barns on the Cash plantations
were trimming over with provisions. Colonel
Cash then ordered the corn TO be
sold and otherwise distributed to
the people in his county, charg-
ing those who could afford 1t the usual price
in gold and accepting in payment confederate
money at par. Those who were too poor to
pay thus paid nothing.
INEVITABLE PROMINENCE.
IL was not till almost ten years after the
war, however that the CasheS came into such
bold prominence.
Colonel Cash regarded his "honor'' in the
sense of the code duello above everything else
In tho world, 1t is said. 1t was his boast that
he feared neither man, nor God, nor the devil,
and no was generally credited with being an
atheist. He was quick to resent an insult;
but II Is claimed by his friends that he only
killed two men. One of these was a negro.
and the other Colonel Shannon, who was slain
in the tragic Cash-Shannon duel in Darling
ton county, in july 1880 That duel brought
the Cashes prominently before the public. 1t
was the last fatal duel fought in this state,
and il led to the passage Of the anti-dueiing
law by tho general assembly 1t was also in
South Carolina The occasion for the first i'll
dictment and trial for murder for killing III
duel.
THE CAsH-sHANNoN DUEL
! 1t grew out of a lawsuit in which Mr.. r. G.
| Ellerbee, u brother-in-law OF Colonel Cash,
! and Mr.. Wengcs were the parties. Colonel
| Shannon represented Wienges and some Ian
| guage in the pleadings alleging fraud" was
made made t9e reason for the controversy ra By
| and tho Cashes, father and son, finally became
so abusive that Colonel Shannon was goaded
into sending in challenge to the elder Cash.
The parties met in Darlington, and Shannon
fell dead at his first shot, pierced through the
heart by the bullet from the pistol of his an
| tagoniSt.
| The duel took place at Dubose's bridge, at
| half past two o clock on the afternoon of July
| 3, 1880 The seconds of Colonel Cash were
| McCown, of Darlington, and NJ. l.. Sanders,
! OF Sumter. Colonel Shannon's seconds were
! Messrs. Thomas Ancrum, j. NJ. Cantey and A.
| ID. Goodwin. DIR. Lee, of Darlington, was
| present as surgeon for Colonel Cash, and DIR.
| Burnett, of Camden, acted in the same capaci-
| ty for Colonel Shannon. Colonel Cash being
| deaf III one ear, IL was agreed that the signal
| for firing should DO the discharge of pistol.
| The distance was fifteen yards; weapons, the
| old-fashioned dueing pistols. Colonel Shan
non fred first, the ball from his pistol striking
| the ground in front OF Colonel Cash. Then
Cash fred, and shot his antagonist through the
| heart
TIM CORRESPONDENCE
The history of the affair which eliminated
in this bloody tragedy was published i'll the
| Nows and Courier IN July, 1880 A brief sum-
| mary of the correspondence Will be interesting
| at this time.
C. NJ. Wienges was the plaintiff in suit
| against K. q. Elerbec, whose sister it seems
was Colonel CashS wife. Captain w. l.. De-
Pass and Colonel w. NJ Shannon were the
| attorneys for tho plaintiff. y judgment was
recovered by the plaintiff for $1,000, but he
| was unable to recover the amount ont of the
| property of the defendant, which, it is alleged
| was covered by Judgment upon n mortgage
| held by Mrs Cash Pending the proceedings
! Colonel Cash sent challenge to Captain De-
Pass. In this note Colonel Cash said:
AS YOU have abandoned your charge OF fraud,
never eel free 10 act In this matter, and, while l
now claim for myself or acknowledge for you that
there Is any social equality between as yet for the
time hliiG, anu 10 otifllNh me otltCl nave IN
view. waive all objections and demand of you re-
dress tor the false imputat'ons yuu have made
against the character of Mrs Cash.
| Captain Delass in his answer to this note,
claimed chat the challenge was not Couohed in
language warranted by the "code, but waived
objections and consented to Il hostile meeting
in North Carolina
The meeting. however, never took place.
! Captain DePasS and his seconds having been
arrested while on their way to the ground.
TlE PISTOL AND TfE o0WHDF.
Colonel Cash subsequently published the cor
/ reSpondenCo and a circular, in which he said I;
Il viii add that no friend or mine has been i'll