Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-09-12
THE FASTEST PRESIDENTIAL RACE.

In 1860, at the beginning OF the Presl-
idential campaign of that year, there
lived in Elbert county Ga, about three
miles below Elberton, a man by the name
of Hiram Davis, whose information was
very limited, but who imagined he knew
good deal. At the time there was
theatrical company spending some time
in Elberton with large tent stretched on
the west side Of the public square, in
which the men of the town would fire.
quently congregate to discuss the exciting
political questions of the day. On one oc-
casion an unusually large crowd was pres
ent in the tent, Davis being one Of the
number, when it was proposed to hold
national nominating convention to nomi-
nate candidates for President and Vice
President of the United States.
After the meeting was organized, Hon.
Amos T. Akerman then resident of Ell
berton) arose, and after brilliant speech
on the gravity Of the situation, and espe-
cially of that particular occasion, placed
in nomination the name of Hiram Davis,
of Elbert county, Georgia, for President,
and Don Pedro Castro, of Mexico, for
Vice President. The nomination was Sec
onded and carried by acclamation and tre-
mendous applause.
A committee was appointed to notify
Davis of his nomination, and called on
him for a speech. He asked for an hours
time to prepare himself. In the mean
time the crowd had grown to such pro-
portions that the canvass would not hold
them, and it was decided to have the
speech delivered from the veranda in
front of the court house. Davis's friends,
prominent among whom was Capt. Ben. &.
! Henry, then resident of Elberton, took
him off and rugged him up in a large, old
style, blue military coat, with epaulets on
the shoulders, all immense collar that
reached above his ears, very tall stove
pipe hat and an old pair No. - ditcher's
boots.
At the appointed time he appeared on
the veranda and more comical looking
appearance never presented itself to the
people of Eberton. But Davis meant
business. He thought that he was the
bona fide nominee for the office, and Wis
ions of the White House and $25,000 a
year had been poured into his ear by his
accommodating friends until he was work
ed up to the highest point of excitement.
He delivered a senseless harangue of an
hours length with rs much earnestness as
was ever displayed by Stephen A. Doug
lass in those days.
During the speech Captain j.. A. Sand
erS, now deceased, pretenQeu 10 DecOlne
offended at some remark made by Davis,
and at it's conclusion sent him a challenge
to fight duel. Davis was averse to spill
ing human blood and wanted to decline
the combat, but his friends urged him
that he was occupying position in which
it would be disgrace to decline and that
certain defeat would be the result of such
course. This nerved him up to the
point, and he accepted the challenge, and
acting under the advice of his second
| Captain Ben. Henry chose double barrel
shotguns as the weapons and twenty PAGES
as the distance.
Everything being arranged level
street in front of the Methodist Church
was selected as the duelling ground. The
distance was measured, the guns loaded
with powder only, but Davis thought
with buckshot also), and the principals
placed in position. At the command
''Firew Sanders fired his gun off imme-
diately, but Davis took cool and deliberate
aim and fired. Sanders, of course, fell
and his surgeon ran up and bent over him,
at the same time emptying a bottle of red
ink on his bosom and announcing that he
was mortally wounded.
Davis saw the blood, as he thought, and
his friends advised him to flee. This he
at first declined to do, stating that he had
killed his man in a fair duel, and had
committed no crime, but when he saw the