The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-13
COL. ALFRED RHETT DEAD
THE STORY OF HIS LIFE THAT OF
A TYPICAL SOUTHERNER.

The Duel in Which He Killed Capt
Ransom Calhoun One OF the Most
Notorious Events of His Life-His
Defense of Fort Sumter and His Ca
reer as Charleston's Chief of Police.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Nov. 12.-Col. Alfred
Rhett. one of the prominent figures in the
war of secession in South Carolina, died
is morning, and was buried this after
noon. He was born in this city in 1888, and
was a son of the great Barnwell Rhett,
whose connection with the Charleston Mer
curry was part of the history of the state.
He graduated at Harvard in $780, and
reached Charleston just after the passage OF
the ordinance of secession. h was commits
stoned a lieutenant in the First battalion of
regular artillery Of the South Carolina
army, aud was on duty at Fort Moulirie
during thel bombardment of Fort Sumter
in 1861.
ROSE RAPIDLY.
From lieutenant he rose rapidly to the
rank of a colonel of regulars. and served
through the war with distinguished gal
lantry. having been captured at the battle
of Averysboro, the last battle Of the great
struggle. After Col Anderson's evacua-
ton of Fort Sumter Col. Rhett was
assigned to its command, and was in charge
when the monitors made their attack on
the fort and were repulsed with the loss Of
the Keokuk and several others of the fleet.
He retained command of the fort till the
operations of the federal army on Morris
Island, when Gen. Gilmore's batteries
rendered the fortress untenable for artillery
operations.
THE EVACUATION.
When Col Rhett's regulars were ordered
to evacuate, and the fortress was put in
charge of an infantry garrison, Gen. Gill
more's guns had SO battered the walls that
the casemate guns could no longer be
worked. Col. .Rhett was afterward placed
in command of the artillery defenses around
Charleston and remained in that position
till the evacuation of the city in February,
1865.
HIS DUEL WITH CALHOUN.
The incident of Col. Rhett's life was his
duel with Ransom Calhoun, an event that
created much feeling in the south. Ran
som Calhoun, kinslnan of the great John
&. Calhoun, was a captain in the battalion
Of regulars in which Rhett was a lieuten-
ant. The battery was on duty at Fort
Moultrie when Anderson was being bonn
barded. 1t was firing the red-hot shells
which set fire to the barracks in
Sumter and finally hurried Anderson's sur
near the guns, and had to be handled very
gingerly.
CAUSE OF THE ILL FEELING.
Capt. Calhoun, it is said, made some re-
mark to Lieut. Bhett rejecting on his
manner of handling the shells This led to
an unpleasant feeling on Lieut.. Rhett's part,
and it was aggravated later by a repri-
mand, which Capt Calhoun is said to have
administered TO his lieutenant in the pres
ence of the battery. Lieut.. Rhett chal-
lenged Capt. Calhoun. The latter de-
clined the challenge, giving as his reason
that the war was goiug on and
his services were the states, but Offering to
hold himself ready to meet Lieut. Rhett
when the war ended. Lieut.. Rhett, who
was a fre-eater. like all his family, was
very much exasperated. and took occasion
at all social gatherings to denounce and be-
rate Capt. Calhoun.
CALLED TO ACCOUNT BY FRIEND OF
CALHOUN.
Things went on for about year in this
way, but finally, at the Charleston club.
Lieut.. Rhett began to berate Capt Cal
houn as usual, when Arnoldus Vanderhorst,
one of Capt. Calhoun's friends, resented the
insult that bad been offered his friend, and
challenged Lieut. Rhett to a duel.
The two men met and ex-
changed shots, but neither was
injured and the affair was settled. 1t is
then said that Capt. Calhoun changed his
mind about fighting a duel. He said he
could not afford to have his friends involved
in quarrels on his account, and as he had
announced that he could not fight a duel
while engaged in the service of his state,
he sent in his resignation and challenged
Lieut.. Rhett.
CALHOUN KILLED.
Tho rhal1ap xyac ,1ro,,ookI,v oaoarA1l -
the duel was fought The battle ground
was IN the city limits. Capt. Calhoun ap-
peared on the field in dress suit of black,
and Lieut.. Rhett in his confederate uni
form. Capt. Calhoun fell mortally
wounded at the first shot and died
within an hour or two. The duel created
intense excitement here at the time. Some
of Capt Calhoun's friends denounced Lieut..
Rhett in unmeasured terms and it is said
that one of them, a clergyman, was so en-
ragged, that meeting Lieut.. Rhett on the
street, he threw off his clerical garb and
dared him to challenge him.
After the war Col. Rhett devoted his at
tention to rice planting.
MADE CHIEF OF POLICE.
In 1876 he was elected chief of police of
this city, and served through two adj
ministrations. He was admitted to be the
best chief of police the city over had. He
lost his place, however, after six years
term, and at the time of his death was a
trial justice. During the earthquake, when
the entire city was demoralized and living
out in the streets and parks, the negroes, in
their religious frenzy, made things so I'M
pleasant to the whites that in many cases
the latter were driven out of the squares.
The police declined to interfere, or at least
did nothing to preserve order.
RHETT TO THE RESCUE.
AT that time Col Rhett was out of DO
litical life. He was in the city, however,
and at the request Of the citizens he was
clothed with police powers, mounted on a
horse, and in day or two had perfect
peace and quiet restored in all the earth
quake camps. He was man of unques-
tionable courage. In an election riot here
in 1878 he quelled mob of over 500 infu-
rated negroes. Death resulted from a con.
gestive chill, resulting from malaria
acquired last summer while planting rice in
the country.