New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-24
TWO pUELS IN ONE MORNING.

"REMINISCENCES OF OLD TIMES IN THE SOUTH.
Tho excitement the long range but terrific duel
between Senator JoeS blackburn and Judge Rucker
opened food gate of "reminiscences among Southern
Congressman, which has not yet been shut, for seg-
eral of them were principals or seconds in Ssure
enough duels when appeals TO the code were fro
quent and often ended In bloodshed In group Of
Southern men recently was told story which was
interesting because Of tho history Of two Of tho
"heroes." One was Lewis T. wigtall, who was ex-
PEELED from the United States Senate In 1861, who
bore tho first message demanding the surrender Of
Fort Sumter by Anderson, who was commissioned q
BngadierGeneral In the Provisional Army of the
Confederacy. who served In the Confederate Senate,
and who after tho downfall Of the confederscy, fed
to England and several years aftorwsd died In Lon
don, In merited obscurty. The other Preston s.
Brooks, who afterward achieved unenvlable notorety
by his brutal assault on Charles Summer. In the
senate Chamber The narrator said:
aAnd SO you never heard how Lewis 7. wgfall
fought Two duels In one morning, shot ono Of his
antagonists, and was shot and desperately wounded
at the same instantf Wen, viii tell you about It
1t happened before the war. when wigfa and Brooks
both lived in Edgehed, South Carolina wigfall took
umbrage at political card published in ono Of the
newspapers, and, finding that whitfield Brooks was
the author Of It, challenged him Brooks, the father
Of Preston, was an old man, and he paid atton-
ton 10 the challenge, whereupon Wigfa wrote notice
branding him q coward and posted 1t the door
OF the courthouse Chancellor Carroll, q friend Of
both men, saw the notice and said be would tear 81
down, when Wtgfan replied do It, and will shoot
you Friends interfered but duel arranged 10
take place the next morning. A few minutes later
Wigfall saw Tom Byrd, young lawyer, in the act
Of tearing down the notice, and ordered him TO desis
or he would shoot him. y reckon two can play that
game, replied Byrd, he tore tho paper from the
door. Those were his last words. Wigfan sbot him
through the heart. Byrd was a promising young man
and the shooting was regarded as @ most unfortunate
occurrence, but wisfal acquitted Of blame. The
next morning at sunrise he and Carroll faced each
other at ten PAGES, pistols IN hand The word was
given, the reports were lHstantaneous and both men
missed. The seconds tnterpOsed and as Wigfall and
Carroll bad been warm friends, they shook hands and
entered the same carriage. 70 ride TO Hamburg On
Tie way they met Brooks, who had been absent and,
having returned that morning, had just heard Of
was furious and demanded immediate Satisfaction,
The party Immediately returned TO the scene OF the
previous duel and Brooks and Wigfal took their
places Carroll acting second for his antagonist Of
the morning Both combatants fell at the FIRST fire.
beth SO desperately wounded that second exchange
Of shots could not be had although It had been agreed
that II should be , duel 10 tho death. Both
covered ana the fed died out but the principals
became htcnds."
rator added after o pause, In voice tlnged with
ean