The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-11-29
AUGUST BELMONT DEAD.
The Duel he Fought Near ElktC n

from q C)lu COnttdCIet aG inc haulsou
Square Garden Horse Show of which he
was 'one of the Judges. Mr.. Belmont
was born near Frankfort on-the- Main
the great Banking center of Germany
and when quite young entered the great
Banking House OF the R)thschilds, be-
ginning at the very bottom of the ladder.
He rapidly gained the confidence OF his
employers, and alter acting as the Re-
preventative of the Rothschilds in several
European Capitals he came to the United
States and engaged as Banker, beginn-
ing business on his own account in a lit
tie office on Wall Street New York in
1887, but still acting as agent of the
Rothschilds. A quarrel concerning a
woman led to a duel, in which he was
shot aud famed for life. From 1874 to
1850 he was consul general at New York
for the Austrian government, but, owing
to his disapproval of the treatment re-
ceIved by Hungary from Austria, he re
signed his oilce. In 1858 he was appoin-
ted United States charged d'afTaires at
The Hague, and in 1854 became minister
resident. He resigned in 1858, having
first negotiated highly important con.
sular convention, for which, with other
diplomatic services, he received the
special thanks of the department at
Washington. Mr.. Belmont was well
knows as patron of arts. aud his col
lection OF paintings is one of the finest in
New York Mr.. Belmont has taken
much interest il politics; he was a dele
gate to the Democratic Convention of
1860, and from that year until 1872 was
the chairman of the national democratic
committee. For twenty years he was
president of the American Jockey Club,
and lie has long been prominent mem
Der of the Union aud other clubs of
New York. He married a daughter of
Com. Matthew G. Perry, and was in
strumental in erecting bronze statute
of MIN at Newport, r. l. Mr.. BeImont's
wife and three sons and one daughter
survive him.
DUEL NEAR ELkTON.
The following account OF the duel
which Mr.. Belmont once fought in Mary
land is taken from the CECIL WING.
GOA Wednesday evening. August %,
1S41, two parties of men in carriages
drove up to the TWO hotels of the town.
There was, all apparent strangeness in
their actions. and the wiseacres of the
town were at their wits end to determine
the object of their visit. About u
o'clock that night conference was held
between representatives of the two
parties, numerous inquiries in the mean
time having been made as to the distance
to the Delaware line. Late in the night,
or rather early in the morning, they left
the town, driving directly east. They
were followed by some citizens of the
village, whose curiosity had induced
them to watch their movements, but
were not overtaken, aud no one, it seems,
the duel, which occurred at an early
hour on the morning of the Goth, on
Grey's Hill, about one mile east OF this
town. AS it afterwards proved, the
principals in the affair had taken assum-
ed names, one of them being addressed
as Moore, the other as Goldsmith.
in reality, however, they were Mr..
August Belmont, of New York, the
American agent of the R)thschilds, and
who has since figured very prominently
as a New York democratic politician,
and Mr.. William Hayward, of South
Carolina. They had been together resi-
dents of the American Hotel III New
York, and the quarrel seems 30 have ORR
ginated in love affair. Haywaid's
brother stated at the time that Belmont's
intimacy with Il lady had been resented
BY Hayward, and the former having
spoken of the latter in terms not plrticu-
larry complime ltary, Hayward had
struck Belmont, whereupon the Latter
had challenged him to mortal combat.
Intent upon blood, they had arranged
duel, TO be fought upon the classic soil of
Delaware, AMI Tor that plrposo had Ia
ken carriages AZ Wilmington and
driven to Elkton, intending to NEST upon
the field of honor by sunrise Just over
the Delaware line. AS it turned out,
however, they did not drive far enough
east. and the soil of Grey's Hill, il Cecil
county, WAS redeemed with the blood
O: the Hebrew banker. 4 gentleman
named Like acted as second for Belmont,
aud Mir. Purdy served Hayward IL
similar capacity.
ARRIVING upon the ground the priEci-
pals were placed by their seconds, and
upon the first rouad Mr.. Belmont was
shot in the hip. Ole fire, 1t seems, was
sufficient to appsase the wounded feel
Jugs of these chivalrous gentlemen, and
Mr.. Belmont was borne bleeding to his
Carriage. At the tina it was supposed
that he was moltilly wounded. Taking
to their Carriages the sLnguinary South
erner and the Hebrew were driven to
Wilmington, Elkton not then nor since,
SO far as we know, having been honored
by the presence of either OF these bar
baric gentlemen"