Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-13
gave him deep offense. He was at one time

gave him deep offense. He was at one time
President of the Transylvania University
at Lexington, Kentucky, and at the time
of his death, in 1855, he was President of
Washington College at Lexington, Virginia,
now known as Washington and Lee Uni
versity.
Hon. Thomas F. Marshall, VII at one
time represented the ashland District of
Kentucky in Congress. and who was un-
doubtedly the most finished and gifted
orator of his day, was the son of DIR. Louis
Marshall. His oration upon the life of
and public services of Richard III. Menefee
must ever rank with the first of the class
les. "Tom" Marshall, as Kentuckians
loved to call him,was variable and eccen-
trio genius, and he too. after the manner
of the times and State, practiced under
the code, and his "affairs" were numer-
Gus.
He had duel with Hon. John Rowan,
of Bardstown, Kentucky statesman Of
national reputation, ana = dead shot as
well, in which Mr.. Rowan, 'calling his
shot," as they say in Billiards, hit him in
the leg within half an inch of the spot
which he had indicated as the place he
had intended to hit. Mr.. Marshalps next
duel was with Colonel James Watson
Webb, editor of the New York Courier and
Enquirer, in 1912. Mr.. Marshall was en-
gagged by that notorious forger and mag
nifcent rascal, Monroe Edwards, to defend
him in his trial in New York, and Webb
severely criticised the conduct of Marshall
in so doing, as he was then a member of
Congress.
Marshall, in his speech before the jury,
retorted upon Webb in that bitter style of
invective of which he was the master.
This led to duel, and Marshall shot
Webb in the knee, laming him for life
He also met General James NJ Jackson,
of Lexington, KY, on the field of honor
in Mexico, during the Mexican War, both
gentlemen being officers in the same regi-
ment of Kentucky volunteers. This event,
however, was a bloodless one. General
Jackson was killed at the battle of Perry
vile, during the late war.
Hon. Thomas F. Marshall had one other
"unpleasantness" during the Mexican war
with still another officer of his own regi-
ment-General Cassius NJ. Clay-who is
still living, full of years and full of honors.
Trouble had been brewing between the
two men for some time. Mr.. Clay, as he
says himself in his autobiography, spent
nearly all his leisure time while in camp
sharpening and polishing his sword. This
fact led Marshall to refer to Claws s.Tord
as "the sharpened blade of an assassin"
One day, while the regiment was en-
camped on the banks of the river, Mr..
Clay and Mr.. Marshall met and had some
words, which gradually grew more and
more heated, until finally Mr.. Clay be-
coming exasperated, lugged out his sharp
ened blade and made terrific onslaught
on Mr.. Marshall. The latter, "taken all
of heap" as it were, turned and fed for
life, Clay following at his heels and brand
ishing his formidable blade. The bank of
the river was soon reached, and Mr..
Marshall, making choice of two evils, in
continently plunged into the water and
came near drowning, but was rescued by
some of the soldiers. AS he stood drip
ping upon the bank he suddenly said with
inimitable wit: "At any rate, old Cash
can't say that called out, Help me, Cas-
sius, or sinkp p"
The life of Cassius NJ. Clay is almost
equal to a romance, checkered, as it has
been, by the shifting light and shades of
fortune. Born in a slave State, the scion
of long line of slave-holding ancestors,
he became early convinced of the evil and
wrong of slavery, and with the prompti-
tude and zeal which has ever characterized
him, he at once set to work to bring about
the emancipation of the slaves. OF course
ii meant something to be an Abolitionist
in a slave-holding community, and Mr..
Clay virtually carried his life in his hands.
Brave as a lion, he never shrank before.
any obstacle, however formidable, which
might oppose him. He more than once
made appointments to speak in favor of
emancipation, and fearlessly went to fill
them, although fully apprised that plots
and conspiracies had been laid to assassinate
him if he should do so. He was an utter
stranger to fear. Once, while making a
speech from table set in the streets of
the little village of Taxtown, near his
home, a man named Turner, who was
standing by the table in front of him, pre-
tended to take offense at some statement
made by Mr.. Clay, and cried out: "Now,
Cash, that is G. die, and you know itp'
Instantly Mr.. Clay threw his hand over his
shoulder, and drawing large bowie-knife
from beneath the back of his coat, jumped
from the table, slashing Turner with tre-
mendous cut as he descended. Turner fell
weltering in his gore, and some unknown
man in the thick crowd stabbed Mr. Clay
in the back, infiicting a wound from which
he recovered only after long confinement,
and from which he still occasionally suf-
fers. Wounded as he was, he fought his
way through the crowd to house near
by, where he was cared for. Mr.. Turner
was carried to another room in the same
house, where he died, after the lapse of
some hours. Before dying ne effected
reconciliation with Mr.. Clay, and asked to
be forgiven for what he had DONE He
made an ante-mortem statement to the
effect that a plot had been laid to aggra-
vae Mr.. Clay to make an assault and then
to assassinate him, and that he, in accord
ance with the plot, had attempted to pro-
woke Mr.. Clay. He asked that the law
should hold Mr.. Clay guiltless in the
matter, and guiltless he was held accord
ingly.
Upon another occasion, while Mr.. Clay
was speaking at Russelrs Cove, near Lex
ington, he was set upon by gang of men,
who were headed by brave and desperate
man named Brown. Mr.. Clay boldly en-
gagged them all, cutting right and left with
his trusty bowie-knife with hearty good
will, and perfectly undismayed by the
overwhelming numbers who beset him.
Browns allies soon became dismayed
and retreated, leaving him to engage Mr.
Clay by himself Brown, himself, how
ever, was good game, and fought desper-
ately as long as he could stand. Finally,
when slashed almost into shoe-strings, he
fell, and the fight ended Brown died
some time afterward, but before he died,
disgusted with the pusillanimity of his
comrades, he, too, made clean breast of
it and revealed the facts of the plot which
had been laid for Mr.. Clay's death.
A Honeymoon in Eclipse.
"Mr. Digby told me he didn't enjoy his
wedding tour. Queer sort of statement
wasn't it?"
"Why, no, auntie; not under the cir
cumstances"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you see, Mrs. Digby had such a
horror of people taking Digby and her for