Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-10-27
DUELING IN THE NAVY.
Some Interesting "Reminiscences of t
Good Old War DAYS.

corps OF confederate mldSnlpmen de-
tailed to guard the confederate treasure
found himself in Augusta, Ga, anxious
~ awaiting the result of the armistice
proclaimed between Gems. Johnston
and Sherman. At the hotel he met old
Commodore Josiah Tattnall, whom he
had long known
Several gentlemen of the city, ex-
pressing a wish to hear the commo-
dore's naval "reminiscences, the COM
mander invited them to meet the COM
modore in his room after dinner, and
there over pipe and glass of bad wine
lit was in the days of 1s65-they would
endeavor to draw him out The plan
succeeded, and the commodore talked
as only he could talk of the old navy
and its traditions.
Finally, turning to the commander,
he said:
did you ever know Commodore
Charles Morgan?"
II WIS his aid in 1884 in the Med
iterrar 5an."
Ibid you never observe that he was
subject to fits of depression or moodi-
ness?" said Tattnall
The other replied that although "a
cat might look at king" yet in his
day REFER was not permitted to OBJ
serve commodore too closely, but that
he had supposed Morgan to be partic-
ularly iorial, good-tempered man.
Tattnan proceeded to tell those pres
ent that Morgan, when a midshipman
in a frigate lying off Sandy Hook quar-
relied with another MILDLY, challenge
passed, and it was agreed to go ashore
and fight duel without seconds, the
survivor to bury his antagonist and to
return to the ship. The commodore
said Morgan killed his man and buried
him in the sand, and that this was the
cause of his moody fits
This struck the commander as re-
markable story. He knew the tradi-
tions of the navy pretty well, but had
never heard of it. Still he knew TAFT
nall had good memory, was man of
unquestionable veracity and not all
given to establishment.
For the last twenty-seven years the
commander has had the story in his
mind He has asked many old navy
men about it, but no one had any in
formation on the subject. He has been
told that he must have dreamed it, and
indeed he has sometimes wondered
whether Tattnall did really tell him
the story.
And now comes the strange part of it.
Being in the State library at Richmond,
Va, few days ago / took down the
English Naval Chronicle for 1872 and
there found the following:
The following extraordinary success
sion of calamities lately occurred on
board the United States frigate Consti-
tuition: Two midshipmen of the names
of Morgan and Rogers went on shore
and fought duel, in which Rogers was
killed and Morgan wounded. The next
day, while the procession of boats was
moving to attend the funeral of the
young man who had thus fallen mis-
cradle victim to the imperious laws of
honor, a sailor fell from the masthead
of the frigate and was killed. In a
quarter of an hour another fell from
the same place and was hurt so that he
died the next day. While they were
lowering the wounded man into the
cockpit another fell backward into it
and badly fractured his leg. Two days
afterward, as the frigate was sailing
rapidly up the Delaware bay, mid
shipman fell overheard and was
drowned. While they were lowering
the boats to go to his relief three men
were plunged in the water, from which
they were saved with difficulty by the
surrounding boats"
If Morgan was midshipman when
he fought the duel it probably came off
before 1912, for he was in that year an
acting lieutenant on board the Consti-
tuition. He was the sixth lieutenant
(acting) of the Constitution when she
captured the British frigate Guerrero
August 10, 1879.
Charles Morgan entered the navy as a
midshipman in 1907. In the spring of
that year gentleman in a gig was
driving along a country road in Abe
marie county, Va, and, overtaking a
boy of some fifteen years of ago, invited
him to take a seat in the conveyance.
What is your name?" said the gen.
tleman
Charley Morgan" was the reply.
The gentleman entered into CONVEX
sation, and was much pleased with the
youths frankness and wit. He asked
him how he would like to enter the
navy and go to sea, and upon Charley's
saying he would like it very much, told
him that if he would come to Washing
ton he could assure him of a midship-
mans warrant As Charley stepped
out of the gig TO take a cross-road
home. the gentleman called ont to him:
Tell your father you have been rid
ing with Thomas jefferson, president
Of the United States
NO I won't neither, replied the boy.
why not?7 asked Mr.. Jefferson in
surprise.