The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-14
On THE FIELD OF HONOR.
Stories Of DueIS Fought in "Old"
New Orleans.

The Outcome of Quadroon Balls.
Duels in st Antonv's Square.
Marigny's Disputes With Tissier
and Humble-Joe Howell and Maj.
Henry-A Quarrel Over Mile. Leah,
the Dancer.
From the New York Post
New Orleans, Sept. 10. If one strays
away into the quiet old St. Louis Gene
terry, with its crumbling ovens whose in
most secrets are known to the crawling
vines that squeeze into the cracks, one is
struck by the number Of tombs Inscribed,
Died on the Field of Honor"
Probably the majority of these duels
began with quarrels in the bathrooms so
popular in the old days-especially the
Gordon bleu balls The quadrOon women
who attended them had the reputation
Of being the handsomest race of women
in the world; they were marvellous
dancers; and their irresistible charms at
tracted most of the young men in the
town; and many fine young fellow
| went stung with jealosy, from the ball
| room to settle a dispute with his rival at
| the point of his colchemard. Many of
these encounters took place in a little plot
VI gro una cdLleu ~. antony square,
belonging 70 Ohe oIu 81. LOUIS caLheqrai.
~ was ouG d sliorI Instance from Ihe pail
ROOM ana VICTORIOUS combatants, II I'M
! wounded, went back to the dance i'm
mediately after their honor had been
SavlSIieu'
Many are the tales of duels and duel
lists; some of them amusing, some stories
| or bravery and cOOlness, some Of reckless
ness ana IoolhardnesS. Monsieur Der
ATa,
| stories. de was great wag, and enjoyed
nothing better than quizzing his friends.
One OF these was a great beau named
| Monsieur Ilssler. Wherever Marigny
would meet this tasJidious gentleman, he
would assume an expression of the great
est admiration; throwing up his arms and
striking an attitude, he would eXclaim:
How much ! admire you! What dandy
! you arS! liSSler was patent FOR while,
! but at last when Marigny repeated his per-
1ormance IN the presence of some ladies', the
! W0fh-ouU Ilssler challenged his former
| ifleuu TO deadly combat. They were fac
ing each other at the old ducling ground,
| the oaks, Suddenly Marigny dropped
| ms pistol the old expression OF mock adj
miratlon came into his eyes, and, raising
! mis- arms ne sadly exclaimed, "How / adj
mlre him! And must l then make a
! corpse OF the exquisite beau Tissier?"
| WIN dHected sadness he was about to
| pick up his weapon, when Tissier burst
| out laughing, lung himself into the arms
OF Marlgny, and the duel came to peace
tul END.
! Monsieur Marigny figures in another
| story worth repeating. When he was in
the legislature, there was bitter autag-
| onsm between creOieS and Americans.
| On one accession he made an tmpassiOned
| speech, which was answered in very per-
Sonal manner by Georgian blacksmith
! by the name of Humble Marigny Chal-
! lenged him; but Humble, though a giant
! WlShed TO refuse to fight. As this course
was entirely out of the question: he &C
cepted, and sent the following: "taccept,
! ana as the challenged party l choose as
weapons sledge hammers-the duel
to take place in Lake Pontchar-
tram, IN SIX fleet Of water As
! Marlgny was scarcely five feet high, and
as he was pleased with the conceit of his
enemy, he declared himself satisfied, and
the trouble was amicably settled.
Unfortunately, however, most duels did
not end IN so so gentle manner In his
history, Gayarre relates an incident that
well shows the feeling of the day and the
| Hghb IN which duellng was considered
! during It's golden age. On brilliant
! sumner night, SIX young gentlemen were
| walking arm IN arm on level green,
! when one suggested that such a superb
| night and such beautiful ground should
be made femous by gallant passage of
arms between some such brave fellows as
| they. Thereupon they paired off, and so
well did they conduct themselves, that
when all was over two bodies lay staring
at the moon. If duels in the
old French times with colchemard and
rapier were more romantic, those in
American times with pistol and shotgun
| wore more serious, as general thing.
| When the conservative old city was
! opened to the throng of Americans many
! desperate characters came from other
| states. Soon a class of professional duel
lists arose-mcn of utter recklessness and
| desperation. They picked fights on the
most ridiculous pretexts, gambling with
! life, so to speak; and as they were all
| more or less expert in the use of small
! arms, duels with them were generally of
| serious nature.
After war with Mexico there were two
noted characters of this stamp in New
| OrleanS-Mai. Joe. Howell and Mai
! Henry. Howell was noted for marvellous
! GOODNESS and pluck, and Henry was even
| more celebrated. He was with Gen.
| Walker in the Nicaraguan expedition In
! battle he would rush into the enemy's
midst, not caring whether he was alone
/ ar NOT eUtfiucr and 81 Gbiner aroon,r am