The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-20

knew that for an expedition such as his
would be, an army amenable to no laws
but his own, in a campaign OF conquests.
the most serious consequence might ensue
II MS nghtng men got 10 cutting one an
others Threats for fancied points OF
honor. At the same time he did not dare
70 prohibit IL.
SO he caused the inclusion in the code,
10 which all swore obedience, Of sections
permitting duels under certain restrict
ions. Unauthorized duels were 10 be re-
garded as murders or attempts at muir
der, according as they turned out. and
all concerned in them severely punished,
not by civil but by military law. A chal-
lenge was not allowed to be sent until IL
had been approved as upon good grounds
In the Judgment of a board Of officers
composed mainly Of the challenger's SUI
periors in rank and seniors in service;
and the acceptance of II had also to be
through this board
Then, IL they failed in the endeavors at
composition and amlcabIe arrangements
of the quarrel TO which they were strict
~ enjOined, 1t became their duty to re-
port the fact and the pendency Of the
duel, through the proper military chan
nels, TO the general in command of the
division, and formally 70 ask his permits
sino for hostile meeting between the
men.
1t was then his duty to seek to effect
j.
II they rejected IL, to see that they were
fully and thoroughly informed of the
seriousness of the ordeal they invoked.
under the laws TO which they had sub
scribed. II they stil persisted, nothing
was left for him but to signify to the
board of officers his approval of the duel.
The board thereupon would proceed to
arrange the preliminaries, naming tho
weapons-taRing care TO avoid giving
either party an undue advantage through
eNpertness-selecting surgeons, and fix
ing, under orders from the general the
! time and place for the encounter. All
these steps necessarily would take time
in which hot tempers might cool and rea-
son interpose, as well as impress upon the
| intending duelists the gravity of the at
fair. Up to the time of their going upon
the field they were free to settle their
quarrel. After that there could be no
turning back. Death would be the ar
bitter.
1t was required that the duel should
take place in the presence Of the general
and his stan, in full view of at least fhe
regiment, and, if possible, the brigade, to
which the men belonged, and when the
word was given for its commencement
the light should be to the death. Should
both be disabled that an immediate con-
clusion of the affair would be Impossible
they were to be put under the surgeon
care until they recovered sufficiently to
return to the field. under the same cir
cumstances as before, and resume the
| fight.
If but one is disabled and the other did
not choose to finish the affair by butcher
| ing his helpless foe in the presence of a
| thousand comrades, an adjournment was
TO be ordered until the surgeon certified
that the wounded man was again able to
! fight for his life, when the duel was. to re-
commence. No plea of reconciliation. re-
moval of misunderstanding or sufficient
satisfaction of wounded honor would suf-
nee to stay the doom they had themselves
obstlnately invoked. one or the other
had to die to terminate the affair. For
every duel there must be at least one
corpse.