The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-09-12
TIL TIN DUHf,fo.
Memories Of tho Rhett Cooley
Duel Recalled.

TH4 DUH1Io.
Memories Of the Rhett- ooole,
Duel Recalled.
"Both gentlemen we're Southern
art" says Colonel D. +. Boyd, Of Gin
cinnati. Colonel Barnwell Rhet
survives. He lives at Huntsville
Ala, an honored citizen there. @
the distinguished South Carolins
family Of that name, and Of ths
same blood, generations back, q,
the Adamses of Massachusetts,, he
could but be an accomplished, cour.
teous gentleman. Modest, gentle
and refined as lady, the Same in
stincts and associations also made
him heightened, spirited, brave.
He was an officer in the Confederate
Army, and soon after the war be.
came the editor Of the New Orleans
.Picayune. s;
e"Judge William H. Cooley wal
the son of Judge Thomas ]. Cooley,
of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
ia most estimable gentleman, with
= wide circle of devoted friends.
Young Cooley was . remarkably
bright man, an able lawyer and per-
sonally very popular. He entered
the Confederate Army 40 Lieutenant
in Zoulokowski's Polish Legion,
afterward the Fourteenth Louisiana
Regiment, in the famous Tiger
Brigade of StonewaH Jackson's
command. The war over. Cooley
became a Republican, and was sp-
pointed Judge Of one of the Dis
trict Courts of New Orleans. ssa
Unfortunately for Cooley, and
most unadvisedly, he took excep-
ton to an editorial in the Picayune.
and, over his own signature, had
published in one of the New Or
leans papers an article which was
offensive to Colonel Rhett. When
Cooley requested the publication
Of his article, the editor remarked
to him: 5ss, ~
"'Cooley. if this is published
Rhett's only reply will be q letter
handed you by his friend. T"
"'All right replied Cooley, pub
ish it. ~ y q. 80 s.e-'.s ...i.'.'
1.-THE challenge came, borne by
Colonel Alfred Roman, formerly of
Bsauregard's staff, afterward Judge
in New Orleans, and but recently
deceased. Cooley accepted it. Who
his second was has now escaped
me. Cooley, the challenged party,
had the choice of weapons. He
selected rifles at forty PAGES.
"Rhett did not wish to kill Coo
Icy, or even to wound him he 80
informed Colonel Roman before the
meeting. At the first FIRE .ha iatsn.
tionally missed Cooley, and Cooley,
shooting to kill, missed him.
"Then Colonel Roman expressed
his principal as satisfied, and not
wishing another fire, but Cooley in
sisted on another fire. Rhett then
quietly and calmly said to Roman
81 will kill him this time SO
Sand he did shoot Cooley through
the heart. Rhett himself again es-
capped untouched.
II knew both parties was in
New Orleans at the time of the
duel, and had reason to believe the
information now given to be sub
stantially correct. l think it will
be borne out by the New Orleans
papers of that date. It was the
sense of the community that Coo
ley was wrong from first to last, yet
had bravely, if imprudently and
uselessly, lost his life; and that
Rhett was but defending his honor
as gentleman. He could not have
done otherwise. Both parties-the
surviving and the psrished-had
the sympathies of the public, and
Cooley's dear old father,
a fine old Southern gentleman, up
on the river coast, who deeply
nourned the untimely loss Of his
brilliant son. aas.siss.5s a.sa-s
"This mode of settling personal
difficulties is fast passing away,
even at the South, and with it is
passing away a keen sense of honor
and of personal responsibility, and
correct, courteous, bearing one
70 another. Instead, we are now
having brutal street fights, and
for SANDER. think
he old way the best. Along with
The new woman we are having .
new mana degenerate man,
New York Dispatch. 1,
What Law Has Done. L
In 9th Vic. 1874, under the Pitt minis.