The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-11-17
Famous Goat Island Duel.

VI pSiI tAIiANo oUo'S -AoS N>"Ns~t 'N>S
or sixty years ago, large and dreary
sand bank, known as Goat Island =
covered with drifting and shifting
dunes-the home of the crane the
king fisher and the heron. Precisely
ffty-six years ago, one OF the most
noted duels that ever illustrated the
code of honor took place on Goat Is
land-a sort of neutral ground amcna-
Bile, perhaps, neither to the laws OF
Georgia or South Carolina. The prin-
cipals and seconds in this duel, save
one, were all Edgefeld men of high
descent, and of the cavalier class, who
believed in and practiced the code
duello.
The principals were two handsome
and brilliant young lawyers, Louis I.
Wigfall. aged % years, and Preston S.
Brooks, aged %. The causus belli in
this famous duel grew out of political
strifes and ambitions. Wigfall's Sec
ond was John Laurens Manning, of
Sumter County, sc. Brooks second
was Pierce Mason Butler, of Edge
field. All these four men became
famous characters in the history of
their State-indeed in the history OF
the South as is abundantly proved by
the chronicles and encyclopedias that
have been written or amended since.
In the very earliest hour of the dim,
gray dawn of a fall morning of the
year 1941-to avoid notice and per-
haps arrest-two close carriages are
driven ont of Augusta. They leave
the door of the late Thomas Barrett,
Esq, who is himself an occupant Of
one of the carriages. These two
coaches convey Wigfall, Manning,
Barrett, physician and three colored
men servants to the vicinity of Goat
Island. Brooks and Butler, with
their physician and servants, come
from the Edgefeld side, accompanied
by the late Major Andrew Hammond,
Of New Richmond.
The duel took place at $50 o'clock
II the afternoon. The actors in the
bloody drama were taken from either
shore to the islandin one of the long
pole boats Of that day. Two shots
we're EXCHANGED. The result of the
second shot was the wounding Of Wig
fall through both thighs, and the
whizzing of bullet into Brooks hip,
the bulletranging round into his back
and lodging there. Both men were
painfully and very seriously wounded.
Both sank to the ground, and soon be-
came almost unconscious from loss of
blood.
And now comes the dramatic and
somewhat weird part of my story.
Both wounds having been temporarily
dressed, both men were lifted tenderly
into the pole boat, and, lying almost
side by side. were rowcd down the
night-manteled stream to the city. In
this boat with the wounded men were
the seconds, Mr.. Barrett, Major Ham
mond, the physicians and five negro
men. Imagine this funeral barge, il
Illuminated by lightwood torches, some
times faring bright, sometimes burn
ing blue, as it glided down the broad,
still river in the blackness of dark
ness, bearing in its bosom two noble,
brave and bleeding boys, whose i'm
mortal souls, before the journey s end,
might be called to stand before their
God.
Arriving at Augusta, Louis Wig
fall was taken to the residence OF Mr..
Thomas Barrett, whose wife and
mother-in-law, the late Mrs. Harriet
Glasscock, were family connections of
his, and there nursed back into lite
with tender care and motherly watch
fulness. Preston Brooks was taken
to Beard Hotel in Hamburg, whence,
after few days, he was taken to his
home in Edgefeld
Louis t. Wigfall married a brilliant
belle of Providence, Rhode Island,
and, after living in Edgefeld a few
years, subsequent to this duel, re-
moved to Marshall, Texas, which State
he very soon represented in the United
States Senate, where he received a
national reputation as an orator and
statesman. The war, Of course, found
him devotedly and enthusiastically on
the side of his native South he be-
came hero in the memorable and
initial seige Of Fort Sumter, briga'
dier general in the Confederate army
Senator from Texas in the Confederate
Congress. and an intimate friend ano
adviser of Jefferson Davis. He dice