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

on ten mile, above Augusta. was fifty
or SIXTY years ago, Il large and dreary
sand bank, known aS Goal Island
covered with driftiua end shifting
dunes the home If iii, crane the
king fisher and The heron. Precisely
fifty-six year, ago, one Of the most
noted ducl- that ever illustrated the
code Of honor took place or Goat IS
land sorl of neutral .ronnd amcna-
bic. perhaps. neither to the laws Of
Georgia or South Carolina. The prin-
cipals and seconds in this duel. save
one. were all Edgcfcld men Of high
descent, and Of the cavalier class who
believed in and practiccd the code
ducllo.
The principals were two handsome
and brilliant young lawyers, Louis T.
Wigfall. aged y; years, and Preston s.
Brooks. aged -. The causus bclli in
this famous duel grew out Of political
>trifcs and ambitions. Wigfal's see
ond was John Laurcns Manning. Of
Sumter County: S. {. Brooks second
was Pierce Mason Butler, of Edge
field. All these four men became
famous characters in the history Of
.hcir State indeed iii the history OF
tho South rs is abnndantIy 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 1841-to avoid notice and per
haps arrest two close carriages are
driven out 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 colorcd
men servants to the vicinity Of Goat
Island. Brooks and Butler. with
their physician and servants, come
from the Edgcficld side, accompanied
by the late Major Andrew Hammond,
Of New Richmond.
The duel took place at J.3O o. clock
in the afternoon. The actors in the
bloody drama were taken from either
shore to the island in one Of the long
pole boats Of that day. Two shots
were exchanged The result of the
second shot was the woundng Of Wig
fall through both thighs, and the
whizzing Of bullet into Brooks hip,
the bullet ranging 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 und
somewhat weird part Of my story.
Both wounds having been temporarily
dressed, both men were lifted tcnderly
into the pole boat, and, lying almost
side by side. were rowod 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 glidcd down the broad,
still river in the blackncss of dark
ncss, bearing in lis bosom two noble,
brave and bleeding boys, whose i'm
mortal souls, before the journey 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
mothcrinlaw, the late Mrs. llarrictt
Glasscock, were family connections Of
his, and there nurscd back into life
with tender care and mothcrly watch
fulness. Preston Brooks was taken
to Boards Hotel in Hamburg, whence,
after Il few days, he was taken to his
home in Edgeficld.
Louis t. Wigfall married brilliant
belle of Providence. Rhode Island,
and, after living in Edgcficld 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 us an orator and
statesman. The war, of course, found
him devotcdly and enthusiastically on
the side of his native South. lie be-
came hero in the memorable and
initial seigc of Fort Sumter, briga-
dier general in the Confederate army,
Senator from Texas in the Confederate
Congress. and an intimate friend and
adviser Of Jefferson Davis. lie died
in Galveston, Texas, some ten or