The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-12
A GOAT ISLAND DUEL.
MEN WHO TOOK PART IN 1T AFTER.
WARD BECAME FAMOUS.
Wigfall and Brooks the Principals. MAN.
ming and Butler the Seconds The
Wounded Men Taken Down the River
In TorohIighted Barge.

In TorchIighted Barge.
In the Savannah river, some eight or
ten miles above Augusta, was 90 or 60
years ago large and dreary sand bank,
known as Goat island, covered with drift.
ing and shifting dunes, the home of the
crane the kingilsher and tho heron. One
OF the most noted duels that ever illustrat-
cd the code of honor took place on Goat is
land, sort OF neutral ground, amenable
perhaps neither to the laws of Georgia nor
South Carolina The principals and sec
onds in this duel, save one, were all Edge.
Held men OF high descent and of the caya-
lier class, who believed In and practiced
the code duelo.
The principals were two handsome and
brilliant young lawyers, Louis Il. Wigfall
aged 23 years, and Preston :. Brooks, aged
20. The casus belli in this famous duel
grew out of political strifes and ambitions
Wigfalls second was John Laurens Man
ming Of Sumter county, :. c. Brooks Sec
ond was Pierce Mason Butler of Edgefleld
All these four men became famous char
acters in the history of their state-indced
In the history Of the south-as is album
dainty proved by the chronicles and ency-
clopedias that have been written or amend
ed since.
In the very earliest hour of the dim,
gray dawn of fall morning of the year
1S4l-to avoid notice and perhaps arrest
two close carriages are driven out OF
Augusta. They leave the door of the late
Thomas Barrett, who is himself an occu-
pant of one Of the carriages. These two
coaches convey Wigfall Manning, Barrett,
a physician and three colorcd men, serv-
ants, to the vicinity of Goat island
Brooks and Butler, with their physician
and servants, come from the Edgefleld
side, accompanied by the late Major An
drew Hammond of New Richmond.
The duel took place at 80 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 re-
suit of the second shot was the wounding
of Wigfall through both thighs and tho
whizZing of a 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 became almost UNI
conscious from loss of blood
And now comes the dramatic and some
what weird part of my story. Both
both men were lifted tenderly into tho
pole boat and, lying almost side by side,
were rowcd down the night mantled
stream to the city. In this boat with the
wounded men were the seconds Mr.. Bar
rett, Major Hammond, the physicians and
five negro men, Imagine this funereal
barge, Illuminated by lightwood torches,
sometimes 1aring bright, sometimes burn
ing blue, as it glded down the broad, still
river i'm the blackness of darkness, bearing
on its bosom two noble, brave and bleed
ing boys, whose immortal souls before the
journeys end might be called to stand bo-
fore their God.
Arriving at Augusta Louis Wigfall was
taken to the residence of Mr.. Thomas Bar
rett, whose vito and mother-in law, tho
late Mrs. Harriet Glasscock, were family
connections of his, and there nlirsed back
to health with tender care and motherly
watchfulnesS. Preston Brooks was taken
TO Boards hotel, in Hamburg, whence
after few days he was taken to his home
in Edgefield.
Louis II. Wigfall married brilliant
belle of Providence, and after living in
Edgefield u few years subsequent to his
duel removed to Marshall, Tex, which
state he very soon represented in the Unit
ed States senate, where he achieved n ma
tional reputation as an orator and states
man The war, of course, found him de-
yoteGly and enthusiastically on the side of
his native south. He became u hero in the
memorable and initial siege of Fort Sum-
ter, brigader general in the Confederate
army, senator from Texas in the Confcd-
crate congress and an intimate friend and
adviser of jefferson Davis. He died In
Galveston some 10 or ~ years after the
close of the war.
Preston S. Brooks married daughter
of Governor Means of South Carolina, and
continued to live i'm Edgefield. He became
SO popular among the people of Edgeflcld
and the neighboring districts that they
sent him to represent them in congress.
Previous to this, however, he had led
Company ID of tho Palmetto regiment
throughout the Mexican war, and had
reached the highest rank as wise and
brave soldier. While he was a member of
the lower house of congress his cousin,
Judge Andrew Pickens Butler, was South
Carolina's senator.
In the senate about this time-it is mat
ter of national history-the famous Massa-
chusetts senator, Charles Sumner, made
speech rejecting upon Senator Butler,
VINO was man many years his senior'
This insult to his venerable kinsman SO
aroused the irc of the fiery Brooks that he
publicly caned Sumner in the senate cham
Der. The matter became almost u national
issue and aroused in the northern mind
much of that hatred of the south that led
to the war. Preston s. Brooks, In his third
term as congressman, died in Washington
In 1857.
Pierce NJ. Butler became governor of
South Carolina, then United States COM
missioner to the Indians, and subsequently
the devoted and illustrious leader Of the
renowned Palmetto regiment In the Mex
lean war. He fell at the head Of his regi-
ment, with bullet through his brain. at
the memorable siege of Cburubusco.
John Laurens Manning married an aunt
of the present General Wade Hampton. He
was at the time the wealthiest and the
handsomest man In South Carolina. He
became governor Of his state, as his father
and grandfather had been before him. and
proved himself throughout all his years a
hcro and patriot of the highest type. He
died eight or ten years ago.-'Augusta
Herald.