Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-05
DUEL ON GOAT ISLAND.

DUEL ON GOAT ISLAND.
An Historic Affair of Honor In the
Long Ago.
When gentlemen settled questions
that concerned their honor or the hon
or Of the women they loved, by meeting
in some secluded spot, both equipped
with pistols and a second and a physi-
clan, the Sand Bar ferry duelling
ground was in its palmiest days.
There have been interesting accounts
Of settlements of feuds written which
concern the above field Of honor. 1t
has proved a gold mine for reporters.
They have written and written again Of
the meetings on that stage Of duels.
Yet still there is mine Of interest
ing "reminiscences left yet to be told Of
through the medium Of the pen or type
writer.
The day dawn duel, the ride from the
city to the duelling grounds as the sun
was peeping up, the stepping Off Of the
PAGES and
But it's all in the line that we have
heard of so many times, yet always
new and so what the writer proposes
to relate about an affair Of honor that
did not occur at San Bar ferry, but at
another duelling ground farther up the
river.
What has been related to the writer
concerns a duel between two very
prominent people. two Carolinians.
which occurred back in the duelling
days.
About ten miles above Augusta,
where the Savannah river grows shall
low and washes the rocks. Is a bank Of
sand called Goat Island.
About sixty years ago that bank OF
sand was the scene Of duel at an
early hour on a certain morning. Two
legal gentlemen were the principals In
the affair, and both were gentlemen
who were we'll known in national poll
tics. Louis T. Wigfall, Of South Car
olina, and Preston Brooks, Of the same
state, were the men.
Brooks was % years Of age. Wigfall
was g. They had INDUCED in 4 heat
ed political argument. The challenge
had been given.
Enough said. The challenge in those
days was to be settled only on the field
Of honor.
On a fall morning Of the year 1S41,
the two gentlemen could have been
seen to enter carriages in the city Of
Augusta and drive rapidly towards the
west.
In carriages were the seconds and
physician and three colored body SER
wants of the duellists.
At $50 o'clock the two gentlemen who
were to settle the dispute a la the
code, stepped to their places on Goat
Island and awaited the word to fire.
John Laurens Manning, Of Sumter
county, South Carolina, was Wigfall's
second and Brooks had Pierce Mason
Butler as his best man in the affair.
The seconds took their places, the
physicians got ready to attend to the
wounded, and as the sun began to
blink in the east the word fire" was
given.
Two shots were exchanged. The re-
suit of the second shot was the wound
ing of Wigfall, shot through the thigh.
Brooks also received a wound in the
hip. Both sank to the ground and
were soon unconscious from loss Of
blood.
The physicians got to work on the
duellists and the men were brought
back to the city.
Arriving at Augusta Mr.. Wigfall was
taken to the home of friend, and Mr..
Brooks was put to bed in Boards hotel
in Hamburg.
So much for the duel.
From a manuscript Of South Caro-
lima lady I find the following. which
tells of the life events of the two duel
lists Of Goat Island:
Louis T. Wigfall married brilliant
belle of Providence, Rhode Island, and,
after living in Edgefield few years
subsequent to his duel, removed to
Marshall, Texas, which state he very
soon represented in the United States
senate, where he achieved a national
as an orator and a states
man. The war, Of course, found him
devotedly and enthusiastically on the
side of his native South. He became a
hero in the memorable and initial
siege Of Fort Sumter brigadier gen.
eral in the Confederate army, senator
from Texas in the Confederate con-
gress, and an intimate friend and ad-
wiser of Jefferson Davis. He died in
Galveston, Texas, some ten or twelve
years after the close Of the war.
Preston S. Brooks married a daugh-
ter of Governor Means, Of South Caro-
lima. and continued to live in Edge
field. He became so popular among
the people Of Edgefield and the neigh