The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-09-25

honor Of the woman they loved by
meeting in some secluded spot, both
equipped with pistols and a second
and physician the Sand Bar ferry
duelling ground was in it's palmiest
days.
There nave been interesting ac-
counts Of settlements of feuds written
which concern the above field of hon
or. 1t has proved gold mine for re-
porters. They have written and writ
ten again of the meetings on that
stage of the ducls.
Yet still there is mine of interest
ing "reminiscences left yet to be told of
through the medium Of the pen or
typewriter.
The day dawn duel, the r; 'e 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 80 what the writer now pro-
poses to relate about an affair OF hon
or that did not occur at Sand Bar fer
~. but at another duelling ground far
th.r 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 bank Of
sand called Goat Island
About sixty years ago that bank Of
sand was the scene of duel at an
early hour on certain morning. Two
legal gentlemen were the principals in
the affair, and both were gentlemen
who we're well known in national poll
tics. Louis r. Wigfall, Of South Caro-
lima, and Preston Brooks, of the same
State, were the men.
Brooks was % years of age, Wigfall
was % They had INDUCED in 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 fall morning Of the year 1841,
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 q
physician and three colored body ser
wants of the duellists.
AT $50 O'Clock the two gentlemen
who were to settle the dispute q la
the code, stepped 60 their places on
Gc:. Island ED awaited tie word 70
FIRE.
John Laurens Manning, Of Sumter
county: South Carolina, was Wigfall' >
second and Brooks had Pierce Ma
son Butler as his best man in the af-
fair.
The seconds took their places, the
physician 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 wound
in the hip. Both sank to the ground
and were soon unconscious from loss of
blood.
The physician got to work on the
duelists and the men were brought
back to the city.
Arriving at Augusta Mr.. Wigfall was
taken to the residence of friend, and
Mr. Brooks WAS put to bed in Beard g
hotel in Hamburg.
So much for the duel.
From q manuscript OF South Car
olina 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 Edge6eld few
years subsequent to this duel, remov-
ed to Marshall, Texas, which State he
very soon represented in the United
States Senate, where he achieved a
national reputation as an orator and
statesman. The war, of course. found
him devotedly aud enthusiastically on
the side Of his native south. He be.
came hero in the memorable and
initial siege Of Fort Sumter, briga.
der general in the Confederate army,
Senator from Texas in the Confadar-