The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-05-21

1llustrious Career of Louis II. wigfall.
Whose EARLY Life Was Spent in This

metto Regiment under the command
OF Col. Pierce NJ. Butler, was ordered
60 Alvaraso, 6 distance Of 100 miles,
which was accomplished in less than
ten days. But the fatigue Of such a
journey was too great tax on his con.
stitution and he became victim Of a
disease peculiar 20 the climate, which
80 Frustrated him as necessi.aee his
return hrme. During his absence mis-
company was commanded by Lieut..
". 9. Mciangue and in his absence
by that gallan. and brave man, Lieut..
Joseph Abney. after Capt. Brooks
recovered he returned and joined hss
command near :he City OF Mexico, re-
naming with it until the close Of the
war. Capt. Brooks, after his return
home, devoted himself to agricultural
pursuits. This occupation was con-
genial with his tastes, and he pursued
it with pleasure and profit. Ris high
est eulogy is found in the circle Of his
family and his generosity to his
friends. Capt. Brooks married Miss
Means, daughter Of DR.. Means, but
che lived only q short time. He was
married second time to cousin OF
his former wife. By this marriage
there are living one daughter, Mrs. v.
e. MoBee, and one son, Preston S.
Brooks, Of Sewanee, Tenn. In ashort
while sitter Capt. Brooks retired to his
place to live the retired life Of plant
er, he was nominated by his friends to
represent the Third Congressional
District in Congress. He entered
Congress in 1853 as the successor Of
Hon. Armistead Burt, who had de-
clined reelection. Mr.. Brooks
took high stendin Congress. For cas-
tigating Mr.. Sumner on the 22nd May,
1856, Judge Crawford, before whom
he was tried, fined him $500, which
his constituents paid, and Immediate
ly after resigning his seat hie people
vindicated him by unanimously re-
electiDg him. The impression made
upon the heart Of the public mind
Especially at the North) that he was
violent man and professional duel
list was false. On the contrary, he
was opposed to the duel. Though he
had challenged Mr.. Burlingame, of
Massachusetts, for offensive language
used in the House, growing out Of the
Sumner affair, he on more than one
occasion expressed himself as opposed
to this mode Of settling difficulties.
In proof Of his sentiment on the sub
ject, we cite the case of Mr.. Pryor and
Mr. Ridgeway, both Virginians, who
had gone on the field Of honor aud ex-
changed shots. Mr.. Brooks arriving
on the field at this juncture, told Mr..
Ridgeway that Mr.. Pryor had wife
and child.ea, and askedif he would be
willing to make that wife widow and
those children orphans. His reply
was that he could not resist such an
appeal, and Mr.. Brooks was author
lied to settle the difficulty, which he
did without bloodshed. It is true
that he did fight duel with Mr..
Wigfall, Of which we will give a
sketch.
From 1922 to 1880 Mr.. Daniel Bird
was clerk of court of Edgefield Dis
trict, and was happily married to q
sister Of Whitfield Brooks aud raised
large family. One Of his sons was
Ihos. Butler Bird. In 1910 George
Pope y,as clerk Of court, uncle to our
learned Senior Associate Justice Y. J..
Pope. Simon Christie, father Of Mr.. P.
B. Christie, Of Columbia, was sheriff,
.. Towles was ordinary or probate
judge and James Terry was commits
sioner in equity.
Col. Whitfield Brooks and Mr.. Louis
T. Wigfall got into q political discus
sion and their letters were published
in the Edgefeld papers and ran into
personal hostility. In October, 184O,
Tom Bird and Mr.. Wigfall had some
hot words about these letters, and
after exchanging two shots each Tom
Bird was mortally wounded and died
that night. Mr.. Wigfall went to see
him before he died and they parted
as friends. James p. Carroll, Faq.,
afterwards chanoellor) expressed him.
self about the difficulty and Mr.. Wig.
fall sent him challenge, which was
promptly accepted. At this time
Preston 8. Brooks was in Fairfield
District, and his brother, j. G. Brooks
was attending the South Carolina Col
lege. The duel was fought near Ham: