The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-02-13
THE PERRY-BYNUM DUEL.
Famous III the Days of Notification Pecu-
liar circumstances Surrounding
the Burial Of Bynum.
iGreenville News.


yard in whose soil lie the remains of
many prominent men in the political
history of the State.
Every one familiar with histo ry
kno that the home Of John G.. Gal
houn was at Fort Mill, near Pendle
ton, S. G. According to tradition it
was his wont during the days of null
LITIGATION, to meet his admirers at the
latter place and there discuss the
issues of The day. In Greenville,
S. G., had been established paper
called the "Nullier," and edited by
a man by the name of Turner Bynum.
lie was a North Carolinlan haudaomp,
and possessed Of great ability as a
writer. In the same town of Green
vile, there was established another
paper under the editorship of w. H.
Perry, who attacked the cause of
notification, not sparing, it is said,
its chief exponent-Calhoun.
These two editors in consequence
OF their opposing views on the ques
tlon of notification, soon became in
volved in a newspaper controversy.
The result Was challenge. The
place selected WAS Island Ford, Tu
galoo river, about twenty miles south.
west of pendleton. The participants
passed through that place-Bynum
taking with him ,as his second, Jacob
Marley, who lived near Pendleton,
and with whom Bynum is said to
have stayed the night before.
Among the old residents of that
section of the country, there seems
to be quite difference of opinion as
to the real motive that prompted the
duel, and just rs to what happened
that day on the field Be the differ
ence of opinion on those points how
ever great, it is nevertheless fact
that Perry shot Bynum. He lin
gered for several hours and then
died. The question at once arose as
to what disposition should be made
of the body. After consultation it
was decided that the remains be
taken to Old Stone church, and there
entered.
The news of the duel and it's re-.
suit, soon spread and quite num-
Der went to the church that night to
see the burial, but a heavy rain storm
having come up, the cortege was 80
delayed IA not to reach Stone church
until after midnight. Then in the
intense darkness, with only flick.
ering torch to aid them, the remains
OF Turner Bynum were laid at rest.
At Its conclusion, it was suggested
that the grave in some way be marked.
So intense was the darkness it was
useless to look for rocks, and AZ
threatening was the weather, that all
seemed anxious to leave, and the onlv
things handy were two pine poles
which had been used to carry the
body from the wagon to the grave.
One was placed at the head, the 9th
at the foot Of the grave.
Time passed., and no attention was
pad to tho gave. The people we're
occupied in considering new events
which were then taking place. And
strange to say, these two poles, the
only marking of Il lonely grave, took
root! They grew, and continued to
grow! When the writer first visited
the place sixteen years ago, tho Old
Stone church was still standing, not
used, however, and apparently going
to rack and ruin, while tho grave.
yard nearby, seemed like a forest
with an immense underground of
bushes and vines, almost entirely OBJ
scnring the view Of the MANY tombs
And among, if not the largest trees,
were two pines, straight sentinels
over a grave otherwise unmarked.
But the scene which greeted the
eye of the writer when he visited the
same spot over two months ago, was
quite different. 1t was an idea! au
tumn day. The sun lit up tho va
rist shades Of the foliage. The air
was laden with the unmistakabe per
fume of fall. A faint breeze waited
a leaf here and there. Nothing broke
the sylvan stiffness but the occasional