The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-06-26
SKETCH OF THE OLD SAND BAR
FERRY, FAMOUS DUELLING
GROUND OF LONG AGO.

""o CFly Soou picture OF Tie MS
toric duelling ground and its ,envir-
ons as they were then. In these mer-
camille days Sand Bar Ferry is
posaic place enough: ...
There is no spot of greater in
terest in any part Of our conutry
than the secluded glade known in the
history Of the South, of South Caro-
liam and Georgia especially, as Sand
Bar Ferry. A commonplace name
enough, but attached to glade or
faily ring set apart for the conven-
tional duelling ground when the Code
Duello was the first resort of gen.
tlemcn in settling personal difficult
ties.
In some respects it would seem that
this spot were fashioned for some
such purpose, so quiet, so perfectly
secluded, so easy of access and at the
same time so out Of the way that q
most bloody duel could be fought to
finish before authority from any
point could arrive to interfere.
This historic. duelling arena lies
three miles southeast of the city of
Augusta over what was once
wheelscarred and rugged road, heavy
in places with fine sand, and again
marshy where it dipped into bit of
low land or struggled through tom
que or undraned swamp. The road
lies along pleasant farm lands, and
plume-like elms meet in leafy arches
overhead. Now it runs deep into the
heart of the dim swamp, now close
along the margin of the rushing, mud
dy, turbulent Savannah, bordered by
thousands and thousands of finest
specimens of the trailing water will
low.
This duelling ground lies on either
side of the river. With the belliger-
ents of the Carolina side who wished
to settle differences with leaden az
guments, the fairy ring beneath the
hoary miss-draped trees Oh the Geor-
gia side was chosen as the scene Of
action. With those already in trouble
on the latter side, the clean, firm
sands of the mid river bank were
preferred. On the Georgia side the
famous spot might we'll be mistaken
for the artificial work Of man, fash
ioned with view to the purpose
which it served. The ground is as
level as dancing floor; a soft car
pet Of moss covers it, through which
the vivid fruit Of the partridge vine
or ground ivy glows like the crimson
stain Of blood. All around tall ccd-
ars, feathery clms and towering gums
intersperscd with few black-boled
pines, draped with long streamers Of
the funeral gray moss shade the trav-
cller from the too-ardent rays Of the
semi-tropical sun.
On the left the river runs, broad
ening out into wide shadows, the
sand bars shoaling out from either
bank, until at low water, or during
the summer months, persons standing
ON the further end of the bar could
clasp hands across the bed of the then
placid river. On the right thick
hedge of Towering juniper shuts off
the view Of most prosaic object,
railroad trestlc poised high and SPAN
ming the river from bank to bank. On
the Carolina side white chaff cliffs
loom up, cut by road that winds up
and up until lost to sight over the
high brow Of the white, bare hills.
It is singularly quiet place, this
famous Southern duelling ground, the
natural face of which seems never to
change. No sound breaks the still
ness Of the occasional flutter Of the
winged inhabitant of Dishes, the lap
Of the water over the sand bars, or
the grinding Of the wheels of an oc-
casional vehicle that has just been
ferried over. Formerly, when the on
ly communication between the Geor-
gia and South Carolina coasts was
by means of this ferry, a much-travel-
led highway skirtcd the duelling
grounds between tho glade and the
river, but now that route to the sis
ter State is practically abandoned for
nearer way and a nearer road to
Augusta from the Carolina side.
Nevertheless the ferry still remains
a primitive, oldtime, ramshackle af-
fair consisting Of several small boats
strung together on a sort Of cable,
and resting at equal distances on the
uneasy waters. These boats in some
manner propel the huge rafe-