Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-03
DuELs IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Last Encounters at Famous Sand
Bar Ferry.

The Last Encounters at Famous Sand
Bar Ferry.
For many years before the war,
and for few years succeeding, this
code duello was one of the strongest
and most destructive features Of
southern life-of South Carolina life
particularly. BY this code man who
considered himself insulted or ag-
grieved by another might challenge
the latter to mortal combat on the
field Of honor. The field Of honor 1t
emphatically was.
Not with the light rapiers or pop
guns, as 1t were, as in France and Ger
many, but with the direct, direful,
deadly pistol, army or navy repeater.
the combatants standing so many
PAGES apart, as might be arranged by
their seconds, and using, according to
the code, just such pistols. or In rare
cases other weapons. as might be
chosen by the challenged man. The
seconds decided the positions and the
giving of the word by tossing up.
Each combatant took with him to
the field second, surgeon, one, two,
perhaps three, friends as witnesses,
and generally one or more male ser
wants. The seconds with excessive
civility, punctilious courtesy and
knightly grace loaded the, pistols,
,laoad tLa,,. q, tta handa - tha ony,
batants and enforced rigid compliance
with all rules Of the code duello.
During the first sixty years Of the
last century, when duelling was so In
force In South Carolina, says the
Charleston News and Courier. there
was a rigid law, in words, against It
rigid in words, but absolutely dead
letter as regards Enforcement. Pub
lie opinion upheld duelling enthusiast
ically and frowned down the law. The
penalties under this law were very Sc
we're, but never enforced. The penal
ties under the present law are also
prompt enforcement, coupled with the
gradual capitalization Of public opin-
ion against the custom, have caused
duelling TO become almost extinct
the south we still now and then hear
Of duel In which the combatants are
guided and governed by the rigid rules
of the old code duello.
It is now almost forty years since
a duel has taken place at Sand Bar
Ferry. The last three duels that came
of there, II we remember Alright, oc-
Cured in one and the self-same year
1870. One of these was between q
very prominent and popular young
man of Augusta, named Tilly-and
on account Of his chiyalry, generosity
and elegant personal habits he was
called by his friends Count Tilly"--
and another equally prominent and
popular, Eamed Radcliffe. The
trouble was about a woman, and sad
to say, not good woman. Count
Tilly was killed outright.
Cornelius Redd, man we'll known
In Augusta during the war period and
said to be a desperate fellow, became
engaged in dispute with another
desperate party by the name Of Cope
land, of Washington, d. C.. The
trouble was about a gaming debt, and
the two decided to fight 1t out accord
ing to the code.
They selected seconds and q sur
geon, and with some fifty interested
spectators repaired to Sand Bar Ferry
duelling grounds at four o'clock one
afternoon. The weapons for the set
tlement of the difficulty were navy re-
peaters. @
A prominent Augusta man acted
as Redd's second, while Mayor Hope
of Richmond, Va, did likewise for
Copeland.
They lined up and opened fire.
Four shots were exchanged ana
Copeland fell at the last shot. He
lived only very few minutes after the
shooting. Redd was not touched by
the bullets, and few years afterward
he was shot and killed by a policeman
while resisting arrest. He was q
small man but terrible game.
This duel was one Of the most
coolly, pitilessly, bloodily systematic
ever arranged to take place at Sand
Bar Ferry.
The third duel was a ludicrous
one, gotten up very cunningly by some
fun loving gentlemen of Augusta
and Hamburg; and yet 1t seems TO
have been a real duel. 1t was between
two negro men Nose Sullivan and
Peter Blair. There had been some
difficulty between Nose and Pete
about q case in court, and, being dert-
ly influenced, they decided that only
a duel could clear up matters
They went to the ferry. and Pete
proved the unlucky one. He received
the bullet from Moses revolver In his
knee and you remember that when
YOU get 1t in the knee your face
is apt to be square to the front.
Pete was good grit Nose was most
too gritty. Pete recovered from the
wound. Nose Sullivan-we weep as
we recall twas afterwards killed
in Hamburg in brawl. We knew Nose
we'll and loved him we'll. He was q
person of lofty instincts. We often
met Nose after the duel, and before
his unbecoming death, and used to
sav IN him. Zone day, Nose, we shall
write a history of San Bar Ferry, and
then we shall hand you down to honor
and fame" And Nose would reply:
II know it, Marse Jeems, and 1 know
you will do me jestice."
Iodine, Cure For Snake Bite.
For a sure cure for a snake bite,
take about seven drops Of iodine,
ooo rif,, ond hathe the wound also with