The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-07-20
CHOSE SOME REMOTE SPOT.

~ Liz iSI u4CS Vi ilC Oiu StuEO uNl-
10.
CHOSE SOME REMOTE SPOT.
The dueling ground before the war
was always some very quiet, hidden,
remote spot, unfreouented spot, where
the parties would not probably be
subjected TO the interruption o. of
fcers Of the law-as perfunctory and
useless as such interruption might gen
orally be.
Last week we spoke Of Sand Bar
Ferry Before the war, and for many
years after, il was within the domain
Of Edgefeld. and we were proud Of
it. Now, with its glory gone, 1t IS III
the domain Of Aiken. The days OF
dueling are over, but the historic
note of Sand Bar Ferry will never
die.
The mere mention Of the place brings
10 mind high-strung honor, reckless
bravery, chivalry unprecedented-pls-
tolls early morning, two parties ready
to kill or die, a stepping off OF so
many PAGES, the words: Ready, fire."
and an affair of honor settled satisfac-
forily-very sadly often,-horribly
some1fmes-but satisfactorily.
1t is best perhaps that dueling IS
over. There are now so-called better
ways of settling personal difficulties.
Sand Far Ferry is no more the place
of honor, chivalry and blOodshed. The
pistols ring out no more on the banks
of the Savannah, and few people are
with US now who can tell from per
sonal knowledge of seeing a duel there,
or of what Sand Bar Ferry was in the
Olden days.
II is now almost forty years since d
duel has taken place at Sand Bar Fer
". The three duels hat came off
there-if we remember right-occurred
in one and the same year-1S70. One
of these was between a very prominent
and popular young man Of Augusta.
named Tilly-and on account OF his
%chivalry, generosity and elegant
personal habits he was called by his
friends Count Tilly'-and another
equally prominent and popular man
about a woman. and, sad to say. o a
good woman. Women over whom men
fight to death are not generally good
women. Count lilly" was killed out
right.
WASHINGTON MAN KILLED.
Cornelius Redd, a mar we'll known in
Augusta during the war period, ana
said to be a desperate fellow, became
engaged in a dispute with another des-
perate party of the name of Copeland,
of Washington, D. G.. The trouble was
about a gambling debt, and the two
decided to fight it out according to
the code.
They selected seconds and a surgeon,
and with some fifty interested specta-
tors repaired to the Sand Bar Ferry
dueling grounds at about 4 O'Clock one
afternoon. The weapon for the settle
ment 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 Cope
land.
They lined up and opened fire. Four
shots were exchanged and Copeland
fell at the last shot. He lived only 4
very few minutes after the shooting.
Redd was not touched by the bullets,
and a few years afterwards he was shot
and killed by a policeman while re-
sisting arrest. He was a small man,
but terribly game.
This duel was one of the most cooliy,
pitilessly, bloodily, systematic ever ar
ranged to take place at Sand Barr Fer
ry.
The third duel was a ludicrous one,
got up cunningly by some fun-loV-
ing gentlemen of Augusta and Ham
burg And yet it seems to have been
a real duel-It was between two ne
gro men-Mose Sullivan and Peter
Blair. There had been some difficulty
between Nose and Pete about a case N
court, and, being deity Influenced, they
decided that a duel only 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. Pete did not get it in the neck,
as the boys say, but in the knee; and
you must remember that when you get
it in the knee your face is very 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 It
was afterward killed in Hamburg in 4
brawl. We knew Nose well, and loVed
him we'll. He was q person OF lofty
instincts. We met often Nose after
the duel. and before unbecoming death,
and used to say to him: "One day.
Nose, we shall write a history Of sand
Bar Ferry. and then we shall hand you
down to honor and fame Il know IT,
Marse JeemS, and | know you Will
do me jestice." And sure enough we
have lived to do Nose ~"jestice.'