The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1907-01-29
FAMOUS DUEL ON RIVER SAND BAR
Crandf asher of Governor Blanchard Off
Louisiana 4 Participant.


rsiran civilization wtsh blood ass
;has whlth sook place apua %" sssa
bar opposite the eifY ~ Natthea. Mis@
In ~hlrh both granafath"rs ~ The
prs$.ni Governor Blaarhard nf Lon.
sssana. Colonel James Bovis the ~.
yeu,or Of thn ho~se katie. and utH"
others ~ers participants
So numerous and varied have been
the accounts of the noted duel 10 The
death that there exists to-day
great deal Of mislntormation con
corning a. says the Scw Orleans
Tinna Democrat II IL fitting that
the facts concerning the bloody battle
he gathered from indlsputahle
sources and placed ia orderly array
before they have become lost
One very generally credited story
Of the sand bar fight gives the mum
Der OF wounded rs fifteen and the
killed as six. where's the fact II that
only twelve men We're actually upon
the sandhar at the time tina fight
took place and of them but two were
killed and two were wounded, This
N the evidence not Of those who
merely heard about the conflict but
of eve witnesses and participants
themselves.
The battle was fought on Sept
is. 1877 1t grew out OF duel be
tween Or Thomas II Maddox and
Samuel l.. Wells Il came rs an I'M
expected incident upon the heels oil
the bloodless and satisfactory ar
rangement of the differences be
tween the principals after they had
twice faced each other upon the
field and twice emptied their pistols
at each other at short range.
Among those who accompanied
the principals and seconds 10 the
scene of the encounter We're Richard
Quincy and Col Norris Wright, Gu
nev was on unfriendly terms with
Colonel Grain, who was the second
of DR.. Maddox and after the adjust
ment of the trouble between Mad
dox and Wells cursed Grain, and adj
yancing threateningly with his pis-
toll drawn declared that this was a
good time to settle their misunder-
standing.
This act precipitated the general
fight which ensued. When it was all
over Quincy and Wright We're dead
and Colonel jim Bowie and Alfred
Blanchard We're wounded.
The affair gave rise to much talk
at the time and many unfortunate
and unfOunded rumors arose out OF
IL II was natural that the affair
should be exaggerated, and 1t has
developed into a story that bears put
few earmarks of the original. Inc
following statement of the flSht was
written by DR.. Thomas H Maddox,
one of the principals in the duel
which led to the trouble. Dr. Mao
dox was. as indeel all of the partlci-
pants of the fight We're, prominent
citizen of Rapides parish, Louisiana.
He was a man of uncommon strength
of body and mind and OF the most
unouestionable personal courage.
CT am the only survivor of the
twelve persons engaged in the
sand bar fight and having seen
lately many and various accounts OF
what they call the Bowie sandpar
fight and there being little truth
in them. | am induced TO give true
statement of the affair as TAR as
saw it," said Or. Maddox.
"Some difficulty occurring be-
tween myself and General Monior'
Wells. or from some other cause
which | do not recollect at this time
induced Samuel l.. Wells to send ms
a very offensive carte blanche
which | accepted as a cha'lenge' ana
IL was agreed that We should mee'
m Natchez and settle the matter
each marty leaving Alexandria sept
II. 1897.
or my party there were X \
Grain. IN, second. Norris Nfish,
Alfred and Carey Blanchard ana
myself hoing five of US IN nuanei
The opposing party were samuel l.
Wells. MeWhoter his second James
nowi,. Richard quincy, Jefferson
Wells and Sam quincy, makins slA
If them la number Having arrived
II Natehez. 7 called on pr, Denny W
be ms surgeon who mad" unnh'l
slN III my party. ana hah'hS N'N ~
each party and uo more
.Hasiug accepted No." ''t''
blanche ss a challenge. directed
cnlanei Grain my s.eund. "a" rall "i
NJ. Wells and state mS terms Au'
mode II combat whith were 70
.tana eisht usgya apart. fiEhi sld'
80 siFht side. pistols do~a to ~
fa,s.d Al he words ~" ynu n'''ds
gfse' anr. twu. three the uaual ga
n Nhieh gentlemen yindiesicd ths'l
honor
Nj W.lls obBvctvs iu mf TERMS
assumed shat hv wss fhr ehaii'is-' q
nsfts aud bad fhr tEht fo name th'
terms az was ,nform'~t bs m'
a..ond. gogousi Grain. Na'f' als"i
snld Colonel Grain to So hStA an'
ees hls terms as ! ~siss'd my fishi