The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-08-28
STORY OF TWO DUELS
a Sword Thrust, a Bullet Wound eMe
an Extraordinary Sequel.


When dueling was ;ln actual Iactea
IN the social order Of this country l.
had many worthy and notable expo
nents. including no less distinguished
personages than Henry Clay. An'lrc~
Jackson, Alexander HauiloG. De Nltt
Clinton, Stephen Decatur and others
Of the same type. but nowhere on THIS
continent was it so much IN establish
ed institution as in that peculiarly re-
mantle old city Of New Orleans. Is
was woven into the very fabric Of the
life Of the community, and many
crumbling tombstone in the antiquat.
ed creole cemeteries bears grim and
silent witness to the fact. though t.
understand the situation more clearly
one should breathe. so to speak. the
atmosphere Of the period
N. AuguStin. who afterward be,''''s!e
district judge and general oI -'!e
Louisiana legion. wAS the 'lc''t i''
several encounters in which the ten
per Of the period caused lhhi 20 De Gu
eaced. One in particular IS note
worthy on account of the part II pay
od in IN extraordinary freak OF for.
+une Alexander Grailhe was the Of
Tending party. though the insult. o..
rather, provocation. for gentlemen sci
dom insultel. would in this day be OF
scant concern. But some cause OF ac-
ton was present. and each was sure
that a deadly meeting would certainly
follow. They rode together il 4 car
riage with ladies. who, after the duel,
commented on their mutual aEfablllty
during the entire trip, which only
serves to show how delicately ADJUST
ed was the code of etiquette, especial
ly in the presence Of ladies.
They fought at The Oaks, and us
soon as the weapons had been crossed
and the impressive "Allez, meSsieurs,
pronounced Grailhe. who was high
strung and hot blooded-doubly 50 un-
der the stress Of what he regarded as
= crievous provocation-lost his tenn
per and furiouSly charged his antago-
mist. Augustin. on the contrary, was
cool, collected and agile, parrying each
savage thrust until by a temps d'arret
Sudden pausel. judiciously interpolat-
cd into 4 vicious lunge of Grailhe's,
he pierced him through the chest.
Grai!he, with one Of his lungs per-
forated, remained for 4 long time hov-
erins between life and death. and when
at last he did come out Of Lis room
he was bowed like an octogenarian.
It was now only Il question OF time
! for the wounded man, as an internal
abscess had formed where it could not
be reached-surgery then was not what
it is uow-and the doctors deSpaired OF
| saving him. Some time after he had
been up and about q quarrel with Colo
mel Vaudeville de Marigny resulted in
his challenging that distinguished citl-
zen. This duel was also fought at The
Oaks. but as Grailhe was too weak to
do himself justice with sword the
weapons chosen were pistols, at fifteen
PAGES. each to have two shots, advance
FIVE PAGES and fire at will. At the
first shot, fired simultaneously, the un-
fortunate man tell lOI ttLO- piGlSSN
by his adyersary's bullet, which had
entered the exact place Of his former
and yet unhealed wound. Marigny,
with pistol in hand and as placid us
marble statue, advanced to the ut
most lir1it marked out, when Grailhe,
who was suffering greatly, exclaimed:
ssFire again You have another shot
With grave dignity Marigny raised
his pistol above his head and fired into
the air sing with frigid politeness,
81 never strike fallen foe
More dead than alive, the stricken
duelist was carried home by his friends
and consigned to the care Of his ply
sicians: but. instead of sinking rapidly,
rs was expected. he really began to
mend and b. the following morning
was much improved. The ball had
| penetrated to the absceSs which had
threatened his life and made an exit
for It's poisonous accumulations. Some
time afterward he walked out Of his
room as erect as ever and soon re-
gained his health and stately bearing.
Century Magazine.