The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-01-03
CASH-SHANNON DUEL.
Something More in Regard to the
Last Duel Fought in South
Carolina.

|
Recently the Daily Mail published
an article written by the city editor
on the last South Carolina duel. This
article has been reproduced in many
of the state papers. among them be-
ine the Yorkville Enquirer. Mr.. W.
| S. Gordon Of Yorkville read the artl-
Gle and then wrote the following
version, which was published in the
Enquirer:
Editor Yorkvi]ie Enquirer: I have
carefully read the article in the last
issue Of your paper entitled "Last
South Carolina Duel" credited to J.
H. Godfrey. This article is about equ-
ally divided between fac: and fiction.
The writer has read the "Cash-
Shannon Duel" published by E. B.
C. Cash himself. Later he made a
thorough canvass of Chesterfield
county in 1SS4-S5, talked with the
people and got the consensus OF opln-
ion Of the duel in question. He also
visited Col. Cash at his beautiful,
stately home at Cash's depot, where
he was made the recipient Of every
courtesy. It was the boast that 10
man ever visited his home without
having a good time.
Col. Cash was a man to make a
lasting impression. A man Of strik-
ing personality, tall, broad, straight
and and finely proportioned. His re-
putatio1 as I got it from friends,
neighbors, and people Of this country,
was that he was a true, noble friend
or a bitter and merciless enemy-a
man of undoubted courage, who fear
ed neither man nor devil.
Col. Cash was colonel Of the Eighth
South Carolina regiment which, I
was told, he equipped at his own
expense. AS to MS financial ability.
In 1884 his plantation was valued at
$65.000.
Col. Cash did not challenge Col.
Shannon. Col. Shannon was the chal-
longing party. It was claimed, how
ever. that Col. Cash, who was mas
ter Of sarcasm and inveetive, goaded
Col. Shannon into sending him chal-
lenge. That part Of the story de-
scriptive Of the actual duel, is in
part, erroneous. I visited the duel-
ing ground, near Lamar, in an oil
field near Dubose's bridge in Dar-
lington county, in company with
native Who was an eyewitness Of the
unfortunate affair. He pointed out
the stakes. which were yet standing,
AID described the relative positions
Of the parties in detail. The bullet
from Col. Shannon's pistol did not
strike the mud and spatter the mud
in Col. Cash's face because there
was no mud there even after the sub
sidence of the flood-nothing but
sand. sand. This is only minor er-
roi, however.
According to Col. Cash the bullet
from Col. Shannon's pistol struck
tae ground at his (Cash's) feet ana
threw the sand in his face, which pro-
dueed singing sensation and he
thought for a moment that be was
struck.
According to the code duello the
men were to fire simultaneously. 1t
is true that Col. Shannon fired first,
after which Col. Cash deliberately
shot him down.
The trial Of Col. Cash for the kill
inc of Col. Shannon at Darlington
court house, South Carolina, was a
most sensational one and was watch
ed with peculiar interest throughout
the state. Col. Cash was defended
BY the venerable Col. Spaln. His
speech was a masterpiece. Going
back TO the earliest times, he revelw-
ed the history Of dueling and argued
eloquently that it was right and pro-
per for gentlemen to adjust their
differences by the code duello and
that never mad a duellist been punish
ed especially the challenged party.
The anti-duelling law was the d.
rect outgrowth Of the Cash-Shan-
non duel. Col. Shannon was an Ak
ceedingly popular man and hi: : J.