The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-05-08
PRESTON :. BROOKS.
CAPTAIN of tie S.lluda Men in the Pal
metto Regiment-FOught Duel
With l.. r. Wigiall.

l,aS p escon 5. Brooks. OF Ninety Six,
Eagefe.d Disuic Va later became
q national figure because he caned
cas-. Sra&ar.. .tho bully Of the Dni ed
States senate. The following sketch
OF ,,r. @ro Ks may at ,his time be of
aausua} interest;
Preston S. Brooks is said o have
been a man OF great physical beauty
and O. magne ic personality He died
in his &7th year. otherwise ais name
might nave ben written high among
those who attained renown for
strategy and gallan' ~ in the War be-
tween tle Sta es. Into his short life
We're crowded three Of the most dra-
matte incidents in State his ory-his.
duel with Wigfall. his Gaming Of
Charles Sumner, and his proposed ex-
pulsion from congress.
Preston Smith Brooks was bora at
Edgefeld cour house August 6, 1919,
and died January p, 1851 His pa
ternal grandfather, Zachariah Smith
Brooks served as lieutenant in ehe
American Revolution under General
William Butler, and afterwards mar
ried General Buffers sister To them
one son was Whitfield Brooks,
the first master in equity OF Edgefeld
county and lawyer Of some promi-
nence, who after IS years Of public
service reired 10 his home at Rose
lands, near Cambridge, (Ninety Six
new the home of the family cf his
youngest. son. Capt J. Hampden
Brooks, who died last year.
W0itfeId Brooks married Mary Par
sons CARROLL, eldest sis -er of Chan
cellor Carroll, distinguished chan
Gerry judge. To them were born Pres
ton S, James Carroll, Whitfield But
Ter, J. Hampden and Miss Ellen
Brooks. wife of R. G. NJ. Dunovant, a
Confederate general of distinction.
Preston S. Brooks after graduating
at he South Carolina college paid de-
voted attention to a young lady in
Fairfield county. 1t was while his
younger brother, James Carroll, was
=: 1o,1ooo oo5 bo IoiD,colf woo 1-;c;; in Or
his ''ladye faire' that the tragic in
ciden5 occurred which led up to the
meeting between himself and Wigfall.
The latter was a lawyer Of some
promise. He engaged in spirited
newspaper controversy with Whitfield
Brooks, under now de guerre.
WigtaIl became offended, learned the
identity OF his opponent in the discus
sion and sent z challenge 20 Brooks.
The challenge was presented by a
young lawyer named Coleman. WHIT
field Brooks was then an elderly man,
and he scoffad at the challenge, bea--
ing Coleman severly with his cane,
driving aim from the premises
Coleman was so overcome with this
reception that he lef the country
after reporting 10 Wigfall
The later then posted Whitfield
Brooks as coward. In other words
he wrote a placard to tha effect and
stuck it on pos or tree on the public
square Of Edgefeld. He stood BY
VITA a deul,iag pistol in his hand de-
flying any one to tear down the pla-
card
Viii field Brooks not having learned
OF this announcement, and two elder
sons being away, Tom Bird, a nephew,
stepped up and pulled iAe placard
down, at the same time firing at
Wigfall. The shot Went wide. Bird
thea :olded his arms and took his
medicine. WigfaII shot aim dead
Chancellor Carroll seeing Jhe trag-
edy ran up and shouted arrest the as
sassin. This resulted in challenge
being exchanged between Carroll and
Wigfan.
They met on an island in the Say
an4ah river. Governor John L. Man
ming was Wigtau's second and Gen.
James Jones was CAROLS. One
shot was fired by each, and a recon
citation was then effected by the
seconds.
Communication was slow in those
days, bu; by this time Preston Brooks
had returned from Fairfield. He
Immediately challenged Wigfall and
the latter accepted and rifles were
used Preston Brooks was just 20
years old. WIgfaIl was a little older
TTNbn1, mat ~, Goat Island Car;- Pq,,c