The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-05-06

reaching Mexico, and by some mean
this little fellow had gotten som
minor appointment by reason Q
which he was not required to do an
kind of camp duty, while he, Mc-Gow
an, being nothing but a private, ha
to stand guard and do various othe
things not very pleasant. This fellow
whenever he would see MCGOWAN thu
engaged, in order to tantalize hin
and to remind him that the "botton
rail was on top" would sing out
esquire, any writs for the Savanna
Side2"
Ben Lane Posey, who I have statet
was a member of Captain Marshall!
company for some reason or othel
got into bad repute with most of thu
other men from this place, while II
Mexico, and they all seemed to com
bine against him after their return
home. They tabood him on every oc'
casion, and accused him of cowardice
in that in a certain battle he go1
down into ditch to shield himself
from Mexican bullets. But later
events showed they were mistaken
when they took him for coward.
Unfortunately for Posey, who was
rather a bright young man, far sur
passing, in that respect, many oi
those who were arrayed against him
he was not a man Of first rate moral
character and on that account was
not admitted into the best society
This fact no doubt embittered him
and perhaps caused ihm to be les:
guarded in his conduct than the 9th
erwise would have been.
This condition of affairs went on
for a considerable time, when Posey
established a second paper in the
town and called it the Independent
Press the other paper being the Alb
heville Banner.
The Banner was owned and con-
trolled by the avowed opponents OF
Posey, headed by Foster Marshall.
Lieutenant Sellick, of whom I have
said was the first man to hoist the
American flag on the walls Of the
City of Mexico, was a kind of protige
of Captain Marshall, and was put In
charge of the Banner, ostensibly as
it's editor, but a good deal of the "hot
stuff" that appeared in its columns
was no doubt written by other parties
Then began a regular warfare In
the two papers, with Posey on one
side and lot of others, backed up
by almost the whole town, on the
other.
About this time there was to be a
grand ball in town, and number OF
the young men. Scions Of the best
families in town, composed the COM
mittee on invitations.
Mr.. John A. Calhoun, who lived at
his splendid country home near town,
where now lives Mr.. R. O. Hunter
and who had three or four single
daughters wit hhim at the time noti-
fed this committee that if Ben Lane
Posey was suffered, to be present at
the ball, his daughters shouldn't at
tend. Thereupon the committee made
it a point to see that Posey should not
be invited and besides communicated
the information to him that he was
not wanted at the ball.
Then came the eruption which had
long been brewing. 49,
The next morning after the ball,
Posey armed himself with cowhide,
an instrument commonly used In
those days by the overseers on large
plantations to punish the negroes,
when they didn't act to suit them,
and strated out with the determina-
ton as he afterwards said to cow
hide the first man of the invitations
committee that he came across.
This man, it appeared, happened to
be DR.. Warren LomaX, young ply
sician of the place, although it has
always been believed by great many
that Posey made it point to meet
Lomax first, as he had an additional
grievance against him.
On meeting with Lomax which
took place at the upper corner of ten
Square about where the Red Racket
store now is, he drew his cowhide and
proceeded to chastise Lomax, giving
him several severe blows before they
were separated. Of course the next
step was for Lomax to challenge Po-
sey, which Posey as promptly accept
ed.
The time set for the meeting was
some two or three weeks ahead and
the place was on a little island in the
Savannah river near Moseley's Ferry
not far from Lowndesville.
Sellick was LomaX's second and
young fellow noted for his fighting
propensities by the name Of Styles
who I think lived in Augusta, was
Posey's