Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-07-19
SOUTHLAND STORIES
Continued From Page One.)

of affairs of honor I have heard about,
but will confine myself to a brief re-
port of the Perry Bynum duel, and
the details Of which were given me by
son of Governor Perry.
Bynum was North Carolinian and
a member of the eminent family OF
that name.
To understand the cause that
brought on this duel the reader must
understand that for years there had
been a growing restlessness in the
white counties Of the Piedmont belt OF
South Carolina against the dominating
political power of the seaboard coun-
ties and of which Charleston was the
center. Naturally the lower counties
resisted any change that weakened
their power.
The champion of the rights of the
up-country was a bright and asgres-
siHe young lawyer, Benjamin F. Perry
of Greenviille. Mr.. Perry afterwards
attained >distinction as statesman and
writer. He opposed secession, but cas8
his lot with the South. as did Alex
ander H. Stephens of Georgia. In rec
ognition of his Union sentiments,
President Andrew Johnson appointed
him provisional governor Of his state,
but after a brief administration he
was removed to make place for that
carma gnole of corruption that char
actcrized- the reconstruction era.
To assist in his fight for the rights
of his section Ben Perry established
4 weekly paper in Greenville, called
the Mountaincer, and being strong
and aggressive writer. began to put in
some telling licks against the political
situation in his state and demanding
a fair deal for the upper white coun-
ties.
Naturally these editorials were as
wormwood and gall to the ruling dy-
nasty in South Carolina and young
Perry a veritable thorn in their flesh
It is said that all manner of efforts
were made TO squelch or silence Ben
Perry, but without avail.
1t was then that a handsome and
.hivalrous young man named Bynum
from North Carolina came to Green
ville and established an opposition
paper to the Mountainecr. named the
Patriot The reputation of Bynnm
mad proceeded him to Greenrille. He
was said to be q man absolutely with
out fear, would fight at the. drop OF a
hat and drop the hat himself. He was
also a noted duelist, had been engaged
in several affairs Of honor, and had
never failed to bring down his antag-
onist at the first shot. He had a
piercing eye, nerve Of steel, and II
is said that standing with pistol in
hand, lowered at his side. he could
raise the weapon, take his sight at Il
glance and cut a thread at ten PAGES
s,etween the words: "One-two-
threc-Firc!" the signal for duelisss
There are two sides to this affair
and at this day of course 1t is impos-
sible to say which is correct. The ad-
herents of Perry charged that Bynum
was brought to Greenville TO force n
duel on Perry and kill him. Friends
Of Bynum deny this. but assert that ne
came of his own free will to Green
Vile and the duel was the termination
of a political controversy between
rival and warm -blooded young cdi-
tors.
But from the first issue Of his paper
Bynum began an aggressive criticism
of Ben Perry and his paper and to
which articles Perry replied with abil-
ty, but he evidently sought to avoid
any appeal to arms. The tone OF the
two papers each week grew warmer
until finally Bynum pcnned an article
so bitter and personal that no alter
native was left Perry but to challenge
or forever wear the brand of a craven
B. +. Perry was 4 brave man, bu'
! utterly unskillcd in the use OF weap-
ons. But Perry knew that he coulc
not live in South Carolina under sncl
stigma and so he sent Bynum
challenge and which was promptly ac'
cepted. Bynum being the challenged
party had the selection of weapons
! and he named pistols and the distance
ten PAGES. In sending this cartel Ber
Perry and everyone else felt that ne
had signed his death warrant.
Passengers on the Southern rail-
way crossing Tugalo river, one of tn
two streams that form the Savannah
river, by looking down that strean
will notice n small wooded island.
was on sandy beach ut the lower en'
Of this island that the duel was fought
SO confident was Bynum and HI
second and friends that it is said the.
did not even have a surgeon. ThnS
who witnessed the duel say the,
never saw such nerve as both prlh
cipals manifested-Bynum being un
usually gay. but Perry with n slcr1
and rather severe expression on nj
face. There was hut one round-th
handsome and gallant young MORT
Carolinian fell with q bullet throlG