The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-07-04
CODE DUEEE0 NEVER FAVORED"
I'M CAROLINA BUT NOTABLES
MET ON "FIELD OF HONOR
Those Engaging Sent Challenges From Out OF State;
Duels Were Fought In Other States, Or At Line

! ton made by the implacable old
colonel, Samuel Carson chose
Gen. Alney Burgin, a social and
political leader in Burke county,
as his second. On the 18th of Sep
TENDER, 1927. at Pleasant Gar
denS, he wrote q challenge to
} Vance which was taken to Jones'
boro, Tenn. and sent from there,
to evada the North CarohnH law.
Carson named Dr. Shuflia as
his surgeon. and in order that the
duel might be waved with all pos
sible vigor, he chose Hon. War
rem Davis. Of South C?"oli"". :"
see that the intricate rules of the
Code Duello w"rc observed. He
being perhaps better versed in
the Strict punct;llio. it vas stated
that Davis was expected in the
arrangements for the encounter
and any correspondence that
might ensue, to protect Carson"
1t was agreed that three weeks
should elapse before the duel
which was to be fought at the
Saluda Gap, on the line between
North and South Carolina.
At the appointed time, the COM
batants. with their seconds. sur
geons and a few special friends,
gathered at the chosen site. Vance
was accompanied by Gen, Frank
lin Patton as second and DR.. Geo.
Phillips as surgeon. DaEey Crock
EFT, Who had married a Miss Pat
ton from Salamanca, is said to
have been present among the
friends of Carson.
The distance was ten PAGES,
and the firing was to be done be-
tween the words Fire, one, two,
three" with fising or falling pls-
tolls. Carson chose the rising and
Vance the falling signal; at the
word Fire" Carson sent a ball
entirely through Vance's body,
Just above the hip. 1t has never
been quite clear whether Vance |
ever fired at all.
After he was wounded, Vance
was carried to a nearby house,
probably Davis, just this side OF
the line, where he lived until the
next day. Carson was led away
from the scene without being
permitted by his friends to see
Vance. Before his death Vance
expressed regret at this, saying
that he had mot the first unkind
feeling for him." He also told his
second that he had fallen where
he had always. wiSed to die, ION
the field of honor"
After the duel, Samuel Carson
went on and served his term in |
congress, and afterward was
electedsa delegate to the state |
convention of 1885 Later he NOV
ed to Texas, and achieved high
official position there. 1t is said |
that the result of this duel shad- |
owed the rest of his life. Anyway, !
he never returned to North Car
DINA. |
ERWIN-BAXTER DUEL I
OF MUCH CONCERN HERE !
Hendersonyille's own citizens |
We're much concerned in the En-
win-Baxter duel, fought with pis7
tolls just south of the state line |
at Saluda Gap, somewhere be-
tween 1852 AID 1857, the date
never exactly fixed by the rela- |
tors of this encounter. This was
also the outgrowth Of a political
quarrel between Major Marcus |
Erwin of ASheville, and Judge
John Baxter who was then pracT
ticing law in Hendersonville. In
this duel, Judge Baxter was shot
in the knuckle of the right hand,
the ball blowing up and along the
arm to the shoulder. Friends of
Judge Baxter, referring to his
Quakerism, claimed that he did
not fire to hit Erwin, while the
latter's supporters retorted that
if his right arm had not been
raised and pointed toward Erwin