A DUEL IN THE DARK.

South Canterbury Times, Volume XV, Issue 2068, 8 November 1879, Page 2

A DUEL IN THE DARK.

The Washington correspondent of the ‘‘Boston Journal” writes: —“ Among the many bloody duels on record as having been fought by Congressmen was one in which James Jackson of Georgia, who had been and who was afterwards a United States senator, was the challenged party. He was an Englishman by birth, but he went to Savannah when a lad, studied law, was a leading Freemason, and fought gallantly in the revolutionary war. He killed Lieutenant Govcruos Wells in 1780 in a duel, and was engaged in several other ‘affairs of honor,’ until he finally determined to accept a challenge on such terms as would make it his hist duel, So ho prescribed as the terms that each party armed with a double barrelled gun loaded with buckshot and with a hunting knife, skould row himself in a skill to designated points on opposite sides of the Savannah River. When the city dock struck 12, each should row his skiff to a small island in the middle of the river, which was wooded and covered with underbrush. On arriving at the island each was to moor his, stand by it for ten minutes, and then go about the island till the meeting took place. The seconds waited on the mainland until after one o’clock, when they heard three gunshots, and loud cries. Then all was still. At daylight as had been agreed on, the seconds went to the island and found Jackson_ lyiug on the ground and his antagonist lying across him death” Jackson recovered, but would never relate his experience on that night ; nor was he ever challenged again. He died while serving his second term as United Senator March 19, 1800.