These articles
were attributed to Colonel William Gumming, of Augusta, and "C.," in
reply, attacked him severely. He was not a man to be badgered by an
anonymous writer in a newspaper. He demanded immediately of the editor
the name of his correspondent, and that of George McDuffie, of South
Carolina, was given. A challenge ensued--a meeting followed, in which
McDuffie was seriously wounded, and which ultimately caused his death.
This affair increased the hatred between the Georgians and Carolinians,
as it did not cease with a single meeting. Gumming renewed his
challenge in consequence of a statement made by McDuffie in a paper to
the public, narrating offensively--as Cumming felt--the particulars of
the affair. A second meeting was the consequence, at which a difficulty
arose between the seconds, and it was adjourned to another day and
another place. At this third meeting, in an exchange of shots,
McDuffie's arm was broken, and this terminated the difficulty; but it
did not appease the animosity of the friends of the parties.

These combatants were both men of remarkable abilities. Colonel William
Cumming was a native of Augusta, Georgia. Born to the inheritance of
fortune, he received a liberal education and selected the law as a
profession. He read with the celebrated Judges Reeve and Gould, at
Litchfield, Connecticut. At the period of his study this was the only
law-school in the United States. Many anecdotes of his peculiarities
during his residence at the school were related by his preceptors to
the young gentlemen from Georgia who followed him in the office in
after years. A moot court was a part of the system of instruction, in
which questions of law, propounded by one of the professors, were
argued by students appointed for the purpose. On one occasion, Cumming
was replying to the argument of a competitor, and was so caustic as to
be offensive. This was resented by insulting words. Turning to the
gentleman, and without speaking, Cumming knocked him down. Immediately,
and without the slightest appearance of excitement, addressing the
presiding professor, he remarked: "Having thus summarily disposed of
the gentleman, I will proceed to treat his argument in like manner."

Upon his return to Georgia, the war with England having broken out, he
procured the commission of a captain and entered the army. He was
transferred to the northern frontier--then the seat of active
operations--and soon distinguished himself am