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 amid that immortal band, all of whom now sleep with their fathers—­Miller, Brook, Jessup, McCrea, Appling, Gaines, and Twiggs.  Cumming, Appling, and Twiggs were Georgians.  At the battle of Lundy’s Lane he was severely wounded and borne from the field.  He was placed in an adjoining room to General Preston, who was also suffering from a wound.  Cumming was a favorite of Preston’s, and both were full of prejudice toward the men of the North.  Late at night, Preston was aroused by a boisterous laugh in Cumming’s apartment.  Such a laugh was so unusual with him that the general supposed he had become delirious from pain.  He was unable to go to him, but called and inquired the cause of his mirth.

“I can’t sleep,” was the reply, “and I was thinking over the incidents of the day, and just remembered that there had not in the conflict been an officer wounded whose home was north of Mason and Dixon’s line.  Those fellows know well how to take care of their bacon.”