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A
MEMOIRS AND SERVICES
OF
THREE GENERATIONS
GENERAL JOSEPH CILLEY
First New Hampshire Line. War of the Revolution
JONATHAN LONGFELLOW
Father of Sarah, wife of General Joseph Cilley
COLONEL JOSEPH CILLEY
U. S. Senator and Officer in the War of 1812
HONORABLE JONATHAN CILLEY
Member of Congress from Maine
COMMANDER GREENLEAF CILLEY
War with Mexico and War of 1861
GENERAL JONATHAN P. CILLEY
First Maine Cavalry, War of the Rebellion
REPRINT FROM THE COURIER-GAZETTE
Rockland, Maine
1 909
CsM5
yf/
\
God of our fathers, known of old, —
Lord of our far-flung battle line —
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine —
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,-
Lest we forget — lest we forget.
y
'^^■3ilf'''
1 ' ,>^^^ '
' '/
•
/,
GEN. JONATHAN P. CILLEY
The Cilley-Graves Affair
Being a Concise Account of the Tragedy Which
Ended the Career of a Famous Member of a
Famous New England Family.
Prom time to time in the last 50 years
items and brief articles have been pub-
lished in the local press relating to the
famous duel in which Jonathan Cilley
of Thomaston was killed by William J.
Graves of Kentucky. Next to the duel
between Alexander Hamilton and
Aaron Burr, no event of the character
ever attracted more attention, than
that beween Graves and Cilley, and it
is accordingly a matter of national in-
terest, to say nothing of the connect-
ions which make it of pronounced local
importance.
The Lewiston Journal a few weeks
ago published a short account of the
affair, but with this issue The Courier-
Gazette publishes an installment of the
first story which has ever been com-
piled especially for the convenience of
the newspaper readers of the present
day. The Journal's story, with some
corrections is used as the foundation
of this article, and the cuts published
by that paper have been remodelled for
the purpose of illustration.
One of the most noted families in all
New England is the one from which
Gen. Jonathan P. Cilley of Rockland
originated. For more than a full cen-
tury not a single member of that fam-
ily has been unknown to fame, and
some of them have written their names
high up in the temple of fame. While
dating back several hundred years the
family tree has been most conspicuous
since the time of Gen. Joseph Cilley of
Revolutionary fame. This patriot
fought at the battles of Lexington,
Stony Point, Monmouth and Bemis's
Heights, and with his command was
present at the capture of Burgoyne.
After the close of the Revolution he
was commissioned major general. In
the engagement of Saratoga he ac-
quired national fame. The enemy had
posted a piece of artillery in a position
that was doing great damage to his
regiment. Becoming iriitated at the
havoc. Col. Joseph called his regiment
around him and boldly charged the po-
sition, capturing the piece. In order to
encourage the men to hold fast to their
prize the gallant colonel ordered the
gun loaded and then leaping upon it
and drawing his sword he shouted:
"I now consecrate this gun to the
cause of American liberty!"
The effect Avas electrical and the
position was held, while the inci lent
became one of the traditions of the
war. At the close of the war he re-
THREE GENERATIONS.
turned to his home in Notting^ham, N.
H., where the remainder of his life
■<\as passed in peace and quiet.
Battle of Monmouth
We present as a matter of historip
interest, a letter written by General
Joseph Cilley, who took part in the
Revolutionary battle of Monmouth—
the famous battle at which Washington
swore roundly at Gen. Lee:
Camp 4 miles above White Plains,
New York, July 22, 1778.
Col. Thomas Bartlett, Nottinerham,
New England, State of New Hampshire
—Dear Colonel: — Your favor of the lO'.h
of July came safe to hand by Major
Titcomb; am much obliged to you for
its contents. I left Valley Forge the
ISth of June with the right wing of the
armv under the command of Gen Lee.
in pursuit of the enemy who left Phila-
delDhia the 18th. The whole of the
army pursued with his Excellency Gen-
eral Washington. Crossed the Dela-
ware at a ferry called Cold Corels,
when it was thought best to send over
several parties to harass the enemy's
rear. Gen. Scott was .sent first with
1600 picked men from the whole army
in order to watch the enemy's motions.
I was ordered on this party. Soon it
was thought best to give the enemy
battle. General Lee was sent on this
errand. He called in General Scott, in
short he had 5,000 Continental troops
besides a number of militia. On the
28th of June he was ordered to attack
the enemy with his party, and that
General Washington with the whole
army would support him.
We were at a small town, called Eng-
lishtown, about four miles from Mon-
mouth Courthouse, where the enemv
lay. We began our march before sun-
rise; proceeded towards the field of bat-
tle; came to the plain — the enemy gave
way, seeming to be in great confusion
without making any opposition, except
some scattering musketry and a ft;w
fieid-r>iecGs playing on both sides at
long range — when to my great surprise
I saw the right wing of our parly giv-
ing away in great confusion. There
was a morass in our rear. I thoutcht
whether it was not intended to cross
that in order to take better ground.
There was a wood in the rear of ihe
party I was with. We were ordered to
cross and form in that wood, where we
lay some time. The enemy observing
this, halted, came to the ri^ht-about
and pursued us about two miles, when
General Washington came up, ord^r^id
our party to make a stand to check the
enemy, while the army could form,
which was done immediately. Th-i .se-
verest cannonading ensued as ever was
in America. Our men behaved with
great fortitude. The cannonading last-
ed two or three hours. I was in the
front line of our army on the left
wing.
His excellency ordered me to take
the battalion I then commanded, con-
sisting of 350 rank and file, detached
from Poor's, Patterson's, Larnard's
and Varnam's brigades, with Lii'ut.
Col. Dearborn and Major Thayer v.'ho
were with me, to go and see wh.at I
could do with the enemy's right wing,
which was found in an orchard in oui
front. I marched on towards them un-
til I came within about forty rods,
when I ordered my battalion to form
the line of battle, which was done. The
enemy began a scattering- fire. I or-
dered my men to advance, which thev
did in good order. When the enemv
saw that we were determined to push
close to them, they gave way and took
post in scouts of woods and gave me a
GEN. J. CILLEY
Colonel 1st N. H. Line in the Revolu-
tion, Great-Great-Grandfather
of J. P. Cilley.
COL. JOSEPH CILLEY
U. S. Senator and Officer in War of
1812, Uncle of J. P. Cilley.
BATTLE OOP MONMOUTH
very heavy Are under the cover of sev-
eral pieces of artillery. I advanced
within a few rods; gave them a heavv
fire which put them in confusion. Th^'y
ran off. I killed a number on the fi^Ad,
took between twenty and thirty prison-
ers and should have pursued furth<^r
but the extreme heat of the weather
was such that several of my men died
with the heat. We took possession of
the field; about 300 of the enemy dead,
with several officers, among them was
Col. Monckton who commanded the first
battalion granadiers. They retreated
that night about 11 o'clock in prreat
confusion, leaving at the court house
five wounded officers and about 40 sol-
diers. We should have pursued, but
our army was so overcome with llie
heat that the General thought not ad-
visable to pursue.
Desertions still continue from the
enemy. At the least computation their
army has weakened 2,500 since they
left Philadedphia. I think Clinton has
brought himself into a fine hobble. He
has now a French fleet in his front
and General Washington in his rear. I
think we shall "Burgoyne" him in a
few weeks, which God grant may be
the case. Doubtless the particulars of
the strength of the French fleet will
come to your hand long before this, or
I would write you some account of
them. This may suffice. They are able
to flog all the British sheep in America.
Mv love to your wife and mother, I
am, sir, with respect, your friend and
humble servant, J. Cillev.
N. B. — General Lee's behavior is now
on trial for his conduct. How it will
turn Is uncertain. It is my opinion that
if he had behaved well we should have
destroyed the major part of Clinton's
army.
Anti-Slave Senator.
Nearly as famous was his grandson.
Col. Joseph Cilley, whose life has well
been portraited by John R. French, ex-
sergeant-at-arms of the U. S. Senate.
He wrote:
Now was the first election of a .'sena-
tor of the United States on the direct
an ti- slavery issue.
Colonel Joseph Cilley was his name
and title; a name honored in all the
histoty of New England; a title won on
the battle-fields of his country. He
was a Democrat, but no longer in party
affiliation, for his Democracy knew no
color line, and in principle was as uni-
versal as the human family. He had
not the eloquence of W^iodbury and
Hubbard and Pierce, and nothing of
their elegance of manners, and, what
was of vital importance in this hour,
nothing of their obsequiousness of
spirit.
The gallant General Cilley, of Revo-
lutionary fame, was his ancestor. "C'l-
ley of Maine," the noble young man
who dared some utterance in the House
of Representatives hostile to slavery,
whereupon Henry Clay marked him as
"a dangerous man to have about Con-
gress," and so set Graves of Ken-
tucky up to his butchering on the
duel field of Bladensburg— he was this
new senator's youngest brother.
Joseph Cilley, at his election to the
Senate, was an old man. Not only
broken and shattered by the contests of
three-SK:ore years and ten, but by the
strife of his country's battle-fields, in
which he had borne gallant part. He
was with Scott and Miller in all the
bloody conflicts of the Canadian border
in the war of 1S12; and from those
fields he had come with but one eye
left, and his body weighted with the
8
THREE GEXERATlOS^g.
leaden bullets of his country's enemy.
Such was the man, the half blind,
limping hero whom New Hampshire
sent to the Senate, as the vanguard of
liberty, on the 13th of June in the year
1846. A new type of a man in that
body. Ah! and so different from men
lately there from New Hampshire. No
one would lead him to his seat. The
doorkeepers, usually so obsequious,
turned their backs to this man. But he
found the vacant seat belonging to
Ne-w Hampshire, laid his trusty staff
across the desk, and sat down with the
air of rightful possesfcion. He looked
about the hf 11— scowling upon him from
all sides — and though he had but one
eye, that blazed with such manly in le-
pendence that no shrinking fellow that
day thought him blind. His voi^e was
not like that of his predecessors. It
had not been trained in the schools,
nor had it learned the dulcet tones of
suppliant -waiting in the salons of the
rich and haughty. It had been exer-
cised in sterner duties. At Lundy's
Lane, at Chippewa, and at Niagara,
amid the roar of cannon it shouted de-
fiance to British soldiery, and called
his countrymen to the deadly charge.
Its honest tones, rough they may have
been, were now lifted in the nation's
Senate for Liberty, unconditional and
univer?al, without concealment and
without compromise.
Right of Petition.
He spoke for a state which had met
-with a "new birth." He demanded the
right of petition, and commenced pre-
senting them by the thousand, asking
for the abolition of slavery in the Dis-
trict of Columbia and in the territories
Speak he would, and demanded the
freedom of speech for every citizen. He
planted himself on the Declaration of
Independence, and called the nation to
judgment. He stood theie for a fact—
namely, the determination of the peo-
ple that slavery should go down.
He stood there alone, shattered and
broken in limb and body, this old sol-
dier, but his veins throbbed with rare
blood; the blood of one of the most gal-
lant families of the state; blood which
baptized Revolutionary f.e.ds, and with
its purple gore marked the front of
every battle of the nation from Bunker
Hill to Appomattox. Of the more than
three-score senators around the board
he alone stood for Liberty.
But beneath that national sounding-
board, which Charles Sumner in after
years described as "the sounding-
board of the nation's pulpit," he kne-w
his voice would find reverberations
which would carry it through the land,
and that in good time others would
come trooping to his side, until the for-
lorn hope he led would become the in-
spiring shout of the mighty majority.
Insolence and flattery alike were
wasted upon this man. No clamor
could alarm him. Patronage could not
sway him. "Social influence," always
so abounding at Washington, in all its
riotous luxury couldn't sweep high
enough to reach the serene atmosphere
of this trusty soldier.
The day Joseph Cilley took his seat in
the Senate, slavery was doomed. Here
an old, crippled soldier had come to
ring its knell; and he bid them listen to
the tolling; peradventure through
counsel and legislation the Nation and
Liberty might be saved, and there re-
main no occasion for the arbitrament
of war.
But the slaveholder was proud. He
defied God and sneered at his prophet.
He would not listen to the warning un-
JONATHAN CILLEY
Killed in • Duel by Graves of Kentucky, Feb. 24, 1838.
JONATrtA]^ ClLLfi-^
9
til it broke upon his startled ear from
the brazen throats of a thousand can-
non.
Joseph Cilley was the first of his par-
ty in the Senate of the United States.
This gallant old soldier, limping from
battle wounds, half blind by the car-
nage of war, led the w'ay to the Senate
for that grand company of statesmen
who, hearing his bugle call, followed
after, until they were a majority in the
highest forum of the earth, and em-
blazoning upon the pages of the world's
history its most luminous record, made
this nation a republic of freedom.
Jonathan Cilley.
The member of this family who pos-
sesses the deepest and most melan-
choly interest for the people of Maine
is Jonathan Cilley who was shot in a
duel with Congressman Graves of Ken-
tucky in 1S38. This gentleman was
born in Xottingham, N. H., in 1802, and
was graduated from Bowdoin college in
the celebrated class of 1825. Even then
he was noted for his brilliant talents
and his oratorical powers marked him
for a great career.
Immediately after quitting college
young Cilley settled in the village of
Thomaston and began the study of law
in the office of the late Senator Rug-
gles. It was but natural that amidst
such surroundings he should imbibe a
love for politics, and in a short time he
became thoroughly identified with the
Democratic party and its policies. In
1S29 he was admitted to the Lincoln bar
and shortly afterward married Mits
Deborah Prince, daughter of Hon.
Hezekiah Prince of Thomaslon. He
then entered actively on the practice of
his profession and by his superb ability
soon gained a prominent position both
as a lawyer and political leader.
In the latter line Mr. Cilley rose rap-
idly and soon became a member of the
legislature. Here he served for Ave
terms, part of which time he was
speaker of the house and always its
leader. By that time his reputation
was so firmly established that in 1836,
he received the nomination for Con-
gress and secured a triumphant elec-
tion in a district which at that time
was strongly Whig ire its poMtica! lean-
ings. The campaign wa-^ed had been a
bitter one and the glory of his triumph
was more marked from the fact that
he was opposed by a powerful section
of his own party. Scars were made
that even time could not heal, and in
one sense his very victory carried with
it the seeds of a fatal ending. The
gloom of a dark pitfall lay across
his path, and even the bri.liancy of his
triumph was clouded by the prophetic
presentiment of some untimely fate. In
speaking of the chaiacter and personal
peculiarities of Mr. Cilley, at that time
a college classmate, Nathaniel Haw-
thorne wrote as follows:
Hawthorne's Tribute.
"In private intercourse, Cilley pos-
sessed a remarkable fascination. It
was impossible not to regard him with
the kindliest feelings, because his com-
panions were intuitively certain of a
like kindliness on his part. He had a
power of sympathy which enabled him
to understand every character and
hold communion with human nature in
all its varieties. He never shrank f.om
the intercourse of man with man; and
it w-as to his fieedom in this particular
that he owed much of his popularity.
In a few words, let us characterize him
at the outset of life as a young men of
(luirk and i owerful intellect; endowed
with sagacity and tact, yet frank and
^10
THREE GEXERATIOXS.
free in his mode of action, ambitious of
good influence, earnest, active and per-
severing'; with an elasticity and cheer-
ful strength of mind which made dif-
ficulties easy, and the strug-gles with
them a pleasure. Mingled with the
amiable qualities which were like sun-
shine to his friends, there were haisher
and sterner traits which fitted him to
make head against an adverse world,
but it was only at the moment of need
that the iron framework of his char-
acter become perceptible.
"In the summer of 1837, a few months
after his election to Congress, I met
Mr. Cilley for the first time since early
youth, when he had been to me almost
as an elder brother. The few days
which I spent in his neighborhood en-
abled us to renew our former intimacy.
In his person there was very little
change, and even that was for the bet-
ter. He had an impending brow, deep-
set eyes, and a thin and thoughtful
countenance, which in his abstracted
moments seemed to be almost stern.
In the intercourse of society it was
brightened with a kindly smile that
will live in the recollection of all who
knew him.
"His manners had not a fastidious
polish, but were characterized by the
simplicity of one who had dwelt remote
from cities, holding free companionship
with the yeomen of the land. I
thought him as true a representative
of the people as ever theory could por-
tray; his earlier and latter habits of
life, his feelings, partialities and pre-
judices were those of the common peo-
ple; the strong and shrewd sense,
which constituted so marked a feature
of his mind was but a higher degree of
the popular intellect. He loved the peo-
ple and respected them, and was
prouder of nothing than of his brother-
hood with those who had intrusted
their public interests to his care. His
continual struggles in the political
arena had strengthened his bones and
sinews; opposition had kept him ar-
dent; while success had cherished the
generous warmth of his nature and as-
sisted the growth both of his powers
and sympathies. I was aware, indeed,
that his harsher traits had grown
apace with his milder ones — that he
possessed iron resolution, indomi:able
perseverence, and an almost terrible
energy — but these features had im-
parted no hardness to his character in
private intercourse. In the hour of
public need these strong qualities
would have shown themselves the most
prominent ones, and would have en-
couraged his countrymen to rally
around him as one of their natural
leaders."
Such is the pen portrait of Jonathan
Cilley that has been given us by one of
the most brilliant of his contemporaries
and personal friends. The universal
verdict even of ihis iio'itical enemies is
that he was one of the most brilliant
sons of Maine, and had it not been for
his untimely end he would have been
the worthy peer oi the ablest men
whose records adorn the history of our
state. In the very be ginning of his na-
tional fame he was cut down by the
hand of a man who was no better than
an assajssin, and all the proud hopes of
his brilliant future perished. Brief al-
though his career may have been, his
name is written high in the temple of
fame and will long be treasured as one
of the most brilliant that has added
glory to our state and nation.
The following account of the fatal
duel was written by Hon. Horatio
King, late postmaster general, in his
valuable work "Turning on the Light,"
cilley's speech
11
which account has been pronounced by
ex-Governor Hugh J. Anderson as the
most complete ever written.
The Fatal Duel,
A charge of corruption against a
Senator in Congress, made by "The
Spy in Washington," Matthew L.
Davis, correspondent of the New Yorlt
Courier and Enquirer, was the basis of
the trouble which led to the fatal ren-
counter. He was the intimate friend
and biographer of Aaron Burr, and
while acting as correspondent at the
capital, he was excluded, I remember,
from the ladies' gallery on account of
alleged gross immorality there. In a
letter to his paper the charge referred
to was set forth as follows:
"The more brief my statement the
better it will be understoo.1. It is in
my power, if brought to the bar of
either house, or before a committee,
and process allowed me to compel the
attendance of witnesses, to prove by
the oath of a respectable and unim-
peachable citizen, as well as by written
documentary evidence, that there is at
least one member of Congress who has
offered to barter his services and his
influence with a department or depart-
ments for a compensation. 'Why, sir,'
said the applicant for a contract, 'if
my projiosition has merit, it will be
received; if it has not, I do not expect
it will be accepted.' And what do you
think was the answer of the honorable
member? I will give it to you in nis
own emphatic language: 'Merit?' said
he; 'why, things do not go here by
merit, but by pulling the light stiings.
Make it my interest and I will pull the
strings for you.' "
The editor of the Courier and En-
quirer, James Watson Webb, vouched
for the character and standing of his
correspondent, and called upon Con-
gress promptly to initiate the investi-
gation thus challenged, both as an act
of justive to itself and the country.
Whereupon Henry A. Wise, of Vir-
ginia, offered in the House of Represen-
tatives, on the 12th of February, a mo-
tion for a committee of inquiry, em-
bodying in the preamble of his resolu-
tion both the above extract
and the editorial comments there-
on. The resolution gave rise to
a wariTi debate, and resulted in
a determination to biing Mr. Davis be-
fore the bar of the House. He appear-
ed accordingly, and, having declared
that the person alluded to in his letter
was not a member of the House, he
was discharged.
On the 13th of February, John Rug-
gles. Senator from (Thomaston) Maine,
addressed a letter to the Washington
Globe, stating that he had been inform-
ed that the charge referred to "was a
blow aimed at him." In explanation,
he said that a Mr. Jones, of New Jer-
sey, had applied to him to draw up a
specification and claim for a patent for
a trunk-lock. He had consented to do
it, "as it was a strictly professional
matter." Subsequently he had agreed
to take an assignment of one-fourth
part of the patent for his services; the
papers were drawn and assented to by
Jones, but never executed, nor had any
compensation ever been allowed for his
services.
On the l€th of February, at Mr. Rug-
gles's request, a committee to investi-
gate the charge against him was ap-
pointed in the Senate, and he was en-
tirely exonerated.
In the debate on Mr. Wise's resolu-
tion, Mr. Cilley said:
"As the course proposed to be pursu-
ed on this occasion was novel and ex-
12
^HREE GEXERAtlOMg.
traordinary, he hoped the House would
pause before it embarked in this busi-
ness on such authority as was pro-
duced. This charge comes from the
editor of a newspaper, and we all know
that in a country where the press is
free, few men can expect to escape
abuse and charges of a similar descrip-
tion. Ordinarily, when we are about
entering upon a business of this kind
before a magistrate, a conservator of
the peace, the charges submitted are
obliged to be made distinctly, clearly,
andunderthe solemnityof an oath; and
why should we now depart from this
well-known and well-settled rule? He
knew nothing of this editor, but it was
the same editor who had made grave
charges against an institution of this
country (the old United States Bank in
1831), and afterwards was said to have
received facilities to the amount of
fifty-two thousand dollars from the
same institution and gave it his hearty
support; he did not think his charges
were entitled to much credit in an Am-
erican Congress. If he has charges to
make, let him make them distinctly
and not vaguely; let him make them
under the solemnity of an oath, and
then it will be quite time enough to
act. He trusted the House would not
go into an investigation of thi.<^ kind on
a mere newspaper statement without
any proof."
It was the subject of pointed com-
ment at the time that, whei^eas, the re'
marks of Mr. Cilley were published in
the Globe of the 12th, Mr. Webb waited
until the 21st of February before de-
manding an explanation. Therefore,
the presumption was, and it was dis-
tinctly charged, that "the offence was
taken at Washington, the plot arranged
there, and Mr. Webb sent for, after
full consultation, and notified that he
must take offence at Mr. Cilley's re-
marks. This supposition was the more
readily credited not only because the
same imputation against Mr. Webb
had "been thousands of times made
on innumerable occasions in Congress"
without his ever resenting it in any
such manner, but also from the fact
that Mr. Cilley's ability and fearless
bearing in debate had aroused a deter-
mination on the part of certain South-
ern gentlemen, if possible, to intimi-
date him and destroy his influence. As
an illustration of this feeling the fol-
lowing extract from the Democratic
Review is in point. Referring to the
discussion upon Mr. Wise's resolution,
above mentioned, the editor, J. L.
O'Sullivan, afterwards United States
minister to Portugal, and who. I am
glad to know, still survives, said:
"An altercation of a very acrimoni-
ous character on the part of Mr. Wise
arose upon this occasion. In reply to
Mr. Cilley, Mr. Wise, among general
remarks upon the opposition of the
friends of the administration to all in-
vestigation without specific charges,
etc., remarked, 'Every man careful of
his honor, when such charges as these
are made, will not wait to have them
specifically framed,' and in the present
instance he would say to the gentle-
man from Maine that a member of the
party (Democratic) to which that gen-
tleman belongs should be the last man
to oppose the investigation of a charge
like this, for it was much more likely
to be him that was meant by the au-
thor of the charge than himself (Mr.
W.). 'I, sir," said Mr. Wi.'se, 'have no
influence with the executive or any of
its branches, to sell for a price,' " etc.
Afterwards, in the course of the de-
bate, the following altercation took
place, as we find it reported in the In-
telligencer:
THE DEBATE
13
" 'But now, because he (Mr. C.) had
stood up to defend the character of
the House against that anonymous
imputation, he was to hear the basest
charges against himself.
" 'Mr. Wise here asked if the gentle-
man from Maine meant to say that he
(Mr. W.) had made base charges in re-
lation to himself?
" 'Mr. Cilley would explain. He did
feel that it was ungenerous for that
gentleman to have said that the pre-
sumption was rather it was he (Mr.
C.) than himself (Mr. W.) to whom
this charge alluded.
" 'Mr. Wise had made no personal
charge against the member from
Maine, false or true, none whatever;
and he again asked that gentleman if
he meant to say that he had insin-
uated base charges against him.
" 'Mr. Cilley responded in substance
what he had said.
" 'Mr. Wise. Then the gentleman
from Maine designs deliberately to in-
sult me.
" 'Mr. Cilley certainly did not; he '
had not made any charge against the
gentleman from Virginia. He knew
his rights and those of his constituents
on that floor.
" 'Mr. Wise understood, and did not
understand the gentleman from Maine
as disclaiming the charge, that he had
made base charges against that gen-
tleman.
"'Mr. Cilley said that he had dis-
tinctly remarked that the gentleman
from Virginia had said he (Mr. C )
was more obnoxious to the charge con-
tained in the resolution before the
House than he (Mr. W.) was; and he
could say no less than he had said,
fearless of all consequences, but he
had no intention to insult any one. The
gentleman from Virginia just remark-
ed that he had been informed of the
name of the member alluded to; why
not disclose it?
" 'Mr. Wise roi=e and said that he
could never again treat that gentle-
man with confidence who could ris? in
his place and repeat to the House
what a member had said in private
conversation in his seat.
" 'Mr. Cilley had not intended to vio-
late confidence. The gentleman from
Virginia had said openly in his seat
that he knew the name of the member
meant.
" 'Mr. Wise. But it was in reply to
an express question of another mem-
ber.
" 'Some further explanation thsn
took place between Mr. Cilley and Mr.
Wise,' etc.
"The rerort of it is here cut off. Mr.
Cilley sustained himself with perfect
firmness and dignity to the end, his
manner being, according to our infor-
mation, in highly advantageous con-
trast with that of his assailant. The
latter concluded by the following re-
mark, spoken so openly and loud as to
be heard at some distance, a remark
which Mr. Cilley never affected .o no-
tice or to hear: 'But what is the use
of bandying words with a man who
won't hold himself personally account-
able for his words?' "
Fully to appreciate this scene, one
needs to have known its principal act-
ors and observed the calm, firm, aru
dignified manner of Cilley In contrast
with the fierce look and aggressive
bearing of his opponent, as the writer
more than once saw him in debate in
the House during the winter of 18?!S-
39, while Graves, looking sad and de-
sponding, was also still a niemb^" of
that body.
14
THREE GENERATIONS.
We will next present the correspond-
ence, etc., as it appeared in a paper
signed by the seconds in the duel,
George W. Jones, of Iowa, and Henry
A. Wise, of Virginia, which they pub-
lished as their
"STATEMENT.
"Washington City, D. C, Feb. 26, 1S38
"The following is a statement of the
facts of the duel between the Honor-
able William J. Graves, of Kentucky,
and the Honorable Jonathan Cilley, of
Maine, agreed upon by George W.
Jones and Henry A. Wise, the seconds
of the parties, committed to writing
between the hours of 10.30 o'clock a. m.,
February 25th, and 12 o'clock m. this
day. The seconds propose, first, to
state the correspondence which oc-
curred before the challense and which
was communicated ih;oiigh others than
themselves, neither second having
borne any message, verbal or written,
to or from either of the principals, un-
til Mr. Wise bore the challenge and
Mr. Jones bore the acceptance. This
correspondence, as it has been placed
in the hands of the seconds, is as fol-
lows, to wit:
"Mr. Graves to Mr. Cilley.
"House of Representatives. February
21, 1838.— In the interview which I had
with you this morning, when you de-
clined receiving from me the note of
Colonel J. W". Webb, asking whether
you were correctly reported in the
Globe In what you are there represent-
ed to have said of him in this House
upon the 12th instant, you will please
say whether you did not remark, in
substance, that in declining to receive
the note, you hoped I would not con-
sider it in any respect disrespectful to
me, and that the ground on which you
rested your declining to receive the
note was distinctly this: That you
could not consent to get yourself into
personal difficulties with conductors of
public journals for what you might
think proper to say in debate upon this
floor, in discharge of your duties as a
representative of the people, and that
you did not rest your objection in our
interview upon any personal objection
to Colonel Webb as a gentleman. Very
respectfully your obedient servant,
"W. J. Graves.
"Honorable Jonathan Cilley.
"Mr. Cilley to Mr. Graves.
"House of Representatives, February
21, 1838.— The note which you just
placed in my hands has been received.
In reply I have to state that in your
interview with me this morning, when
you proposed to deliver a communica-
tion from Colonel Webb, of the New
York Courier and Enquirer, I declined
to receive it because I chose to be
drawn into no controversy with him. I
neither affirmed nor denied anything in
regard to his character; but when you
remarked that this course on my part
might place you in an unpleasant
Fituation, I stated to you, and now re-
peat, that I intended by the refusal no
disrespect to you. Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
"Jona. Cilley.
"Honorable W. J. Graves.
"Mr. Graves to Mr. Cilley.
"House of Representatives, February
22, 1838.— Sir,— Tour note of yesterday,
in reply to mins of that date, is inex-
plicit, unsatisfactory, and insufficient;
among other things in this, that in
LETTERS
15
your declining' to receive Colonel
Webb's communication, it does not dis-
claim any exception to him personally
as a gentleman. I have therefore to in-
quire whether you declined to receive
his communication on the ground of
any personal exception to him as a
gentleman or a man of honor? A
categorical answer is expected. Very
respectfully,
"William J. Graves.
"Honorable J. Cilley.
'^r. Cilley to Mr. Graves.
"House of Representatives, February
22, 1838.— Sir.— Tour note of this date
has just been placed in my hands. I
regret that mine of yesterday was not
satisfactory to you, but I cannot admit
the right on your part to propound the
question to which you ask a categorical
answer, and therefore decline any fur-
ther response to it. Very respect-
fully,
"Jonathan Cilley.
"Honorable W. J. Graves.
"Here follows the first paper borne
by Mr. Wise:
"As you have declined accepting a
communication which I bore to you
from Colonel Webb, and as, by your
note of yesterday, you have refused to
decline on grounds which would exon-
erate me from all responsibility grow-
ing out of the affair, I am left no other
alternative but to ask that satisfaction
■which is recognized among gentlemen.
My friend, Honorable Henry A. Wise,
is authorized by me to make the ar-
rangements suitable for the occasion.
Your obedient servant,
"W. J. Graves.
"Honorable J. Cilley.
"Mr. Wise states that he presented
the foregoing challenge to Mr. Cilley in
the parlor at Mr. Birth's boarding-
house a few minutes before twelve
o'clock, on Friday, the twenty-third
instant.
"In addition to the foregoing corre-
spondence the seconds propose to re-
late only such facts and circumstances
as occurred within their joint knowl-
edge, after their ow^n participation in
the melancholy affair.
"On the evening of the twenty-third
instant, about the hour of five o'clock,
Mr. Jones, the second of Mr. Cilley, de-
livered to Mr. Graves in the room of
Mr. Wise, and in his presence, the fol-
lowing note, which was the first paper
borne by Mr. Jones, to wit:
"Washington City February 23, 1838.—
Honorable W. J. Graves: Your note of
this morning has been received. My
friend. General Jones, will 'make the
arrangements suitable to the occasion.'
Your obedient servant,
"Jona. Cilley.
"Immediately upon the preparation
of the acceptance of the challenge, Mr.
Graves retired, leaving Mr. Jones iwith
Mr. "V\''ise, who submitted to Mr. Wise
the following propositions for the ar-
rangement of the meeting, to wit:
"Washington City, February 23, 1838.
—Sir: Mr. Cilley proposes to meet Mr.
Graves at such place as may be agreed
upon between us to-morrow at twelve
o'clock m. The weapons to be used on
the occasion shall be rifles; the parties
placed side to side at eighty yards dis-
tance from each other; to hold the
rifles horizontally at arm's length
downward; the rifles to be cocked and
triggers set; the word to be, 'Gentle-
men, are you ready?' after which,
neither answering 'no,' the words shall
be in regular succession, 'Fire, one,
two, three, four.' Neither party shall
16
THREE GENERATIONS.
fire before the word 'fire,' nor after the
word 'four.' The positions of the par-
ties at the ends of the line to be deter-
mined by lot. The second of the party
losing- the position shall have the giv-
ing- of the word. The dress to be ordi-
nary winter clothing and subject to the
examination of both parties. Eaeh
party may have on the ground, besides
his second, a surgeon and two other
friends. The seconds, for the execution
of their respective trusts, are allowed
to have a pair of pistols each on the
ground, but no other persons shall
have any weapon. The rifles to be
loaded in the presence of the seconds.
Should Mr. Graves not be able to pro-
cure a rifle in the time prescribed, time
shall be allowed for that purpose.
Your very obedient servant,
"George W. Jones.
"Honorable Henry A. Wise.
"About nine o'clock p. m., at Mr.
Jones's room at Dawson's, Mr. Wise
returned to him the following answer,
to wit:
"Washington City, February 23, 1838.
— Sir: The terms arranging the meet-
ing between Mr. Graves and Mr. Cil-
ley, which you presented to me this
evening, though unusual and objec-
tionable, are accepted with the under-
standing that the rifles are to be load-
ed with a single ball, and that neither
party is to raise his weapon from the
downward horizontal position until the
word 'tire.' I will inform you, sir, by
the hour of eleven o'clock a. m. to-
morrow whether Mr. Graves has been
able to procure a rifle, and, consequent-
ly, whether he will require a postpone-
ment of the time of meeting. Your
very obedient servant,
"Henry A. Wise.
"Honorable George W. Jones.
"About eight o'clock a. m. on the
twenty-fourth instant, Mr. Jones left
at Mr. Wise's room the following note,
to wit:
"Washington City, February 24. 1838.
— Sir: I will receive at Dr. Reillys, on
F Street, any communication you may
see proper to make me until eleven
o'clock a. m., to-day. Respectfully,
your obedient servant,
"George W. Jones.
"Honorable H. A. W^se.
"Dr. Reilly's, F Street, February 24,
1838. 10 a. m.— Sir: I have called at
this place in conformity to your note
of this morning, to inform you that Mr.
Graves has not as yet been able to pro-
cure a rifle and put it in order, and
cannot be ready by twelve o'clock m.
to-day. He is desirous, however, to
have the meeting to-day, if possible,
and I will inform you by half-past
twelve o'clock m. to-day what time he
will require to procure and prepare a
weapon. Aery respectfully, etc.,
"Henry A. Wise.
"Honorable George W. Jones.
"Afterwards Mr. Jones left at Mr.
Wise's room the following note, to
'Wit:
"Washington, 10.30 a. m., February
24, 1838.— Sir: Your note, dated at ten
o'clock to-day, is received. In reply I
have the pleasure to inform you that I
have in my possession an excellent
rifle, in good order, which is at the
.'^ervice of Mr. Graves. Very respect-
fully, etc.,
"George W. Jones.
"Honorable H. A. Wise.
"Afterwards Mr. Jones sent to Mr.
Wise's room the following note, to wit:
LETTERS
17
"Washington, February 24, 1S3S, 11 a.
m. — Sir: Through the politeness of my
friend Dr. Duncan, I now tender to
you, for the use of Mr. Graves, the
rifle referred to in my note of ten
o'clock this morning. Respectfully.
your obedient servant,
"George W. Jones.
"Honorable H. A. Wise.
"And with this note a rifle and pow-
der-flask and balls were left at Mr.
Wise's room. After the reception of
this note from Mr. Jones, Mr. Wise
called on him at Dr. Reilly's and in-
formed Mr. Jones that Mr. Graves had
procured a rifle other than that left at
his room by Dr. Duncan, and would be
ready for the meeting at three o'clock
p. m. It was then agreed that the
parties should meet at the Anacostia
bridge, on the road to Marlborough,
Maryland, between the hours of half-
past one and half-past two o'clock p.
m., and if either got there first he
should wait for the other, and that
they would thence proceed out of the
District. Accordingly the parties met
at the bridge, Mr. Cilley and his party
arriving there first, and all proceeded,
about two o'clock p. m., to the place of
meeting. On arriving at the place, Mr.
Jones and ilr. "Wise immediately pro-
ceeded to mark off the ground. They
then decided the choice of positions.
Mr. Wise won the position, and con-
sequently Mr. Jones had the giving of
the word. At the time Mr. Jones was
informed by Mr. Wise that two gentle-
men (Mr. Calhoun, of Kentucky, and
Mr. Hawes, of Kentucky) were at
some distance off, spectators, but they
should not approach upon the ground.
Mr. Jones replied that he objected to
their coming on the ground, as it was
against the articles of the meeting, but
he entertained for them the highest re-
spect. Mr. Wise informed Mr. Jones
that, contrary to the terms, he had
brought on the ground two rifles; that
if he (Mr. Jones) required him to do
so, he would immediately send one of
them away. Upon Mr. Jones finding
that the rifle was unloaded, he con-
sented that it should remain in one of
the carriages. There were, it is proper
to remark, several persons on the
ground (besides the hack-drivers and
the two gentlemen at a distance be-
fore mentioned) who were there with-
out the authority or consent of either
party or their friends, as far as is
known either to Mr. Jones or Mr. Wise,
and one of these persons was supposed
to be the owner of the field. Shortly
after the hour of three p. m. the rifles
were loaded in the presence of the sec-
onds; the parties were called together;
they were fully instructed by Mr.
Jones as to their positions, and the
words were twice repeated to them as
they would be and as they were de-
livered to them in the exchange of
shots. After they were ordered to their
respective positions, the seconds as-
sumed their places, and the friends ac-
companying the seconds were disposed
along the line of fire to observe that
each obeyed the terms of meeting. Mr.
Jones gave the word distinctly, audi-
bly, and in regular succession, and the
parties exchanged shots without vio-
lating in the least a single instruction.
They both missed. After which Mr.
Wise called upon the friends generally
to assemble and hear what was to be
said. Upon the assembling of the
friends, Mr. Jones inquired of Mr.
Wise whether his friend (Mr. Graves)
wais satisfied. Mr. Wise immediately
said in substance, 'Mr. Jones, these
gentlemen have come here without
animosity towards each other; they
are fighting merely upon a point of
18
THREE GENERATIONS.
honor; cannot Mr. Cilley assign some
reason for not receiving at Mr.
Graves's hands Colonel "Webb's com-
munication, or make some disclaimer
which will relieve Mr. Graves from his
position?' Mr. Jones replied, in sub-
stance, '"^Tiilst the challenge is im-
pending, Mr. Cilley can make no ex-
planation.' Mr. Wise said, in sub-
stance, 'The exchange of shots sus-
pends the challenge, and the challenge
is suspended for the purpose of ex-
planation.' Mr. Jones therefore said
he would see Mr. Cilley, and did go to
him. He returned and asked Mr. 'Wise
again, 'Mr. Wise, do I understand
aright that the challenge is suspend-
ed?' Mr. Wise answered, 'It is.' Mr.
Jones was then about to proceed, when
Mr. W^ise suggested that it was best,
perhaps, to gi^■e the explanation or
reason in writing. Mr. Jones then
said, in substance, 'Mr. Wise, if you
require me to put what I have to say
in writing, I shall require you to put
what you have said and may say in
writing.' Mr. Wise replied, 'Well. let
us hear the explanation beforehand, a.s
it may not be necessary to put it in
writing.' Mr. Jones then proceeded, as
he now thinks, substantially to say. 'I
am authorized by my friend, Mr. Cil-
ley, to say that, in declining to receive
the note from Mr. Graves, purporting
to be from Colonel Webb, he meant no
disrespect to Mr. Graves, because he
entertained for him then, as he now
does, the most kind feelings; but that
he declined to receive the note because
he chose not to be drawn into contro-
versy with Colonel Webb.' Mr. Wise
thinks this ans'wer of Mr. Jones's was,
in substance, as'follows: 'I am author-
ized by my friends, Mr. Cilley, to say
that, in declining to receive the note
from Mr. Graves purporting to be from
Colonel Webb, he meant no disrespect
to Mr. Graves, because he entertained
for him then, as he dees now, the hi.^h-
est respect and most kind feelings, but
my friend refuses to disclaim disre-
spect for Colonel Webb, because he
does not choose to be drawn into an
expression of opinion as to him.' Such
is the substantial difference between
the two seconds as to the answer of
Mr. Jones. The friends on each side,
with the seconds, then retired from
each other to consult upon this expla-
nation. After consultation, Mr. Wise
returned to Mr. Jones and said,
'Mr. Jones, this answer leaves Mr.
Graves precisely in the position in
which he stood when the challenge
was sent.' Much conversation then
ensued between the seconds and their
friends, but, no nearer approach to
reconciliation being made, the chal-
lenge was renewed and another shot
was exchanged in a manner perfectly
fair and honorable to all parties.
After this the seconds and their
friends again assembled and the chal-
lenge was again withdrawn and very
similar conversations to that after the
first exchange of shots again ensued.
Mr. Jones then remarked, 'Mr. Wise,
my friend, in coming to the ground
and exchanging shots with Mr. Graves,
has shown to the world that in de-
clining to receive the note of Colonel
Webb he did not do so because he
dreaded a controversy. He has shown
himself a brave man. and disposed to
render satisfaction to Mr. Graves. I
do think he has done so, and that the
matter should end here.' To this Mr.
Wise replied, in substance, 'Mr. Jones,
Mr. Cilley has already expressed his
respect for Mr. Graves in the written
correspondence, and Mr. Graves does
not require of Mr. Cilley a certificate
of character for Colonel Webb; he con-
siders himsself bound not only to pre-
LETTERS
19
serve the respect due to himself, but. to
defend the honor of his friend, Colonel
Webb.' These words of Mr. Wise Mr.
Jones recollects, and Mr. Wise thinks
he added the words, 'Mr. Graves only
insists that he has not borne the note
of a man who is not a man of honor
and not a gentleman.' After much
more conversation and ineffectual at-
tempts to adjust the matter, the chal-
lenge was again renewed, and, whilst
the friends were again loading the
rifles for the third exchange of shots,
Mr. Jones and Mr. Wise walked apart,
and each proposed to the other anx-
iously to settle the affair. Mr. Wise
asked Mr. Jones 'if Mr. Cilley could not
assign the reason for declining to re-
ceive the note of Colonel Webb, that he
did not hold himself accountable to
Colonel Webb for words spoken in de-
bate?' Mr. Jones replied, that 'Mr.
Cilley would not assign that reason,
because he did not wish to be under-
stood as expressing the opinion wheth-
er he wais or was not accountable for
wordis spoken in debate.' Mr. Wise
then, according to recollection, asked
Mr. Jones whether Mr. Cilley would
not say that 'in declining to receive the
note of Colonel Webb he meant no dis-
respect to Mr. Graves, directly or indi-
rectly?' To which Mr. Jones replied
affirmatively, adding, 'Mr. Cilley enter-
tains the highest respect for Mr.
Graves, but decline® to receive the
note because he chose to be drawn into
no controversy with Colonel Webb.'
After further explanatory conversation
the parties then exchanged the third
shot, fairly and honorably a>s in every
instance. Immediately previous to the
last exchange of shots Mr. Wise said
to Mr. Jones, 'If this matter is not ter-
minated this shot, and is not settled, I
will propose to shorten the distance.'
To which Mr. Jones replied, 'After this
shot, if without effect, I will entertain
the proposition.'
"After Mr. Cilley fell, Mr. Wise, for
Mr. Graves, expressed a desire to Mr.
Jones to see Mr. Cilley. Mr. Jones re-
plied to Mr. Wise, 'My friend is dead,'
and went on to Mr. Graves and told
him that there was no objection to his
request to see Mr. Cilley. When Mr.
Jones approached Mr. Graves and in-
formed him that his requent should be
granted. Mr. Graves inquired. 'How is
he?' The reply was, 'My friend is dead,
sir.' Mr. Graves then went to his car-
riage. Mr. "Wise inquired of Mr. Jones
before leaving the ground whether he
could render any service, and tendered
all the aid in his power. Mr. Wise and
Mr. Jones concur that there were three
shots exchanged.
"Such is the naked statement of all
the material facts and circumstances
attending this unfortunate affair of
honor, which we make in justice to our
friends, to ourselves, and to all con-
cerned, the living and the dead; and it
is made only for the purpose of allay-
ing excitement in the public mind, and
to prevent any and all further contro-
versy upon the subject, which already
is full enough of woe. We have fully
and substantially staled wherein we
agree and disagree. We cordially agree,
at all events, in bearing unqualified
testimony to the fair and honorable
manner in which the duel was con-
ducted. We endeavored to discharge
our duties according to that code under
which the parties met, regulated by
magnanimous principles and the laws
of humanity. Neither of us has taken
the least exception to the course of the
other; and we sincerely hope that here
all controversy whatever may cease.
We especially desire our respective
friend's to make no publication on the
subject. None can regret the termina-
20
THREE GENERATIONS.
tion of the affair more than ourselves,
and we hope again that the last of it
will be the signatures of our names to
this paper, which we now afRx.
"George W. Jones.
"Henry A. Wise."
Vain hope! Instead of this being
"the last of the affair," the supposed
instigators of it were met on all sides
with a perfect storm of indignation,
and an almost universal demand for a
searching investigation of the matter
and punishment of the guilty; and the
more the circumstances of the tragedy
became known the fiercer the cry for
retribution. Before proceeding. Ix^w-
ever, to depict this feeling, I will intio-
duce the sworn statement of William
H. Morrell and Daniel Jackson, two
chosen friends of Colonel V\'ebb, who,
according to their te?timony, "said that
it was utterly impossible that a meet-
ing could be permitted to take place
between Messrs. Graves and Cilley un-
til Mr. Cilley had first met him (Webb).
and that he was determined to force
such a meeting upon Mr. Cilley, be the
consequences what they mi-;ht." It wajs
accordingly agreed that Col. Webb,
with two friends "properly armed,
should repair to Mr. Cilley's room,
vhen Mr. Webb should offer to
Mr. Cilley the choice of his duelling
plfitols with the following alter-
natives: either then and there to set-
tle the question or pledge his word of
honor that he would give Colonel Webb
a meeting before Mr. Graves at such
a placp and time and with such weap-
iis as Mr. Cilley might appoint; and
In the event of doing neither, then to
expect the most serious consequences
un the spot. Mr. Webb then added:
"Should he refuse either to fight me at
the time, or give the pledge required, I
shall have no alternative left but to
shatter his right arm and thereby pre-
vent his meeting my friend." Before
this plan could be carried out, it was
found that Mr. Cilley had left his lodg-
ings for the duelling ground, under-
stood to be Bladensburg, to which
place Colonel Webb and his two friends
immediately repaired. On their way.
Colonel Webb designated the following
order of proceedings:
" 'On reaching the parties,' said he,
'I'll approach Mr. Cilley and tell him
this is my quarrel and he must fight
me. and that, if he aims his rifle at my
friend, I'll shoot him on the spot. We
know that, upon this, Messrs. Graves
and Wise will interfere, and that we
will be ordered off the ground; but I
shall tell them that we have come
prepared to lose our lives or prevent
the meeting, and that it cannot proceed
without first disposing of us. Prom
our knowledge of the parties, it is prob-
able that some one of them will then
raise his weapon at me, when I shall
instantly shoot Cilley, and we must
proceed to defend ourselves in the best
way we can.' "
After stating that they drove to the
usual duelling ground and several other
places without being able to find the
parties, the witnesses say: "It is un-
necessary to add what would have been
the course of Colonel Webb if Mr.
Graves, Instead of Mr. Cilley, had been
Injured. SuflRce it to say that his de-
termination was sanctioned by us, and,
however much we deplore it, we could
not doubt but the extraordinary posi-
tion in which he would then have been
placed would have warranted the
course determined upon."
Alluding to the dark intimation in
the last paragraph, an able editor, at
the time holding a high position under
the United States government, remark-
ed, "Thus, then, it seems if Cilley had
DEATH OF CILLEY
21
Escaped from the field with his life, he
would have been doubtless, assassinat-
ed by Webb and his associates."
Colonel Schaumbourg, a friend of Mr.
Cilley, states that before the meeting-,
Mr. Cilley said to him:
"Mr. Graves has taken upon himself
to demand of me to say, and that in
language dictated by himself, that
James Watson Webb is a gentleman
and a man of honor. Now, that is whai
I am not going to disgrace myself by
saying-. I see into the whole affair.
Webb has come on here to challenge
me because he and perhaps others
think that, as I am from New Eng-
land, I am to be bluffed, and Mr. Webb
will proclaim himself a brave man.
and having obtained acknowledgment
on my part that he is a gentleman and
a man of honor. But they have calcu-
lated without their host. Although I
know that the sentiment of New Eng-
land is opposed to duelling, I am sure
that my people will be better pleased if
I stand the test than disgrace myself
by humiliating concessions. Sir, the
name I bear will never permit me to
cower beneath the frown of mortal
man. It is an attempt to browbeat us.
and they think that because I am from
the East, I will tamely submit."
Besides the two seconds, the friends
of each party on the ground were, on
the part of Mr. Cilley, Jesse A. Bynum,
member of Congress from North Caro-
lina, Colonel W. Schaumbourg, of
Pennsylvania, and Alexander Duncan
(surgeon.) member of Congress from
Ohio; and, on the part of Mr. Graves,
John J. Crittenden, Senator, and Rich-
ard H. Menifee, member of Congress
from Kentucky, and Dr. J. M. Foltz,
surgeon, of Washington City. These
gentlemen were quite as free from cen-
sure in the affair as were some others
not present. The greater weight of
"public opprobrium and disgust" fell
upon Mr. Wise and Colonel Webb, as
will appear from quotations we will
see from the public records and the
press.
Mr. Cilley's death was announced in
the House of Representatives on the
26th of February by the Hon. John
Fairfield, of Maine, and in the Senate,
the same day, by the Hon. Reuel Wil-
liams, of Maine, and appropriate reso-
lutions provided for the appointment
of a committee of seven members to in-
vestigate the causes which led to Mr.
Cilley's death and the circumstances
connected therewith; also to inquire
whether, in the matter, there had
been any breach of the privileges of
the House. The resolutions, after con-
siderable opposition, were passed by
yeas one hundred and fifty-two, nays
forty-nine, and this committee was
composed of the following gentlemen:
Isaac Toucey, of Connecticut, W. W.
Potter, of Pennsylvania, George Grin-
nell, Jr., of Massachusetts, F. H. El-
more, of South Carolina, A. D. W.
Bruyn, of New York, S. Grantland, of
Georgia, and J. Rajiden, of Indiana.
The committee were divided in opinion
and made three repoits, Mr. Toucey,
afterward Senator and member of both
President Polk's and President Buch-
anan's Cabinet, presenting that of the
majority. It embraces the material
facts and circumstances of the duel, and
among other things, declares that "It
is a breach of the highest constitutional
privileges of the House, and of the most
sacred rights of the people in the per-
son of their repiesentative, to demand
in a hostile manner an explanation of
words spoke in debate."
The committee submitted resolutions
for the expul.-ion of William J. Graves,
Henry A. Wise, and George W. Jones.
Finally, after a long debate, the whole
22
tHREE GENERATIONS.
subject was laid on the table by a vote
of one hundred and two to seventy-
six, a vote of censure merely being
passed.
Hig-h as party feeling was at the time,
indignation' and denunciation were by
no means confined to one side in poli-
tics. "Never," said Charles G. Green,
editor of the Boston Post "was there a
more dastardly murder than that of the
unfortunate Cilley. The nation should
echo with indignation at this hor: ib'e
outrage, this cold-blooded assassina-
tion." Naming two of the principal ac-
tors (Webb and Wise) in the affair, the
same editor calls the one "the mi?er-
able poltroon," and the other "the
wretch," adding, "both of them are
equally a disgrace to human nature,
and will deceive the execration of man-
kind; we hope that the penitentiary or
the gallows will soon relieve society of
their baneful presence." A Washing-
ton correspondent of the Journal of
Commerce is quoted as saying that,
"After Jones returned the last time,
from the conference, with Wi.-e's reply,
Mr. Cilley said, in a calm and collected
tone, 'They thirst for my blood!' " In
a previous conference, as repo'ted by
the seconds, Mr. Cilley said that "in
decliningr to receive the note from
Colonel Webb, he meant no disrespect
to Mr. Graves, because he entertained
for him then, as he now does, the high-
est respect and most kind feelings."
"But," as remarked by the Democratic
Review, published by I^angtree and
O'Sullivan, at the time, "all this was
without avail."
Mr. Cilley fought under disadvan-
tages which (says the Journal of Com-
merce) must have been well known to
those on the other side, and which in-
duced some persons to say that his
seconds ought never to have suffered
him to fight under them at all. These
disadvantages were stated to be that
Mr. Cilley, being, as was personally
known to the present writer, very near-
sighted, could not see to shoot at the
distance measured off, which was al-
leged to be greater by twenty yaids
than that agreed on; that his rifie was
so light— only about one-half the cali-
bre of that of his antagonist— that it
would not carry that distance with ac-
curacy; that he was shooting against
the wind, which was blowing a gale;
and that he stood on rising ground in
open light, presenting a plain mark,
while his antagonist was shaded by a
copse of wood. Under all the.se disad-
vantages, after disclaiming all enmity
to Graves, and after technical requsi-
tion prelim.inary to accommodation in
honorable duelling, and even after he
had declared that he did not wish to
take Graves's life, but entertained for
him "the highest respect and the most
kisd feelings," Mr. Cilley was shot
down! "What," asked the Eastern
Argus, "does this prove but that he
was foully murdered?"
At a great public meeting, held at the
capital of Maine, on the 9th of March,
1838, "for the purpose of noticing in a
suitable manner the atrocious murder
of Hon. Jonathan Cilley," a series of
resolutions were unanimously alopted,
declaring, among other things, that the
duel was "the result of a foul con-
spiracy, concerted and approved
among a few political leaders, to take
advantage of Mr. Cilley and draw him
into a quarrel, in order that they
might seize upon the opportunity af-
forded to gratify personal feelings of
private malice and revenge, and re-
move out of the way an opponent
every day becoming more and more
formidable, whose eloquent appeals
and retorted sarcasms it would be
more easy to silence by the pistol than
COURSE OF HENRY A. WISE
23
ahswei- in debate; that in the course
pursued by Henry A. Wise in man-
ag-ing- and conducting the incidents of
the duel after the first fire, there is
evidence of deep and vindictive mal-
ignity; and that he stands justly
chargeable before the world, upon his
own showing, of having \iolated e\ ery
recognized principle of chivalry by
availing himself of his position and the
occasion to glut his own feol-ngs of
private grudge and ill-will against Mr.
Cilley for a former supposed offense
given by the deceased, not to his prin-
cipal, Graves, but to himself. Wise, a
course of conduct worthy only of a re-
creant and a dastard; that the studied
attempt made by Henry A. Wise to
palliate and gloss over his conduct
during the duel, apparent in the im-
perfect but official account, so called,
of the doings, and the special desire
expressed in the account, that those
who witnessed the scene should make
no publication on the subject, afford
strong presumptive evidence of a con-
sciousness that there were deeds of
darkness and treachery in the history
of the conflict which would not bear to
be told; while, on the other hand, the
careful insertion in that account of a
statement that Mr. Wise inquired of
Mr. Jones, before leaving the ground,
'whether he could render any service,
and tendered all the aid in his power,'
the murder 'having been already perpe-
trated, and the lifeless corpse of Mr.
Cilley then lying stretched out before
him, is a derision and a mockery upon
the better feelings of our nature,
worthy only of the man who could
coolly triumph over the fallen victim
of his own foul machinations; and
that in the transaction which termin-
ated in the death of Mr. Cilley, con-
sidered under the mildest and most
mitigated features given to it by those
who took part in it, there is presented
to the people of Maine a case of ruth-
less a^sassinatii.n — of preconcerted and
cold-blooded murder of one of their
representatives, for having boldly and
fearlessly done his duty, and being re-
solved to continue to do so."
The editor of the Democratic Review,
in a position to obtain the most correct
information on the subject, was very
severe in his comments upon the whole
affair, and particularly with reference
to Wise's course in insisting, after the
second shot, either that Mr. Cilley
should "acknowledge Webb to be a
gentleman and a man of honor," or
that "blood should flow!"
"It is not enough that he (Mr. Cilley)
has said nothing to the disparagement
of Mr. Webb — that he is free in expres-
sion of the highest respect and best
feeling toward Graves; it is not enough
that two shots have been interchanged
on this flimsy punctilio of honor, in the
language of one of the gentlemen on
the field, in his remonstrance, 'based
on an abstraction and assumed upon
an implication:' it is not enough that
all persons on the ground — the second,
the surgeon, and consulting friends of
the challenged party, the surgeon and
one at least of the friends of the chal-
lenging side (Mr. Crittenden) — are
unanimous in opinion that all has been
done that the most fastidious honor
can require; it is not enough that he
(Wise) 'has put a distinct propo?ition,
in decisive terms, as if an ultimatum,
fiom an anxiety to bring an end to the
combat, that acknowledgment shall be
made that no disrespect was meant to
Mr. Graves, directly or indirectly, and
that it was, in terms, answered afflrm-
atively: nothing whatever will suffice
but a degrading acknowledgment con-
trary to the conscience and truth of the
party, and to the well-known majority
24
THREE GENERATIONS.
of society, and entirely extraneous to
the relation between the parties in the
field — an acknowledgment which noth-
ing' but a trembling cowardice, widely
unlike the brave bearing of poor Cilley,
could yield under such circumstances —
an acknowledgment which he knew,
and could not but have known, could
not and would not be conceded. No,
nothing will suffice but this abject and
impossible submission — or blood! Thv
spirit of malignant evil that ruled th-^
ascendant of that dark hour triumphed,
and the kind-hearted, the generous, the
peaceful, the mar.ly, the noble, ihe
true, the brave, lay welterin.j in his
own blood!"
The following, says the editor of the
Review, are substantially the views of
the matter which Mr. Cilley expressed
freely to his friends on the morning of
the fatal encounter:
"I am driven to this meeting by a
positive compulsion. I have done all
that an honorable man could do to
avert it. Why should I acknowledge
that man to be a gentleman and a man
of honor? In truth and conscience I
could not do so, and still less can I
have it so unreasonably extoriei from
me by force and threat. I ha\e no ill-
will nor disrespect toward Mr. Graves.
He knows it, and I have repeatedly
and fully expressed it. I abhor the idea
of taking his life, and will do nothing
not forced upon me in self-defence.
The pretext of the challenge is absurd.
I understand the conspiracy to destroy
me aa a public man. But New England
must not be trampled on, my name
must not be disgraced, and I go to this
field sustained by as higlh a motive of
patriotism as ever led my grandfather
or my brother to battle, as an unhappy
duty, not to be shrunk from, to my
honor, my principles, and my country."
On the evening before the duel he
charged one of his lady friends, should
he not survive, to say to his wife that
he "had endeavored to pursue that
course in all things which she would
approve and his own conscience dic-
tated."
In a biographical sketch of Mr.
Cilley, published in the Democratic
Review for September, 1838, Nathaniel
Hawthorne says:
"A challenge was never given on a
more shadowy pretext; a duel was
never pressed to a fatal close in the
face of such open kindness as was ex-
pressed by Mr. Cilley; and the conclu-
sion is inevitable that Mr. Graves and
his principal second, Mr. Wise, have
gone further than their own dreadful
code will warrant them, and overstepped
the imaginary distinction which, on
their own principles, separates man-
slaug'hter from murder."
Mr. Wise was not a man to rest silent
under such opprobrium. On the 16th
of March, 1838, he issued a long ad-
dress to his constituents in which he
gave his own account of the duel so far
as he himself was concerned. He be-
gan by saying that "the catastrophe
had brought upon him much odium
and leproach," but claimed that he
was bound to act for Mr. Graves, be-
cause, said he:
"I felt obliged to do for him what I
would have called on him to do for me.
It is said that I myself was hostile to
his antagonist. If so, I may have been
incompetent, but I solemnly deny that I
was hostile to Mr. Cilley. There had
been a slight misunderstanding between
us in debate, which passed off with
the moment and left no trace of ani-
mosity behind. But hostile to him or
not, and though hostility might, per-
haps, have incited another to take his
life — dark and deadly such hate must
have been — yet my conduct proves that
CONDUCT OF WISE
25
I did earnestly endeavor to prevent the
shedding of blood by reconciling his
difference with my friend; and the his-
tory of the tragedy proves that not
only I but two other gentlemen of
linown character and standing, who
were never accused of hostility to him,
and who might have overruled me by
their voices and influence, could not re-
concile that difference or prevent its
result."
He says, also, that he rebuked Graves
for bearing the note from Mr. Webb,
and that he told him that Mr. Cilley's
reasons, as repeated by Mr. Graves,
for refusing to receive the note "were
very proper," and his answer, "cer-
tainly satisfactory." Here is what he
said Mr. Graves represented Mr. Cilley
had in substance verbally declared:
That, "in declining to receive the note
he hoped it would not be thought dis-
respectful to him (Mr. Graves); that
he declined on the ground that he could
not consent to be involved in personal
difficulties with conductors of public
journals for what he had thought
proper to say in debate upon the floor,
and that he did not decline upon any
personal objection to Colonel Webb as
a gentleman." Mr. Wise appears to
have assented to the propriety of Mr.
Gra\ es requiring this answer to be put
in writing, and so came the challenge,
the terms of which Mr. Wise said
were regarded as "barbarous and such
as might properly be declined; but it
was thought they were intended to in-
timidate; that the distance was so
great as in some measure to mitigate
the severity of the weapon, and there-
fore I was advised that they S'hould be
accepted." It was likewise sugg sted
that the challenged party might be the
first to fly from these terms.
He speaks of his difficulty in procur-
ing a suitable rifle for Mr. Graves, and
admits that he had asked Mr. Jones to
assist him in that particular. At the
same time he says, "I wi.=hed to gain
time not only to procure a fit rifle, but
to afford an opportunity, if possible, to
prevent the meeting."
He quotes from Mr. Jones's note the
passage in which he said to Mr. Wise
that he had the pleasure to inform him
that 'he had an excellent rifle in good
order which was at the service of Mr.
Graves, and remarks that, without
waiting for an answer, Mr. Jones ten-
dered to him "for the use of Mr.
Graves, the rifle referred to," and its
appendages. Thus, Mr. Wise says, "A
weapon, not one of a pair, was ten-
dered for the use of Mr. Graves in a
manner that was considered taunting."
Leaving it be inferred, of course, that
one preferred to it had been reserved
for Mr. Cilley. He contends, too, that
Mr. Cilley "precipitated the time of
meeting when the second of Mr. Graves
was avowing a want of preparation and
a desire for delay."
He proceeds to say:
"The distance appointed was eighty
yards. It is my firm belief that the
distance stepped off by Mr. Jones and
myself, which we did pari passu, was
nearer one hundred yards than eighty.
The ground was measured before the
choice of positions, and I believe that
we both stepped with a view of pre-
venting the parties from hitting each
other. I kept my eye on Mr. Cilley. It
was my duty to see he obeyed the
rules. At the first exchange of shots I
thought he fired, tJhough perfectly fair,
too hurriedly, and his ball did not
reach Mr. Graves, because he did not
raise his rifle sufficiently high. Mr.
Graves fired after Mr. Cilley."
At the second shot, he says:
"Mr. Graves's rifle went off quickly,
and, as he told me afterwards, acci-
26
^HRteE GENERATIONS.
dentally, and into fhe ground. Mr. Cll-
ley drew up very deliberately, aimed, I
feared, a deadly &hot, and fired. I
thoug-ht lie had hit Mr. Graves. It was
very apparent to me that Mr. Cilley
had shot at the life of Mr. Graves. If.
when Mr. Graves's rifle went off, with-
out harm to him, he had discharged his
in the air or re?erved his fire, the fight
would have been at an end."
Nevertheless, Mr. Cilley's friends
•said that, even admitting that Mr.
Wise was correct in his assertion that
Mr. Cilley fired after the discharge of
Mr. Graves's rifle, it was equally true,
according to his own statement, that
Mr. Graves, on the first exchange of
shots, had done the same thing toward
Mr. Cilley. It does not appear how
Mr. Wise could reconcile his allegation
in this regard with hiis official state-
ment, conjointly with Mr. Jones, that
the second shot was exchanged "in a
manner perfectly fair and honorable to
all parties," and that they bore their
unqualified testimony to the fair and
honorable manner in which the duel
•was conducted.
Between the second and third shots,
in making the proposition he did, that
Cilley should say that "in declining to
receive Colonel Webb's note, he r.--- nt
no disrespect to Mr. Graves, either di-
rectly or indirectly," Mr. Wise says he
went beyond his instructions; and that
he understood Mr. Jones to say that
"Mr. Cilley would not say I'htse words
alone, nor .without adding words which
did away the effect of the word 'indi-
rectly,' and which left the parties ex-
actly where they were when they came
upon the ground." He says, "It was
at the instance of Mr. Graves himself
that I remarked to Mr. Jones, imme-
diately previous to the last exchange of
shots, 'If this matter is not termin-
ated this shot, and is not settled, I
shall propose to shorten the distance.' ''
Later— February, 1839 — Mr. Wise
availed himself of an opportunity to
present his defence before the House of
Representatives. I was there and
heard it. He was wildly excited and
defiant. Said he:
"I am ready to be tried. Put me at
your bar, and I will plead instantly. I
am ready to say on the spot, I did on
that occasion just what I will do again
under similar circumstances. Let
Puritans shudder as they may, I pro-
claim that I belong to the class of
Cavaliers, not to the Roundheads!
You shall not taunt me. What are you
doing? You have passed a penitentiary
act [the anti-duelling law]. You are
then bound to take the defence of
character into your own hands, as you
have taken arms from the hands of
the cavalier. Will you do it? No! I
call upon you, I call upon society, eith-
er to defend me or give me back my
arms. In the face of an approaching
election, I say to my good constituents.
. . . If you are determined I shall
not defend myself when assailed, like
a true knig-ht, do not send me to Con-
gress, for I shall just as surely fig'ht, if
occasion is given, as you send me; and
so I shall ever continue until the holy
religion of the Cross takes possession
of my soul, which may God grant
right early."
Up to this time, and for nearly two
years afterwards, Mr. Wise, in public
estimation, stood out prominently as
the one individual altogether the most
deserving of censure in this matter. As
he himself said in an appeal "to the
public," in March, 1842, "The whole
weight of an almost insupportable
odium fell upon my reputation lor my
conduct in the affair."
But in the winter of that year, or
earlier, the relations of some of the
Conduct of clay.
27
parties to the transaction had become
changed. Mr. Wise had espoused the
cause of Pre-sident Tyler, thus separ-
ating himself from his old friend Henry
Clay, who was a candidate fur the
presidency, and to whose fortunes
Messrs. Graves and Webb, wi.h the
Whig party generally, adhered. It be-
gan to be whispered about that Mr.
Clay had been consulted and exercised
a controlling influence in the affair of
the duel, and a direct charge to this ef-
fect brought out Mr. Graves, on a call
from Mr. Clay, in explanation. I will
not extend this narrative by going at
length into the particulars of the cor-
respondence which followed, and in
whidh Messrs. Wise, Graveisi, Clay,
Reverdy Johnson, and Charles King
took part. Suffice it to say that, ex-
cept so far as Wite was concerned, all
was said that could be to exculpate
Mr. Clay, but, as must be admitted,
not with entire success. It came out
that he was early consulted by all these
.gentlemen, and that he actually "drew
the form of challenge which was final-
ly adopted." It was a modification of
the form submitted to him by Wise and
Craves, and the latter states that "it
was rather calculated to soften the
language and not so completely to
close the door to an adjustment of the
difflculty." Mr. Wise says that when
he and Mr. Graves called on Mr. Clay,
in discussing the terms of the duel,
which he (Wise) "protested against as
unusual and barbarous," Mr. Clay re-
marked that Mr. Graves was "a Ken-
tuckian, and that no Kentuckian could
back out from a lifie."
Mr. Wise slated that— "Mr. Clay's
friends particularly were very anxiius,
for obvious reasons, not to involve his
name especially in tl.e alVair. Thus
many confidential facts remained un-
known on both sides. Mr. Clay him-
self, it is true, while all his friends
were trembling lest the part he took in
it should be disclosed, boldly came to
me and said, 'Sir, it is a nine days'
bubble! If they want to know what I
did in the matter, tell them to call me
before them and I will tell them.' This
excited my admiration at the time, and
was effectual to prevent me from un-
necessarily bringing his name before
the committee."
After all, I think public sentiment,
as at first expressed, was not material-
ly modified by these later develop-
ments, and that it remains unchanged
as regards Wise's great culpabiliiy,
notwithstanding Graves, in the course
of their correspondence, declared to
him, "I always have, and now do, most
emphatically exempt you from all
blame or censure growing out of your
connection with the affair. I, and I
only, am justly responsible for what-
ever was done by myself or those rep-
resenting me as my friends on that oc-
casion."
One of the most stinging accusations
against Mr. Wise was made by ex-
President John Quincy Adams, in the
House of Representatives on the 26th
of January, 1842, when a resolution, of-
fered by Mr. Gilmer, of Virginia (killed
by the bursting of the "Peacemaker"
on the "Princeton," in February, 1S44),
was under discussion, dei laring that
Mr. Adams had U'stly incurred the
censure of the House in presenting for
its consideration an abolition petition
for the dissolution of the Union. Mr.
Wise took a leading part in the discus-
sion, in the course of which the vener-
able ex-President was led to say that,
"four or five years ago, there came to
the House a man [Wise] with his
hands and face dripping with the blood
of a murder, the blotches of which
were yet hanging upon him." This, in
^8
T'HREE GENEHAf lOl^g.
nearly the same langTiage, he twice re-
peated, and at the same time said: "I
never did beJeve but he [Wise] was
the g^uilty man, and that the man who
pulled the trigger was but an instru-
ment in his hands. This was my belief
in the beginning."
Of the actors in this deplorable af-
fair, the only survivor (December, 1S91)
is George W. Jones, of Iowa, Mr. Cil-
ley's second. Mr. Graves, after long
and intense suffering, both mental and
phy.sical, died in Loui.sville, Ky., on the
27th of September, 184S, aged forty-
three years.
The public funerals held by Congress,
and also in Augusta, Thomaston and
other places were deeply impressive in
their nature and called out a wealth of
eulogy, and showed only too plainly
the great hold that Jonathan Cilley
had upon the people of tihe entire
country.
"There is a curious psychological
fact connected with this matter," says
Gen. J. P. Cilley. "Father was killed
on Saturday, and the next day being
Sunday, my mother took down a copy
of Watts' Hymns, and began to turn
the pages. Sihe had not heard of fath-
er's death, and after turning a few
leaves she found a hymn tJiat impress-
ed her so profoundly that she marked
the page, in order to refer to it again.
A short time afterward she learned
that the hymn in question was the very
one sung at his funeral in the halls of
Congress. It was the poem com-
mencing with these lines: —
"Far, far o'er hill and dale on the winds
stealing
Li.st to the toUin}^ hell, mournfully pealing;
Hark ! hark I it seems to say,
As melts those sounds away,
So life's best joys decay
AVhilst new their feeling.
O'er a father's tomb see tlie orphan bendinfj.
From the solemn churchyard's gloom hear the
dirge ascending ;
Hark ! Hark I it seems to say.
How short ambition's sway,
Life's joys and friendship's ray,
In the dark grave ending."
"In a few months my father's body
was brought home from the Congres-
sional burying ground in Washington.
"U^hen the vessel reached Rockland, a
company of friends took the bo ly fiom
the boat and carried it to Thomaston
on their shoulders, wihere elaborate and
impressive services were held. It al-
most seems that I have a dim recollec-
tion of the event, although this may bt
my own imagination. Even the people
of the South denounced father's death
as a murder. In the MaysA-ille, Ken-
tucky, Monitor, a poem was printed a
.■vhort time after the duel, entitled "A
Lament for Hon. Jonathan Cilley."
Here is the poem, but I cannot tell you
the name of the author:—
"And thou art dead and lowly laid.
The foeman's dread, thy people's aid;
And shall no requiem chant for thee,
Son of the bold, the brave, the free?
Thus saith the bard, as with trembling hand,
He touched his harp to a solemn sound;
Then softly rose a mournful strain,
As those who weep for the early slain.
Son of the North— of a hero's line.
Why bend they o'er thy lowly shrine?
Why stand these mourners in mute array,
With weeds of woe in sad display,
While many a chieftain, tall and true.
With tears thy early fall bedew.
And silent awe and gloomy shades,
O'er the vast multitude pervades?
Why waits that lady, so sad and lone,
In her bower afar, her loved one's return?
Tne swell of emotion is heard in her sighs.
Ah! in vain, lovely lady, shalt thou listen to
hear
His accents of kindness again fall on thine ear,
In the hall of his fathers his footsteps no more,
lie lies a i)ale corpse on a far distant shore.
Fell he in the battle as his fathers had done?
Or fell he in phalanx, the gallant among?
Ah ! as for the story too" tragic to tell,
How the young and the noble so fatally fell :
Too honest to falter, too proud to deny,
Too brave to act craven, or dastardly fly.
His truth or his valor he never could yield,
A martyr to honor— he sank in the fleld."
SONS OF JONATHAN CILDEY
29
Thus died the brave and gifted Jona-
than Cilley. To our regret for the loss
of that splendid genius must be added
another grief— that he threw away his
life for so sen^eieis a cause. True to
his New England blood and training he
was ever staunch and steadfast until
he swerved in this final scene. If ho
had a mistaken sense of honor he pail
the forfeit, and we may now well
spread garlands above his grave. Had
not tiie grim messenger cut short that
brilliant genius we know not to what
splendid heights it mig-ht have mount-
ed. In our imagination we will no
longer dwell upon 'his grave, but pic-
ture him as still rising on triumphant
wing above all struggles and aspira-
tions that may surround him on that
farther shore.
Greenleaf Cilley, son of Jonathan,
born in Thomaston. Me., Oct. 27th, 1829
and died at San Isidro, Argentina,
South America. Feb. 5, 1899. He at-
tended the school of the Rev. Mr.
Parkhurst of Standish, Me. for one
year, subsequently the Bath High
school; was appointed as midshipman
in the U. S. Navy, Feb. 26th. 1841, and
was ordered to the frigate "Cumber-
land," Sept. 1843. Sickness prevented his
sailing in the vessel, which he subse-
quently rejoined by order of the Navy
Department in Naples, Italy. He
served in the Cumberland and sloop of
v.-ar "Plymouth" in the Mediterranian
Squadron until Nov., 1845, and in the
Plymouth on the Brazil station re-
turning to New York in October, 1846,
and was ordered to the Naval school at
Annapolis, Md. After a month's so-
journ there, he sought for and obtained
orders for the seat of war in the Gulf
of Mexico in the line of battleship
"Ohio," 84 guns, was at the Naval bat-
tery near Vera Cruz before and after
the capitulation. Assisted the army
division at the crossing of the Medelin
river on its march to and from Alvara-
do, was in the expedition to Tuspan,
Mexico, and at its capture, being
slightly wounded while storming the
shore battery nearest the town. De-
tached from the Ohio and ordered to
the Naval academy, reporting there
Jan., 1848. Graduated as passed mid-
shipman the following July, and re-
ceived three months leave of absence.
At its expiration joined the frigate
Raritan and served in it on the Home
and Gulf station until detached in
April, 1850. After three months leave,
ordered to the transport "Fredonia."
and conveyed from New York to Beni-
cia, Cal., a battalion of the Fourth In-
fantry. Made acting master in Callao,
Peru, and served as such till joining
the frigate St. Lawrence at Valparaiso,
Chili, when he w-as appointed acting
lieutenant in March, 1852, and finished
the cruise in this frigate, returning to
Norfolk, Va. in the spring of 1853. Af-
ter a short leave was ordered to the
store ship Lexington and made the
trip to Spezzia. Italy, returning to New
York in Dec. 1853. As soon as detach-
ed, ordered to the coast survey steam-
er Jefferson and left Philadelphia, Feb.,
1854 for San Francisco, Cal. on the 25th
May of that year when about 120 miles
from Penguin Island, Patagonia, and
the third day of a hea^-y gale of wind,
the vessel broached to and the masts
were cut away to right her, fortunately
the follo\\nng night the gale broke, and
the steamer the following day reached
Sea Bear bay and later Port Desire
river, Patagonia. Here she was sur-
veyed and condemned as unseaworthy.
The captain, officers and crew took
passage in the French bark "Aristide"
30
THREE GENERATIONS.
to Montevideo, and from there were
transferred to the store-ship Relief and
conveyed to New York, arriving there
Nov. 1854. Shortly after was ordered
to the steamer "Legare" and served till
June, 1855, surveying the Florida reef
and bays. Joined the sloop of war
"Saratoga" in Aug. as acting master,
promoted to master, Sept. 14th, and to
lieutenant, Sept. 15th, 1855. Served the
entire cruise in the "Saratoga," and
was in ;the affair at Graytown, Nicara-
gua, when Walker and his filibusters
were captured. After a short leave of
absence, joined the coast steamer Het-
zel and surveyed in the Nortii Carolina
sound and Chesapeake bay until Nov.,
18r.8, when was detached and ordered to
the steamer Metacomet, fitting out for
t'he Paraguay expedition at Pensacola,
Fla., took passage to her in the steam-
er Arctic, arrived in Montevideo in the
spring of 1859, and shortly after was
ordered to the brig Dolphin and served
in her until re-ordered to the steamer
Pulaski (named changed from Meta-
comet.) Served in this steamer as
watch, executive officer, lieutenant
commander and senior officer of the
station, except an intermission of a few
months in 1861, when attached to the
frigate Congress, until she was sold in
Jan., 1863. Promoted to lieutenant
commander, 16th July, 1862. Touk pas-
sage with his wife and child in the
bark John Wesley and arrived in* New
York in June, 1863. As soon as his ac-
counts were settled as acting pay-
master, took a trip to Niagara Falls,
Thousand Islands, Montreal, Quebec,
Saguenay, and White Mountains, ' at
which latter place he received orders to
the gunboat Unadilla, South Atlantic
(Blockading Squadron, taking passage
from Boston to Charleston. S. C. in the
steamer Cirassian. After a short time
in command of the Unadilla at Port
Royal, was ordered to command the
monitor Catskill off Charleston, S. C,
and was engaged in blockading the in-
ner 'harbor, and at times cannonading
For.t Sumpter. In Jan., 1864 returned
North, his daughter having died the
previous month. In March, ordered to
the steamer Fort Jackson and served
in the North Atlantic Blockading
Squadron off Wilmington, N. C. In a
few months was ordered to the line of
battle ship "New Hampshire," and took
her from Portsmouth. N. H. to Port
Royal, S. C, returning in the "Ver-
mont." In August, was ordered to the
"Colorado" steam frigate as executive
officer; served in the North Atlantic
Squadron until detached in Nov., 1864.
Placed on the retired list 18th Marc'h,
1865. Promoted to commander 12th
May 1867. In May, 1866 he embarked
with his wife and son in the bark
"Ocean Pearl" and went to Montevideo,
Uruguaj-, where he engaged in raising
sheep on the Estancia Esmeralda, near
Mercedes. On the breaking out of a
revolution removed with his family to
Buenos Ayres and resided in the city
for a while, then moved to San Isidro,
where he resided several years, a part
of which time he ci'uised about the Del-
ta of the Parana in the Chalana Luisa
At the close of the Paraguayan war, he
navigated from Montevideo to Rio de
Janeiro and back, the steamer Villette,
and subsequently commanded the
steamer Angestura from Ascencion.
Paraguay, to Colonia, I'ruguay. In
July, 1874 he ascended the Parana and
Paraguay rivers to Corumba, Brazil,
and at that place engaged and fitted
out a party of five men. witli whom he
descended to the mouth of the river
Negra. and was four months exploring
the wilds of the Ba'hia Negra. Rt-turn-
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SONS OF JONATHAN CILLEY
31
ed to Corumba and paid off his men,
and in Jan., 1875, left for Central Boli-
via, passing through Santiago, San
Jose and Eguez, ttowns of Chequitos
and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Samapata,
to Sucre, one of the capitals of Bolivia.
For many months he was employed
making plans and estimates, and seek-
ing from theBolivian Congress the con-
cession of a railway from Bahia Negra
to Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Congress
finally passed a bill authorizing the
supreme Government to make terms,
but before they could be executed a
revolution occurred and nothing could
be done. He then proceeded on to tlie
Pacific ocean via Misque, Cochaibamba,
Oruro, Tacna and Arica, w'here he took
steamer to Valparaiso, and from that
port embarked in the P. M. S. "Acon-
cagua" June 1875.
For many montlis engaged in bring-
ing up the results of his surveys. Em-
barking in iMarch, 1876 with his eldest
son, Jonathan for the U. S. and re-
mained there eight years.
Captain Cilley returned to Buenos
Ayres in Jan., 1884 and resided in the
capital several years, moving to the
town of "Xueve de Julio" in 1S91, and
La Plata, Feb., 1893. In June the same
j-«ar came with his son, Joseph, via.
Southampton and London to the
United States and visited the Colum-
bian World's Fair Exposition at Chica-
go, 111., and his relatives. Returned to
Buenos Ayres in April, 1894. Mar-
ried in Montevideo, Uruguay, S. A.,
13th May, 1861, Malvina, daughter of
Gov. Luis and Maria (Saez) Vernet ox
■Buenos Ayres, born 5th Feb., 1830, in
the Malvina Islands, otherwise called
Falkland Islands. Gov. Vernet was
born in Hamburg, Ger. ; lived eleven
years in Philadelphia and from there
went to South America and married
and established himself in business in
Buenos Ayres. He was civil and mili-
tar.v governor of the Malvina Islands
in 1829-'31, when his colony was de-
stroyed by Captain Duncan, command-
ing the U. S. sloop of war, Lexington,
subsequently tlie English government
seized his possessions and have held
them ever since by right of force.
Capt. Cilley had six children, three
bo.vs and three girls.
The present Gen. Jonathan Prince
Cilley has well sustained the reputation
of the family line for military valor
and intellectual vigor. He was born ifi
1835 and graduated from Bowdoin Col-
lege in the class of 1858. Two year.s
later he was admitted to the practi.-e
of law before the Knox county bar,
and at once formed a partnership wiih
Lysander Hill and opened an office in
Thomaston.
The practice of his profession was
followed but a sihort time. The smoul-
dering fires of rebellion broke over the
nation and Mr. Cilley was one of the
first men to spring to his country's
call. In the early part of 1861 he en-
listed one hundred and fifty men and
his own name headed the list of volun-
teers. It was intended that these men
should form a light battery and H. B.
Humphrey of Thomaston, offering to
give the six guns required, provided
that the state would complete the
equipment of the battery. The War
Department declined the offer on the
ground that infantry only was needed
at that time. When, however, it was
known that cavalry also was to be
raised in Maine, Mr. Cilley enlisted,
and hi.s name stands first on the rolls
of the First Maine Cavalry under -late
Sept. 3d, 1861. He was subsequently
made captain of Co. B, raised by him
32
THREE GENERATIONS.
in the counties of Knox and Walclo, of
which he remained in command until
he was severely wounded in his right
arm and shoulder, and taken prisoner
at Middletown, Va., during the retreat
of Gen. Banks from the Shenandoah
Valley, May 24th, 1862. A short tinie
after this misfortune, he received the
commission of major, bearing date
April 14tih, 1862.
After being disabled by his wound
for several months. Major Cilley was
ordered by the War Derartment, April
1st, IS'63, to report to Gen. John H.
Martindale, military governor of Wash-
ington, for special duty, and on the 7th
was assigned to duty as Judge Advo-
cate and Examining officer at the Cen-
tral Guard house. He remained on this
duty until Aug. 1st, when, although
his wound was still unhealed, he again
took the field and remained with his
regiment until June 24th, 1S64, when he
was. once more iwounded. He again re-
ported for duty Sept. 24th, and took
command of the regiment, having been
promoted and mustered Lieut. Col., to
rank from June 6th, 1S64. From this
time until it was finally discharged .^nd
paid at Augusta, Colonel Cilley was
constantly present with* and in coin-
mand of his regiment and at a later
date received the brevet rank of briga-
dier general for bravery at the battle
of Dinwiddle Court House and Appo-
mattox.
The 'history of the First Maine Cav-
airy is known to all. It was especial y
complimented by Gen. Sheridan and is
authorized to bear the names of three
more battles upon its standaid than
any other regiment of the army of the
Potomac. This is the best evidenco of
his efficiency as a military leader. In
his regiment Gen. Cilley was the llrst
man that enlisted, the first man
wounded, and nearly the last mustered
out. He was wounded a thirJ time at
Dinwiddle Court House, but kept with
his regiment. There are many anec-
dotes of Gen. Cilley's services. His ;.c-
count of the work of his regiment the
nig'ht before and on the mo:ning of
Lee's surrender is given for its clfar
presentation of its service on that
eventful day:
"The regiment moved rapidly at
first, but slowly as the hours of mid-
night drew near and the rebel pickets
drew bead on us. Back and still back
we pressed them till our brigade, far
from all support at the time, lay on
the brow of Clover Hill before Appo-
mattox Court House, on the road on
which if he advanced at all, Lee must
come out in the morning. The rebel
pickets fired briskly at this point, but
stopped as our advance halted. The
hour was 1 a. m., April 9. We came
dismounted, front into line, with the
1st Maine on the left of the road and
the rest of the brigade on the right,
and one regiment in reserve. Behind a
slight barrier of rails, without blankets,
in the cold damp air of April, we wait-
ed for morning and Gen. Dee's army.
A line of dismounted vldettes was
thrown out in our front to give warn-
ing of approaching danger. Knowing
the difficulty of placing such a line in
the darkness, I personally attended to
posting them, and when done a desire
possessed me to learn something of the
force in front. I advanced in front of
the line, and stooping to prevent my
body being seen against the line of the
horizon, for I knew now how near the
rebel videttes might be, I crept for-
^vard — well, as far as I dared. I sat on
the ground and listened to t'he rebel
teamsters in the valley balow packing
their wagons, with oaths and impreca-
tions savoring of tired horses and
wearied, angry men. Thought of the
Lazell, 1 yr., 8. mos. Walter, 3 yrs. Jonathan, 5 yrs.
GRANDCHILDREN OF GEN. J. P. CILLEY
SONS OF JONATHAN CILLEY
33
morning:; of what our small force c<juld
do to keep back the rebel hosts in
front, not knowing that our infantry
were marching all that night to take
1 ost in lur rear.
"Lee's foix'es tired and sleepy that
morning, did not wake early, and the
section of artillery accompanying us
moved to the brow of the hill and
caused them to open their eyes that
pleasant Sunday morning by dropping
shot and shell into the middle of their
camp. For an hour or more after sun-
rise, we watched a column of their
cavalry move by our right, half a mile
or so away. A© far as we were con-
cerned, we could see nothing of any
force prepared or placed to support us.
It seemed as if we were alone and the
army of Lee in our front. When tjieir
skirmirihers and advance came in vieiw,
never did the enemy more sluggishly
come forward. Their line extended be-
yond ours by twice its length, but our
carbines held them in check till they
commenced to lap round our brigade on
the right and left, and sharp firing in
front told us the heavy effort made to
clear this road of its cavalry curtain.
Slowly they rolled us back. We re-
ceived and we inflicted loss. In ten
short days, of which this was the end,
our regiment lost in killed and wound-
ed of those present for duty (seven
killed or mortally wounded on thisday)
one third its men and one-half its offi-
cers. We w-eretoo sleepy to move rapidly
We were too cross to be shoved by bullets.
Back from the wooded crest of Clover
Hill; back over an open field and a lit-
tle rise; back down a long sloping in-
cline — straightening our line at Its foot
by the aid of a rail fence, and with our
men in hand, — we charged up the in-
cline or hill, to be again ordered back,
and leaving one of our battery guns
stalled at its foot. Back up a long rise
of ground, covered with woods at the
toj) — and the curtain of cavalry cover-
ing the last scene or the rebellion was
rolled fully up, and before the
astonished vision of the rebel force
stood Griffin with the 5th and Ord with
the 24th Corps and a part of the 25th
Corps. A colored division of the latter
stepped into the place of our regiment.
All night long had they marched, but
how refreshing the sight of their black
countenances at this time. At the
spectacle the rebel host staggered
back, and their whole line wavered as
if each particular man w'as terror
struck. The curtain fell on four years'
fighting!"
Among the classmates of Gen. Cilley
were Col. Drew of Lewiston, Gen.
Frank Fessenden of Portland and Hon.
Edward B. Nealley of Bangor, and Gen.
Ellis Spear of Washington, D. C.
Gen. Cilley is now seventy years of
age, hut excellently preserved. He is
still in the harness and practicing law
with his wife's son, Edward B. Bur-
pee, in Rockland. He has been twice
married, and two children have come to
bless his home. The son, Jonathan P.,
Jr., is now deceased, but the daughter,
Mrs. Walter G. Tibbetts, now residing
in Alameda, Cal., and her bright and
handsome children have been photo-
graphed for this article.
JONATHAN LONGFELLOW
The Father of Sarah, Wife of General
Joseph Cilley
[By John Scales, A. M.j
Jonathan Longfellow was born May
23, 1714, at Hampton Falls; he died in
1774 at Machias, Me.; so he was only
sixty years old, but during those three
score years he was one of the busiest
men in New Hampshire. His father,
Nathan Longfellow, was born in 1690,
the youngest of six children, being born
while his father. Ensign William Long-
fellow, w'as away on a military expedi-
tion, under Governor Phips, to captui'e
Quebec. Thej^ did not capture that city,
but instead lost some of the fleet by
shipwreck on Anticosti Island, and also
several lives were lost, among whom
vi-as Ensign Longfellow.
William Longfellow was born at
Horsforth, Eng., in 1651, so when he
died in 1690 he was not quite forty
years old. He came to Newbury, Mass.,
about 1670, and married Ann Sewall in
1678 and resided at Newbury the rest of
his years, engaged in trade, keeping a
store at the first falls of Parker river,
at the head of tide water in that town.
Concerning his ancestors in England,
the Rev. Robert CoUyer wrote an inter-
esting article a few years ago. Mr.
CoUyer had recently visited the poet,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which
visit caused him to write of the uoet's
early ancestors in England, who lived
in the same section of the country as
CoUyer's ancestors. In passing it may
be well to state that the great poet was
fifth in descent from the immigrant
William, through Stephen Longfellow,
the blacksmith; Stephen Longfellow,
the schoolmaster; Stephen Longfellow,
the judge; and Stephen Longfellow, one
of Maine's great lawyers. Henry Wads-
worlh Longfellow's grandfather,
Stephen the Judge, was cousin to Jona-
than the Judge, the subject of this pa-
per. William Longfellow, the immi-
grant, was son of William, grandson
of Edward, great-grandson of Thomas
and great-greatgrandson of Percival
Longfellow, who was born about A. D.
1500. Rev. Robert Collyer, English born,
but one of the greatest preachers Am-
erica has had, often visited the poet
Longfellow. After one of these visits
he wrote:
"One reason for our meetings was
that we might wander together in
thought through the green lanes, past
the neat hedgerows and over the grassy
meadows that were familiar to the feet
of his ancestors three hundred years
ago. I had sat in the same old church-
es they did; I had wondered, as they
had at the old warrior In his armor of
chain mail; I had stood at the same
JONATHAN LONGFELLOW.
35
font at which the child CWilliam the
immigrant) was baptized, from whom
our good poet had sprung; and in the
old churchyard the dust of his fore-
fathers lay side by side with that of
mine.
"The old home was Ilkley, in York-
shire. I have copies of the old charters
and surveys of the town that date back
almost to the Conquest, but no Lone-
fellow appears before 1510, and then
within ten miles of Ilkley. Those Long-
fellows were simply sons of the soil.
The first one mentioned was a day la-
borer, and he paid four pence as his
share to help Henry VIII. fight against
France. Later these Loagfellows be-
came church wardens and overseers of
highways, and gradually climbed to
higher places.
"Those ancient Longfellows were as
purely bits of nature as the oaks in the
woods or the heather on the hillside.
They had a certain old Saxon insistence
upon what they believed was their
right. They believed that game be-
longed to them as much as the great
lords and landowners, hence the Long-
fellows were leaders in raids on same.
It was the fight of the Saxon against
the Norman. Our Longfellow is the
flower of all the centuries of his family
history, and he makes the race immor-
tal."
Jonathan Longfellow's mother was
Mary Green, daughter of Capt. Jacob
Green and grand-daughter of Judge
Henrj" Green, who was the earliest
owner of the falls, at Hampton Falls
river, where he built and the family for
four generations owned a grist-mill,
and a saw-mill, where now are
the mills owned by Mrs. John
W. Dodge. It was in the house
near these mills that Jonathan Longfel-
low was born. Henry Green held vari-
ous offices in the town and orovince,
being Justice of the Court of Common
Sessions: Royal Councellor, 1685-169S,
and Chief Justice of the Court of Com-
mon Pleas, 1697-1698. His son, Capt.
Jacob Green, was prominent in town
affairs and captain of a military com-
nany from 1699 to 1720, a period when
the Indians and French made the office
of captain anything but a sinecure po-
sition.
Jonathan Longfellow's grandmother,
Ann Sewall, was sister to Judge Samuel
Sewall one of Massachusetts'
most distinguished jurists of
the Colonial period. She was
born while her parents were on the
voyage across the Atlantic, it being
their second passage. Her father,
Henry Sewall, Jr., and grandfather,
Henry Sewall, Sr., were the chief men
in founding Newbury, Mass., being very
wealthy and staunch Puritans. Ann
Sewall's great grandfather, Henry Sew-
all, was mayor of Coventry, Eng., 1589-
1606, being a very wealthy linen draper,
u-hose ancestry is traced back to before
the Conquest, to a Saxon I'hane who
spelled his name "Saswald," and owned
great possessions in lands and at the
place of his residence built and owned a
3hurch. Mayor Sewall died in 1628.
Such were the ancestors of Jonathan
Longfellow. He was a well-born,
thoroughbred Englishman. Being the
eldest of Nathan Longfellow's children,
he was the pet of his grandfather.Capt.
Jacob Green and at an early age was
instructed in the management of the
grist-mill and the saw-mill, which the
captain owned at the Falls, and his
education otherwise was carefully look-
ed after. When Jonathan was twelve
years old his grandfather died, leaving
the larger part of his large property to
his daughter, Marj' Longfellow. When
36
THREE GENERATIONS.
Jonathan was sevent<»en years old his
father died, which entailed large busi-
ness interests on the widow, but she
managed all with skill and good judg-
ment, being assisted by her oldest son,
Jonathan. A few months before he was
eighteen years old he became united in
marriage with Mercy Clark, who was
of the same age as himself. They com-
menced housekeeping with his mother,
and he managed the mills and the
farm. Thus nearly ten years of his life
was passed, busily and happily, and he
was known as "Jonathan Longfellow,
the Miller."
Just a few lines about Mercy Clark,
his wife. She was born in Ni-;wbury,
Mass., December 26, 1714, where she re-
sided till she married and settled at
Hampton Falls. She was a daughter of
Mr. Henrj' Clark and his wife, Eliza-
beth Greenleaf. Henrj' was the son of
Ensign Nathaniel Clark of Rowley and
Elizabeth Somerby, his wife. Nathan-
iel was naval oflicer at Newbury and
Salem for several years. He was en-
sign of the Rowley company of militia,
which went with Sir William Phips on
the expedition to Quebec in 1690, the
eame in which Ensign William Longfel-
low lost his life. W^hile at sea, before
reaching the St. Lawrence river. Ensign
Clark lost his life by accident.
Mercy Clark's mother, Elizabeth
Greenleaf was a daughter of Capt.
Stephen Greenleaf, Jr., and Elizabeth
Gerrish, his wife; and he was the son
of Capt. Stephen Greenleaf, Sr., and his
wife, Elizabeth Coffin, daughter of
Judge Tristram Coffin of Newbury and
Nantucket. Captain Stephen, Sr., com-
vnanded a company of Newbury men in
.-i ■ William Phips' expedition of 1690.
al -eady mentioned. He was shipwrecked
on Anticosti Island, with Ensign Long-
fellow, but managed to get home alive.
These Greenleafs were distinguished in
military and civil affairs in the Massa-
chusetts Bay Colony. John Greenleaf
Whlttier, the poet, was a great-grand-
son of Capt. Stephen Greenleaf, Jr.
Such were the ancestors of Mercy
Clark Longfellow.
Mary Green Longfellow died about
1741, and her death made it necessary
to divide the property which had been
held nearly intact from the death of her
father, Capt. Jacob Green, in 1726. Soon
after the death of his mother, Jona-
than Longfellow's name appears in the
records relating to Nottingham, and for
more than a score of years he resided
In that part ol the town, now Deerfield,
but which was not made a separate
town till he had removed to Rye. H(
was a land speculator and was one of
the active promoters in settling the
town of Nottingham, together with the
Bartletts, the Cilleys, the Batchelders,
th'i Butlers, the Marstons and other
noted families of that town, in its early
history. Soon after going there his
name appears as an officer of the mi-
litia, which was required to keep guard
against attacks by Indians, and before
he left the town he had risen to be cap-
tain. The first thing he had to do,
when he went to Nottingham to settle,
was to build a garrison, which he lo-
cated on a little hill on the opposite
side of the road from the present Mars-
ton residence, about half a mile below
Deerfield Parade. This location was
then on the frontier of civilization.
Between that and Canada on the north
there was not the habitation of a whita
man. Through that vast wilderness
the Indians and their allies,
the French, ruthless foes of the
English settlements, came and were
ever on the watch, during that period,
to strike blows of destruction or to in-
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flict as much loss of property as possi-
ble. Hence it is plain to be seen that
Captain Longfellow and his brave wife
had no easv task on that frontier
guard-line. They were young people
then, just past thirty years of age, with
a family of six children, the eldest be-
ing ten years old. Accompanying this
article is a picture of that old garrison,
which was torn down only a few years
agx). The garrison was the first house
built in what isnow Deerfield. The farm,
one of the best in town was first owned
by a Mr. Leavitt, for about six months,
who then sold it to Jonathan Long-fel-
low, receiving in payment a certain
number of Negro slaves. Where Long-
fellow got the slaves, or how he hap-
pened to be dealing in such property
the writer has not been able to find
out; but the probability is that they
came from Africa on some of those
Newburyport or Salem ships which ex-
ported New England rum to the Dark
Continent and exchanged it for young
Negroes. Sometimes the ship masters car
ried their cargoes of black men and
women to the West Indies and ex-
changed them for sugar and molasses,
which they brought home. At other
times they brought them home direct
and sold them in Massachusetts and
New Hampshire towns. From 1740 till
after the close of the Revolution slaves
were owned in nearly all the larger
towns in New Hampshire. Captain
Longfellow, being an enterprising and
hustling business man, bought and sold
the slaves. He did not give all he had
to Leavitt, as he had some left after he
built and dwelt in the garrison. His
sons-in-law, Joseph Cilley and Nathan-
iel Batchelder, had some of them after
he had removed from the town. Some
of the descendants of those slaves live
in Exeter now, worthy citizens, un-
mindful of their ancestry.
The gairison house was very long and
wide, but rather low story. It had
three large rooms and two smaller bed-
rooms on the first floor; ascent to the
roof was made through the immense
garret by ladders, from which observa-
tions could be made to all points of
compass, to watch the approach of any
enomv. The garret was used for a gen-
eral storeroom, and for sleeping apart-
ments when the guests were numerous,
as, no doubt, they often times were. The
walls were made of hewn timbers, of
great size. The rooms, except the kit-
chen, were ceiled at the top and sides
with sheathing, sawed from old timber
pines of immense size. In the period of
Indian wars it had a stockade which
enclosed a large yard; these timbers
standing on end reached above the
eaves of the house, so nothing of the
outer world could be seen. There was
a large gate to the stockade for ad-
mittance, to the yard. When this was
closed it was fastened on the inside
with a strong bar, so everything was
safe when that was closed. This yard
would enclose teams, if necessary: it
had sheltered many a family in time of
danger from the Indians. At one time
a family living in the vicinity of Rand's
Corner, by the name of Batchelder, was
forced to lice to this garrison. The
family consisted of a husband, wife and
two children. One bright moonlight
night, while the husband and children
slept, the wife sat by the fire knitting;
she heard a noise in front of the house,
which sounded suspicious. She hastily
covered the fire with ashes, blew out
the candle and awakened her huS'band
with the least possible noise. In a few
moments a noise at tlie front door in-
dicated plainly that the Indians were
about thii house. Knowing that It
38
fpHREE (iENERATIO^^!^,
would be folly to attempt to defend
their home, they wrapped the younser
child in blankets and took the older by
the hands and, seizing the trusty gun,
they quietly made their escape through
the back door to the forest near at
hand, and hastened to the Longfellow
garrison. They succeeded in getting in-
side of that big gate and barred it se-
curely, though the wife was nearly ex-
hausted. Their house was burned by
the Indians, but they found a safe shel-
ter at the garrison, together with sev-
eral other families who had suffered in
the same Indian raid.
Col. Joseph Cilley, who was born in
1793, was grandson of General Joseph
and Sarah Longfellow Cilley. She died
in 1811, so that he ''emembered his
grandmother perfectly. Colonel Cilley
lived to be past ninety years of age,
and in his later days delighted to talk
of his grandmother. He said he had
visited the old garrison with her, in
which she lived during Indian times
with her parents. One thing that im-
pressed his boyish mind strongly was
the huge chimney, with the immense
fireplaces, in the corners of which one
or two could sit comfortably. The kit-
chen had a dresser, so called, which
filled the place of the modern sideboard.
Its capacious shelves were filled with
shining pewter platters and plates and
other household utensils. The floors
were sanded with white sea sand and
were kept scrupulously clean. Whon
company was to be entertained the
while sand was switched into pretty
figures with hemlock brooms, by the
skillful hands of the housewife or her
maids.
During the period from 1745 to 1760
the Indians made fi ;;quent raids in that
territory, stealing or killing cattle and
horses. They cut the (lesh fiom the
bones and cut out the toiigueS, which
lhe>' cured in smoke to preserve for
food on their travels. Frequentiy it waa
dangerous for housewives to go out to
milk the crjws unless they had a man
on guard with a trusty gun. When on"
neighbor visited another an armed man
had to go with her for protection.
From the Nottingham town records it
appears tha^, "At a meeting of the Pro-
prietors, held at the block house (on
the Square), September 8, 1742, Mr.
Jonathan Longfellow was chosen As-
sessor for the Proprietors, and Lieut.
Joseph Cilley, Collector." These gen-
tlemen continued to hold those offices
for several years in succession. Later
they were brothers-in-law, Lieutenant
Cilley's son, Joseph, the famous colonel
of the Revolution, marrying Mr. Long-
fellow's daughter, Sarah, November 4,
1756.
Again, August 12, 1752, the records
say: "Ensign Jonathan Longfellow
was elected one of the Selectmen; also
was appointed one of a committee to
treat with authorities of the town of
Durham relative to building a highway
from Nottingham Square to Durham
village."
Frequently, in 1747, 1748 and 1749, the
Provincial Government stationed sol-
diers at Longfellow's garrison and
placed him in command. It was their
duty to range back and forth over a
line fifteen miles in length, through the
forests from Rochester to Chester, and
to give protection to the farmers. Some-
times as many as thirty soldiers were
on duty. The following from the Pro-
vincial Records will give an idea of how
Gov. Benning Wentworth and his
Councillors conducted the war with the
Indians and French. It is copied from
the Journal of the House.
"Saturday 29th August, 1747. Whereaa
iONATiiA^ LONGFELLOW.
39
Capt. Jonathan Longfellow, bj- a war-
rant from ye Governor has Inlisted
thirty men to go out after ye Indians,
upon ye Scalp bounty. But represent-
ing to the House that ye men cannot
furnish themselves with Provisions and
Ammunition, therefore:
"Voted, That Sd Longfellow be sup-
plied with one month's Provisions &
fifteen pounds of powder & thirty
Pound.s of Bullets for Sd men. he to re-
ceive the Provisions from Coll. Oilman
at Exeter, Sd Longfellow to give a
Rect for ye same & to account and
pay therefor if it appears Yt be not
used, or if the men recover any scalps,
ye price of ye Provisions and Ammun-
ition to be deducted out of ye Bounty
on ye Scalps, &: Yt Said Lonerfellow
keep a Journal of ye Time & Travel,
while he is out on this affair, to be ren-
dered to ye Genl Assembly on Oath."
The writer has not been able to find
a copy of Captain Longfellow's journal
nor any statement of how many Indian
scalps were captured and the amount
of bounty paid.
Captain Longfellow was one of the
first to start a movement which re-
sulted in the division of the town of
Nottingham, and the incorporation of
the town of Deerfield. The act of in-
corporation was not granted till Janu-
ary S, 1766, at which time Mr. Longfel-
low was in Machias, Me., having lefi
New Hampshire two years before that.
The first petition for it is dated "Not-
tingham, Febry 23, 1756;" the first
signer is Jonathan Longfellow; among
the other signers appears the name of
Green Longfellow, a younger brother of
Jonathan, who was then about twenty-
five years old, having been born Apri-
3, 'ITSl. The petition was probably
drawn by Mr. Longfellow and its argu-
ments are strong and well expressed.
the point of it all being that the in-
habitants of the Deerfield parish were
not allowed to use their money raisec!
by taxation "for Preaching the Gosper
and teaching the Children, which are
matters of Great importance to all His
Majesties Good Subjects, etc."
Mr. Longfellow removed from Not-
tingham to Rye about 1761, leaving two
of his daughters, Mary and Sarah, who
had married respectively Nathaniel
Batchelder and Joseph Cilley, and a
son, Jacob, and a brother, Green Long-
fellow. Mary Longfellow Batchelder,
above mentioned, is the writer's great-
grandmother, being the grandmother of
his mother, Betsey True Scales. Not
much is known of his life at Rye.
Captain Longfellow removed from
Rye, N. H., to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia,
in 1764, where he remained one year. In
1765 they sent for him to cross over the
bay to Machias, Me., to build a grist-
mill and a saw-mill, locally called the
"Dublin" mills. He knew all about that
sort of work from his early training
and experience at Hampton Falls,
where he had been trained by his father
and grandfather. What induced him to
emigrate from New Hampshire to Nova
Scotia is not known by any of his de-
scendants. After settling in Machiaa
he remained there till his death, in
1774. He brought with him to Machias
his wife and three youngest sons, Dan-
iel, David and Jonathan, aged respect-
ively sixteen, fourteen and nine years.
Two or three of his children remained
at Cornwall is. There were twelve in
all, seven sons and five daughters. The
first-born was Stephen, 19 July, 1731;
the last-born was Jonathan, 28 April,
1756, who died young at Machias. De-
scendants of two sons, Nathan, born 30
December, 1743, and Daniel, born 16
December, 17.''>1, arc living in Machiaa
40
•jCttREE GENERATIONS^.
and other parts of eastern Maine at
this time.
Captain Longfellow built the mills
and run them and took a leading oart
in town affairs, holding at one time or
another all of the important town of-
fices. In 1768 he was commissioned by
the Governor of Massachusetts a jus-
tice, and held the first court ever held
in Maine, east of the Penobscot river.
The court records of Judge Liongfellow
are extant at Machias, and manifest
knowledge of law and wisdom and
mercy in administering it. He was
moderator of the first proprietary meet-
ing of the town of Machias, Hth Sep-
tember, 17'iO, and was one of their lead-
ing men till his death, four years later.
According to tradition. Judge Long-
fellow was a lail, well-proportioned,
fine-looking man. He possessed su-
perior mental powers and was a man of
great executive ability as a business
manager. He was an extensive land-
owner in Nottingham and was reputed
to be very wealthy, as men then rank-
ed in riches. He disposed of all of his
holdings in that town before going to
Nova Scotia. That he was esteemed
by his immediate descendants is mani-
fest by the fact that grandsons, great-
grandsons, and great-great-grandsons
were named for him, Jonathan Long-
fellow, in families not otherwise bear-
ing the Longfellow name.
HENRY A. WISE'S ACCOUNT OF THE DUEL
The following extracts from an article by Hon. John S. Wise in the Saturday
Evening Post of June 2, 1906, gives informatian concerning Henry Clay's
connection with the affair of Cilley and Graves, which, though alleged, has
never until this account been fully proved. Only that part of the article is
given which relates to Jonathan Cilley :
The most serious of my father's ex-
periences in dueling was that in the fa-
mous Cilley and Graves duel, into which
he was dragged, against his will, to act
as second for a man he knew but slight-
ly and for whom he really cared noth-
ing.
The Honorable Jonathan Cilley, a gal-
lant, impetuous, high-tempered man,
entered Congress from Maine with the
oft-avowed feeling that the members of
Congress from the North allowed the
Southern members to hector and lord it
over them too freely — that they ought
to respond to such attacks in kind, and
that, when they had done so a few
times, such arrogance would cease.
The following account of my father's
connection with the affair is cooled
from an original manuscript drawn up
by him and, as late as 1875, submitted
to and approved by his lifelong friend,
the Honorable George W. Jones, of
Iowa, who was Mr. ClUey's second. It
is valuable because it has never before
been published, and is instructive be-
cause it shows some of the points of
finesse in the science of dueling. It is
not published in full because of sundry
strictures upon James Watson Webb,
which onlv tend to revive bitterness:
"According to my recollection I was
not at Washington, but at home in Ac-
comac, Virginia, when the speech of
Cilley was made and published. I re-
turned to Washington after the time
when Webb engaged Mr. Graves' ser-
vices as a second and put the challenge
into Graves' hands, and he. Graves, had
delivered it. At no time did I ever con-
fer with Webb about the matter, either
alone or with Mr. Graves or others. He
knew nothing of my advice or counsel
to Mr. Graves.
"But whether I had returned to Wash-
ington or not, I positively aver that the
challenge was delivered to Graves and
by him delivered to Cilley, without any
knowledge or information of the fact
on my part. It was only after the
challenge was tendered that I was in-
formed by Mr. Graves or any one else
of its existence. I learned from Mr.
Graves himself, who sought my counsel,
all I ever knew, or was informed of be-
fore the fight, of what occurred between
him, and Mr. Cilley on the presentation
of the challenge. Mr. Graves' state-
ment to me was in brief and in sub-
stance as follows: He said, as soon as
42
¥MfeEE dEMERA¥tO?<S.
he obtained a private interview with
Mr. Cilley, he announced the object of
his visit. He (Mr. Cilley) showed no
surprise and seemed to be prepared for
the call. He immediately declined to
accept the challenge, on the sole
srround that he would not admit his
responsibility for words spoken by him
in debate in the House. Mr. Graves
asked him to say whether he declined
on the ground that his principal, James
Watson Webb, was not a gentleman.
Mr. Cilley replied that he would not af-
firm or disclaim any reason other than
that he was not responsible for words
spoken by him in debate in the House.
Mr. Graves then inquired whether that
was his only ground of declining. Mr.
Cilley replied that the only ground he
chose to stand upon was his irresponsi-
bility to an editor for words spoken in
debate in the House. Mr. Graves asked
him whether that meant to disclaim
any other ground. Mr. Cilley repeated
that he meant not to affirm or disclaim
any other ground.
"Mr. Graves informed me that, upon
this, he reported to his principal that
Mr. Cilley did not put his refusal to
accept on the ground that James Wat-
son Webb was not a gentleman but up-
on the sole ground stated. My advice
to him was that the reason exoressed
was suflicient, but some one else ad-
vised (whom I am not and never was
informed) that he ought to require Mr.
Cilley to put his reason for declining in
writing. I told him that was regular
and proper, but advised him to the pre-
ferable course to report his own state-
ment and submit it to Mr. Cilley for
affirmance or contradiction: that as
Mr. Cilley put his declining on tlie
ground solely of irresponsibility, he was
justified in saying that he did not put
it on the ground of Webb's character or
any other ground, and that he had no
right to demand of him a disclaimer of
any other ground. Upon this Mr.
Graves drew a paper in substance, re-
citing his statement, and adding that,
upon that, he had reported and would
publish, if necessary, that Mr. Cilley
had not decliiied on the ground that
Webb was not a gentleman. What he
did with that paper I am not and never
was informed; but he returned it to me
saying that he could not prevail on Mr.
Cilley to affirm or to deny his state-
ment, or to put his only reason assigned
for declining in writing.
"I told him neither was necessary, as
he had only to make and publish his
statement that Mr. Cilley did not put
himself on the ground that Webb was
not a gentleman, and leave the latter to
acquiesce in or contradict his state-
ment. If he acquiesced in it, well; if
not, it would raise an issue of veracity
between him and Mr. Cilley, and I was
sure that Mr. Cilley would disclaim any
impeachment of his. Graves', veracity,
whilst he could easib' explain any re-
servation of his right to express any
other reason but the one assigned. Mr.
Graves had in fact drawn a challenge
on the ground that Mi-. Cilley's course
impliedly, at least, impeached his ver-
acitv, but after conference with me
alone he asked me to meet him at Mr.
Clay's room early in the evening.
"After tea, I called with Mr. Graves
on Mr. Clay, and already assembled
there were Mr. Clay, Mr. John J. Crit-
tenden and Mr. Richard Menefee. They
were all consulted. Mr. Graves handed
to Mr. Clay the challenge he had writ-
ten. Mr. Clay said immediately that
the call was not based on the true is-
sues. Mr. Cilley had refused to dis-
claim personal exceptions to Webb and
by the Code of Dueling Graves was
MfiNHY A. WISE'S ACCOtINT Ot^ THK DUEL.
43
bound to demand such disclaimer, or
stand in the shoes of his principal. He
cast aside the challenge drawn by
Graves, and with liis own hand and pen
drew the challenge which was handed
to Mr. Cilley. I immediately objected
to the form drawn by Mr. Clay, for the
reason that it put the call upon a punc-
tilio which never could be and never
was settled without blood; that if Mr.
Graves put his call on the point of his
own veracity, Mr. Cilley had but to
disclaim that, and I was sure he would,
and that would end Graves' interposi-
tion in the affair. Mr. Crittenden and
Mr. Menefee sided with Mr. Clay. Mr.
Graves immediately copied the paper
written by Mr. Clay, the oriprinal of
which I have kept, an9 Mr. Graves de-
stroyed the form of challenge written
by himself.
"I then declined to bear the note
drawn by Mr. Clay for reason of my
stated ob.iection. It left no room for
adjustment or explanation and the
meeting would necessarily be fatal.
Messrs. Clay, Crittenden and Menefee
all three protested with me for declin-
ing to act as second; and I persisted
until Mr. Graves with great feeling rose
erect on his feet from his chair, and
said: 'Mr. Wise, can you expect me to
be governed by your counsel alone
Against that of both the Senators of my
state and colleague in the House of
Representatives, Mr. Menefee, after a
full hearing of your objections to the
ground of challenge, and after they have
been overruled by older heads than
your own? If you do,' he continued,
with his finger pointed to me, 'I call
these colleagues to remember that when
you were absent from your seat in the
House, and from the city of Washing-
ton, I took up your defense against an
attack upon you by Mr. Cilley and was
ready to stand in your rilace to meet
any and all responsibility for you.'
[Note: Nothing in the printed debate
shows this alleged fact.] 'And now I
here say to you that I have more confi-
dence in your skill as second than I
have in any other person; and if you
will not serve me and I am brought
dead or wounded from the field, I call
these gentlemen to witness that I shall
attribute any disaster to me to the
want or absence of your skill and e.v-
perience.'
"I was touched deeply by this appeal
and said at once with emotion: 'Mr.
Graves, if you put your request to act
for you on that ground, I am left no
election. I will carry the challenge.'
"I did so the next morning, and was
careful to keep Mr. Clay's autogranh
original — and it was well I did so, as
after events proved. You promptly
brought the acceptance by Mr. Cilley
and the terms of the duel to me at my
room. I was alone, with my case of
new English nine-inch dueling-pistols
open, examining their order and condi-
tion. You quietly tapped at my door, l
answered, 'Come in.' and I can see your
honest old face now, as you entered
brusquely, saying: 'Ha! You'll have no
use for them.' You looked at the pis-
tols and then handed me the accept-
ance and terms. I reserved any reply
then, and after a little chat about the
rifle as a lawful weapon and my igno-
rance where to procure a reliable one,
you retired.
"I sought Mr. Graves and told him
that I should object to the rifle. He
again took me to Mr. Clay. At once
Mr. Clay said: 'He is a Kentuckian
and can never back from a rifle.' . .
"What occurred afterward, on the
field and elsewhere, our joint and sev-
eral statementsmade immediately after-
44
THREE GENERAtlOJ4S.
the duel show. But there was one
subject of reproach to you and myself,
which neither could explain withoui
damaging our principals. Mr. Graves
had three seconds, Mr. Crittenden, Mr.
Menefee and myself; and Mr. Cilley had
two advisory seconds, Mr. Duncan and
Mr. Bynum, besides yourself. Now, no
step was taken by nie without consul-
tation and agreement with Messrs,
Crittenden and Menefee; and I am con
fident that you acted with the consent
and approval of Messrs. Duncan and
Bynum. These four gentlemen were
just as responsible for the whole con-
duct of the affair as you and I, yet you
and I alone were ever assailed for the
'barbarous three exchanges of shots.'
Now you and I know that there was
really but one deliberate exchange of
shots; the third time after each party,
in turn— Cilley in his first shot and
Graves in his second — had blundered in
his fire, and they would not and could
not leave tho ground under the acci-
dents which would have caused misap-
prehension and perhaps ridicule "
But the Cilley-Graves duel made a
tremendous storm throughout the coun-
try. Nothing -was done about it offi-
cially, for dueling was countenanced,
more or less, but it fas a long time be-
fore the bitterness and recrimination
about the Cilley-Graves duel subsided.
It was brought up against Clay in his
next candidacy, and his attempts to
shuffle off responsibility upon others
caused a breach between him and my
father, who charged him with selfishly
seeking to relieve himself from the
odium of a duel for which he, more
than .any living man, was responsible.
W 80
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