Pioneer And Democrat

COL. McClung. "The Duelist."—Col. Alexander K. McClung was a well-known citizen of Mississippi, who served gallantly in the Mexican war as a volunteer under General Taylor. He was the lieutenant colonel of the Mississippi regiment. It is said that he was the first to scale the walls of the Black Fort at Monterey, and for his intrepidity in placing the stars and stripes on its captured walls, was marked and pierced by the enemy with wounds under which he suffered the most agonizing pains for several months. During General Taylor's administration, he was appointed Charge d'Affaires to Bolivia, in South America. He was engaged in several duels many years ago, and was noted for demanding and granting the most extreme terms of the falsely styled "code of honor." His first meeting was in 1833 or 1834, with a man by the name of Allen. The weapons, pistols, to be fired at ten paces, or while advancing nearer to each other, and then the use of the bowie knife. Allen fell. The second meeting was, five years afterwards, with young Menifee, at Vicksburg, the brother of Richard H. Menifee, member of Congress from Kentucky in 1838, '39. The weapon, the rifle; both parties excellent shots, but Menifee fell at the second fire. He was also concerned subsequently in other duels. He was a man of fine talents and of much influence in Mississippi.