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