The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-09-07
THE FATAL DUEL BETWEEN MIDsHTp.
5a6s NAN KEY AND SHEBBURNE. YIY
~ STATEMENT or sHsRBQHNE'sSsIeoNt4 I

es1A11 : AlHnT OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES I
Mr., Thomas Mattinnsgly, second second of Midsb;o.
man Sherburne, in the fatal duel of Sherburne
with with Midshi pman Daniel Key, ,spublshes ina
recent number Of the Memphis Avazaacke. .
statement Of the duel, which hasbee much talk
ed ofsinceth the death Of Philip Barton Key. and
which, Mr. Mattingly says, has been "grossly
mlsrepresented, and great injustice thereby
done" to SherburneF and himself. Mr. Mat
tingly writes over the date Of Florence, Ala
bama, ApriIi8, 1882 His statement, which.
considering his position must of course be ta-
ken assone side of the story IS as EfolloFs:aA
In the winter of 1865, Mr.. Daniel Kew
and Mr.. john aSherburneA former from
Maryland, and the latter from New Hampsffrs
both midshipman in the navy came home
from the Pacific ocean. ON one of the naval
vessels, whose name / do not now remember.
MIR. s. was attached to this ship; Mr.. Kew
came as passenger, under arrest for an act Of
insubordination on board his ship, the frigats
Brandywine. -
Mr.. Shsrburne was of q quiet, unobtrusiys
character, but, from some caprice, Mr. Kew
had conceived dislike for him. and. during
the passage, annoyed him with ceaseless in
suits. On arriving at Hampton Roads. Mr..
Key determined to force Mr.. Sherburne into
. duel The latter seeing no alternative. (Mr.
Key having challenged him, agreed to meet
him.. This took place while Mr.. S. was at
Hampton Roads As soon as he reached Nor
folk, he was arrested by the civil authorities,
and placed under bond to keep the peace
This put stop to the matter at that time.
Mr.. Key shortly after left Norfolk and
went to Washington city, where his father aer
the late Francis s. Key, resided. Mr.. Sher-
burne went to Baltimore to prepare for ex-
animation by the Naval Board, which met
there in May that year-1S36 e91sA
After examination, Mr.. 8. came to Washibe,
ton, where his father also resided. Upon
reaching this place, he learned that Mr.. Key
(from the time they had separated at Norfolk
up to that day. had suffered ne opportunity to
pass without traducing his lSherburnen
character IN. the most unjustifable manner,
charging him with cowardice in not meeting
him (Key) at Norfolk, when he we'll knew
that Mr. s. had been prevented from doing so
py civil arrest During my first interview with
Mr. Sherburhe, Gone or wodays after he arrived
at washington, the diffeulty With
Mr. Key, and asked meto actas his friend in its
settlement. [ consented to do ise.g The next
day, q think the 18th or 18th of June, 1860
about nine or ten o'clock, A. M ;, I called on
Mr. Key. He was at his fathers residence in
C street, between Third and Fourth streets
the same, presume, in which the late p.
Barton Key resided. We were alone in the
room. / at once mentioned that 1 had called,
as the friend of Mr.. Sherburne, to make ar
rangements to close the unsettled difficulty be-
tween himself and MIR. S. He replied, athere
was no difficulty between himself and Mr. S.,
and if so, how it had been settled?" He then
said, "Shsrburne is scoundrel, and will not
meet him." i--.sf -;
II then observed that was not there to dis
cuss Mr.. Sherburne's character, that I wanted
him to say at once, and finally, whether he
meant to meet Mr.. S. or no. He was very
much agitated- at the time, and asked me ssto
allow him a few minutaa to collect himself"
Some four or five minutes hayfuS-rassed. he
said he would fight Mr.. s., provided It was
done Immediately" / then asked him if ono
hour from that time would suit him. He re-
naked that he would "have to provide him
self with friend" I then named O'clock
P. NJ, Game day. and it was understood. i
then suggested Good Hope Tavern as the
place for the meeting. This point is about
one and half miles from the Navy Yard
bridge across the Eastern Branch, on the
road leading from Washington to Upper
Marlborough.
Mr.. Sherburne, accompanied by DR.. James
Comb (who Is still resident of Washington)
and myself, were first at the appointed place.
Mr.. Key, accompanied by his friend, Mr., r.
about half past six. As soon as the gentlemen
rode up, took Mr.. West aside, and proposed
that we would try and settle the affair without
resort to arms. Mr.. Key being at little
distance, but within hearing remarked to Mr..
West, "that it was useless to waste time talk
ing about it." Mr.. West then said, eve have
come here to fight, not to talk, and the sooner
it is over the better" I then said ne would
at once select the ground, and proceeded to do
so, in meadow field near by.
The distance (ten short spaces) was measur-
NTr haI oh 90 7
had procured very fine pair of the Hon,
Henry A. Wise, present Governor of Virginia.
They were loaded. Mr.. Key and Mr.. Sher-
burne took their stands. Mr.. West gave the
word Both fred at the same instant. and
both escaped untouched. - 4-1a
AS soon as Mr.. Key saw that Mr.: Sherburne
was unhurt, he in loud and exciting man
ner, said, "where did my ball go to? Cd
it, load up quick, and let US have another
shot, r - IS AAAIo
/ now again proposed to Mr. West that we
should stop the fight, feeling satisfied that the
Afiair could be honorably adjusted without fur
ther resort to weapons. He made the same
reply that was given to my first proposition ts
try and avoid bloodshed, eve are here to fight;
and not to talk. Z! .ssas125 sisHse
1t was now twilight Pistols were again load;
ed Mr.Key and Mr.. Sherburne took thei-
stands. I gave the word. Both fred at thu
same Instant mir. .Sherburne escaped unhurt
Mr. Key fell, shot through the lower part o.
the chest, the ball entering the right and
lodging under the skin of the opposite side
He lived about twenty minutes, and died up.
on the spot where he fell. - 5aH s79e y
Z LIGHTNING SHOOTING Orr a GuN.-The
San Antonio (Texas) Herozd says q sHsish
About two weeks ago three gentlemen 1ivinS
on the Hondo went7out hunting horses Their
ers by the name of. MeCombs.s When. about
fifteen miles from home, and all ofthem squat
ted watching mustangs, q flash of lghtninf!
struck them, and shot off one of their gunss--
The lightning stunned the whole of them SCI
verely, so that it is not known how long they
remained insensible. When the two McCornba
came to their senses, McSIaster was SO badly
burned that they left him for dead and went
home for relief The neighbors went for Me-
Nfoc+o Il "a,