Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-07-13
from the Cleveland Plain pealer.1
Bladensburg Bueling Grounds -- The
DuelS.
BIADENsBrRo, Nd, june Is.

BIADENsBURo, Nd, june 18.
| DEAR DEALER Pistols and coffee for two.
| As am alone on this classic ground l can
take care that the pistols can do no harm, and
the coffee is harmless anyhow. The place so
noted for its polite and refined murders, is
about five miles from the city, fresh and hand
some in full livery of green, adorned with
flowers and should blush in its beauty for
the scenes it has witnessed. Here, in beau
tiful little grass plat surrounded by trees.
| FORMS made after the image of God, come to
| insult Nature and defy Heaven. In 1914.
Edward Hopkins was kill ed here in duel.
| This seems to have been the first of these fash
ionable murders on this dueling ground.
| In 1919, A 7 Mason. United States Sen
ator from Virginia, fought with his sisters
husband, John McCarty, here. McGarty was
| averse to fighting, and thought there was no
necessity for it but Mason would fight
McCarty named muskets loaded with grape
shot, and so near together that they would hit
! heads if they fell on their faces This was
changed by the seconds to loading with bull
lets, and taking twelve feet as the distance
Mason was killed Instantly. and McCarty who
had his collar bone broken, still lives with Ma
sons sister in Georgetown. His hair turned
white so soon after the fight as to cause much
comment. He has since been solicited TO act
as second in duel, but refused in accord
ance with pledge made to his wife soon af-
ter killing her brother
In 1920, Commodore Decatur was killed in
| duel here by Commodore Barron. At the
| first fire both fell forward and lay with their
heads within ten feet of each other, ard as
each supposed himself inortallF wounded, each
fully and freely forgave the other, still lying
on the ground. Decatur expired Immediately
| but Barron eventually recovered. In 1921,
/ two strangers named Lcga and Sega appear
ed here, fought and Sega was instantly killed
! The neighbors only learned this much of their
names from the marks on their gloves left on
the ground Lega was not hurt. Fl
! In 1921, Mdshipman Loche was killed here
/ in duel with a clerk of the Treasury De
plrtment named Gibson. The latter was not
hurt. In 1926, Henry Cay fought This sec
ond duel with John Randolph. jnst across the
| Potomac, as Randolph preferred to die. if at
| all, on Virginia soil, received Gays shot and
! then fired his pistol in the air. This was in
accordance with declaration made to MIR.
| Benton, who SPOKE to Randolph of a call OH
Mrs Clay and alluded to the qniet sleep of
her child and the repose of the mother. Ran
dolph quickly replied, Il shall do nothing to
disturb the sleep of the child Or the reposc Of
the mother"
General Jessup, whose funeral I attended
last week, CIay's second. When Ran
doph fred he remarked 81 do not shoot at
you, Mr.. Clu?," and extending his Land ad
vanced toward Clay, who rushed to meet him.
Randolph showed Clay where his ball struck
his coat, and said, Elceliously, MIR Clay, you
owe me coat" Clay replied "'Thank God
the debt is no greater" They were friends
ever after. In 1882 Martin was killed here
by Carr. Their first names are not remem-
bered They were from the South. In 1888,
Mr.. Key. son of Frank Key and brother of
kRarton Key, of Sickles notoriety met Mr..
Sherborn and exchanged shot, when Shcr-
born said: "Mr. Key, have no desire to kill
YOU" "No matter" said Key, ~ came TO
kill you" Very well, then," said Sherborn,
i will now kill you" and he did.
/ In 1888, w. j. Graves, of Kentucky. as
suming the quarrel OF ames-Watson Webb
with Jonathan Cilley, of Maine, selected this
place for Cilleys murder, but the parties learn
ing that Webb with two friends, jackson
and Merret, were armed and in pursuit, for
the purpose of assassinating Ciley, moved to-
ward the river and nearer the city. Their
pursuers followed toward the river but mis-
sed the parties and then returned to the. city.
to which they were soou followed by Graves
and the corpse of Cilley. In l845, lawyer
named Jones fought with and killed a DIR.
johnson. In 1851, r. A. Hooe and A. j
Dallas had hostile meeting here. Dallas
was shot in the shoulder, but recovered. In
1852, Daniel and Johnson, two Richmond ed
itors, held harmless set-to here, which termi-
mated in coffee. In 1858, Davis and Ridge
way fought here; Ridgeway allowed his an
, tagonist to fire without returning the shot
Many of the names l could not get in full
and some other duels we're too indefinitely
given BY the "eldest inhabitant," Tor whose
courtesy I am much indebted. My inform
, ant was an eyewitness to many of these beast
~ recounters. In fact, these Elttle amuse-
ments seemed to be enjoyed by the Badens
burgers quite as much as regatta would bt
at Cleveland