The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1860-08-29
Bladensbxg Dueling Grounds.
Correspondence Of the Cleveland Piaindenier.
BLApENsBuRG, June 1s, 1860.


Pistols and coffee for two. AS | am alone
on the classic ground l can take care that
the pistols 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 handsome, in
full livery of green, adorned with flowers,
ard should blush in its beauty for the scenes
it has witnessed. Here, in a beautiful little
grass plat surrounded by trees, forms. made
after the image of God, come TO insult Ma
ture and defy Heaven. In 1914, Edward
Hopkins was killed here in duel This
seems 10 have been the first of these fash
| ionable murders or this dueling ground
In 1919, A T. Mason, a United States
Senator from Virginia, fought with his sis
ter's husband, John M Carly, here. M'Cariy
was averse to fighting, and thought there
was no necessity for it but Mason would
/ fight. MCarty named muskets loaded with
| buck-shot, and SO near together that they
| would hit heads il they fell on their faces.
This was changed by the seconds TO loading
with bullets, and taking twelve feet as the
distance. Mason was killed instantly, and
! M'Carty, who had his collar bone broken,
still lives with Mason's sister in George
| town. HIS hair turned white so soon after
the fight as TO cause much comment. He
has since been solicited to act as a second
in duel, but refused in accordance with
pledge made to his wife soon after killing
| her brother.
In 1920, Commodore Decatur was killed
in duel here by Commodore Barren. AT
the first fire both fell forward aud lay with
their heads within Ten feet of each other,
and as each supposed himself mortally
wounded, each fully and freely forgave the
other, still lying on the ground. Decatur
expired in lew days, but Barren eventu-
ally recovered In 1921, two strangers
named Lega and Sega appeared here, fought,
and Sega was instantly killed. The neigh.
bors only learned this much of their names
from the marks on their gloves left on the
ground. Lega was not hurt.
In 1922, Midshipman Locke was killed
here in duel with clerk of the Treasury
| Department, named Gibson. The latter was
not hurt In 1926, Henry Clay fought (his
second duel) with John Randolph, just
across the Potomac, as Randolph preferred
10 die, if at all, on Virginia soil he receiv-
| ed Clay's shot and then fired his pistol in
| the air. This was in accordance with
| declaration made to Mr.. Benton, who spoke
to Randolph Of call the evening before on
Mrs. Clay, and-aliuded to the quiet sleep of
| her child and the repose of the mother
Randolph quickly replied, ri shall do moth
ing 10 disturb the sleep of the child or the
| repose of the mother"
| General Jessup, whose funeral attended
last week was Clay's second. When Ran
dolph fred he remarked: 'I do not shoot
at you, Mr.. Clay" and extending his hand
advanced toward Clay, who rushed TO meet
him. Randolph showed Clay where his
ball struck his coat, and said, facetiously,
"Mr. Clay, you owe me coat" Clay re-
Piled "Thank God the debt is no greater"
They were friends ever after. In 1892 Mar
tin was killed here by Carr. Their first
names are not remembered. They were
from the South. In 1882, MrKay son OF Frank
Key and brother of Barton Key, of SickIes
no,oriety, met MIR Sherborn who said: "Mr.
Key, have no desire to kill you." ''No
matter" said Kay, 81 came to kill you"
every well, then," said Sherborn, 81 will
now kill you ;" and he did.
In 1898, w. J. Graves, OF Kentucky, assum-
ing the quarrel of James Watson Webb and
Jonathan Cilley, of Maine, selected this
place for Cilley's murder, but the parties
learning that Webb, with two friends Jack
son and Morrel, were armed and in pursuit,
for the purpose of assassinating Cilley,
moved toward the river and nearer the city.
Their pursuers moved toward the river but
missed the parties and then returned TO the
city, 10 which they were soon followed by
Graves, and the corpse OF Cilley. In ls45,
a lawyer named Jones fought with and kill
ed DR.. Johnson. In 1851, R. A. Hoole and
| A. Dallas had hostile meeting here -
| Dallas was sho: in The shoulder, but recov-
cred. In 1852, Daniel and Johnson, two
| Richmond editors, held a harmless set-to
here, which terminated in coffee. In 1853,
Davis and Ridgeway fought here; Ridge
way allowed his antagonist to fire without
returning the shot.
! Many of the names l could not get in
full, and some other duels were indefinitely
given by the "oldest inhabitant," for whose
courtesy am much indebted. My infor-
mant was an eye witness TO many of these
| beastly re.encoun;ers. In fact, these little
amusements seem to be enjoyed by the
Bladensburgers quite as much as regatta
would be at Cleveland. When there is a
lull in these sports, SORT of amphitheatre
is erected in The village, one mile from this
ground, and frequently one or two fighting
cocks are entered for single combat or duels.