Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-04-28
OLD-TIME DUELS.
Dewitt Clinton and John SwartwOnt-An
Editor Kills n Captain.

article on lie VIII CLINTON IN Harper s,
for March, and gives this account of the
duel between Clinton and Swartwout:
The following letter has reference
to duel in which Dewitt Clinton had
been concerned with John Swartwout
as long ago as 1902. Swartwout was a
devoted friend and admirer of Aaron
Burr, then vice president. The friends
OF Clinton, among whom Cheetham was
most conspicuous and most scurrilous,
accused Burr of coquetting with the
federal party-the gravest offense which
in those days could be laid at the door
Of Republican. 1t reached Clinton's
ears that Swartwout had accused him
of opposing Burr upon personal and
selfish grounds. Clinton responded, in
his gentle and unimpassioned way, by
proclaiming Swartwout "a liar. a seoun :
drel and villain This was reported
to Swartwout, and, of course, a chal-
lenge Immediately followed. Colonel
Smith, Swartwout's second, has left us
the following account of what occurred
on the ground at Weehawken, where
the combatants respectively sought sat
isfaction. Clinton was accompanied by
Richard Riker, the hero afterwards of
Halleck's Recorder:
"'The gentlemen took their stations,
were each presented with pistol, and,
by order, faced to the right, and fired,
Intellectually. At the request of Mr..
Riker I asked Mr.. Swartwout, care
you satisfied SIR" He answered, 81
am not" The pistols then being ex-
changed, and their positions resumed,
they by order faced to the right, and
fred a shot without effect. At the re-
quest of Mr.. Riker I again asked Mr.
Swartwout, care you stisfed, sir?"
He answered strongly in the negative
We proceeded, and third shot was ex-
changed without injury. At the re-
quest of Mr.. Kicker again asked Mr.
Swartout, Are you satisfied sir I" He
answered, " I am not, neither shall I be
until that apology is made which have
demanded. Until then we must pro
coed" then presented a paperto Mr..
Riker, containing the apology demanded,
for Clinton's signature, observing that
we could not spend our lime in CONVEX
sation; that this paper must be signed,
or proceed. Mr.. Clinton declared that
he would not sign any paper on the sub
iect; that he had no animosity against
Mr.. Swartout; would willingly shake
hands and agree to meet on the score of
former friendship.
"'Mr. Swartwout insisting on his sig
nature to the apology, and Mr.. Clinton
declining they stood at their posts and
fired fourth shot Mr.. Clinton's ball
struck Mr.. Swartwout's left leg, about
five inches below the knee. He stood
ready and collected. At the request of
Mr.. Riker [ again addressed Mr.. Swart-
won't, Are you satisfied sir?' He an
swered that it was useless to repeat the
question: My determination is fixed,
and beg to proceed. Mr.. Clinton re-
peated that he had no animosity against
Mr.. Swartwout, was sorry for what had
passed, proposed to advance, shake
hands and burythe circumstance in obiiv-
ion. During this conversation Mr.Swart-
wout's surgeon, kneeling by his side,
extracted the ball from the opposite
side of his leg. Mr.. Swartwout stand
ing erect on his post, and positively
declining anything short Of an ample
apology, they fired the fifth shot, and
Mr.. Swartwout received the shot in the
left leg, about five inches above the
ankle, still, however, standing steadily
at his post, perfectly composed. At the
request of Mr.. Riker I again addressed
Mr.. ,Swartwout, Are you satisfied, sir!'
L ali. not, sir; proceed Mr.. Clinton
then quit his station, declined the COM
bat, and declared he would fire no more
Mr.. Swartwout declared himself sur
prised that Mr.. Clinton would neither
apologize nor give him the satisfaction
required, and, addressing me, said,
What shall do, my friend?' ANSWERED,
MIR. Clinton declines making the apol-
ogy required, refuses taking his position,
and positively declares he will fight no
more: and his second appearing to &C
quiesce il. he disposition of his princi-
pal, there IS nothing further left for you
now but to have your wounds dressed. ,
The surgeons attended, dressed Mr..
Swartwout wounds, and the gentle
men in their respective barges returned
to the city"
Mr.. Bigelow also describes the duel
between Coleman, editor Of the Even
ing Post, and Captain Thompson in
which Thompson was killed.
"The year after, Clinton was chal-
lenged by Senator Dayton, of New Jer-
sey, warm partisan Of Burr. This af-
fair, however, was arranged without a
meeting, but the year following Robert
Startwout fought with Richard Riker,
who had been Clinton's second, and Sc
verely wounded him. The same year
Coleman, editor of the Evening Post,
was provoked by Cheetham, the Their
sites of the press in those days, to chal-
lenge him. Friends, however, inter-
fered, and the affair was settled upon
the understanding that Cheetham would
behave more discreetly in the future.
Out of this challenge, however, grew
another quarrel which was attended
with altogether deplorable results A
harbor master of New York, by the
name Of Thompson-he was called Cap
tain Thompson-gave it out that it was
Coleman, not Cheetham, who had shown
the white feather on the occasion just
referred to. Coleman heard of it and
challenged him. They met in what is