The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21
Written About and Occupying
SPACE in the Record of
Dueling in America.
HOSTILE AND DEADLY MEETINGS.
The Combat Between Commodore
Stephen Decatur Jr. and Com
modore James Barron - The
Graves CiIley Encounter.
Tired of Shooting at a Man.
General Jackson's Duel With
Charles Dickinson.

TN recent article "Dueling in Amer
! lea" l mentioned some of the
details Of the historic combat be-
\ tween Burr and Hamilton, and d. the
> throughout the country. Another
hostile and deadly meeting between two dis
tDCuished naval officers, which occurred
sixteen years later, caused great commo-
ton at the time, but has been so nearly for
gotten that its brief repetition should have
fresh interest
The combatants were Commodore Stephen
Decatur Jr aud Commodore James Bar
ron, the former a Marylander by birth,
though of Northern descent, and the latter
Virzinian. Decatur was one of the heroes
Of the Tripolitan war; took active part in
several naval engagements with the British.
and severely punished the Dey of Algiers
for his piratical expeditions, and the i'm
prisonment Of our sailors. Barron was com
missioGei lieutenant at 20, on the Organiza-
ton of the United States Navy. and became
fayorablY known soon after for his
fine seamanship and scientific attain
ments. When he was 81. while he was
sailing from Hampton Roads for the Medi-
terlauean. his ship, the Chesapeake, was
boarded by boat from the British vessel
Leopard with a demand to search for ser
tain persons declared TO be deserters from
the British navy. Tie British Minister at
Washington and our Secretary Of State had
correspOnded on this subject, and the latter
had refused to surrender such alleged de-
sprters. on the ground that they were Ameri-
can citizens WHO had been impressed by
the British navy. Barron, therefore. refused
the right Cf search. and the Leopard speed
lis fired a brOadside into the Chesapeake,
which was in no condition to fight Apart
from her greatly inferior force everything
was in confusion, as she was just quitting
port Her guns had been loaded, but wads,
matches hammers and other requirements
were not accessible. The Leopard continued
firing. delivering tweDty-one shots in her
hull, killing three and wOundlng eighteen
on board the American, including Barron,
who, seeing resistance useless, struck his
c0lOrs.
and Barron was Court-martia ed He was
acquitted of everything like lack Of courage,
but found guilty, on probability Of an en-
gagement, ii failure to clear his decks for
action, and suspended for five years. The
British Admiral who had authorized the
search was recalled by lis Government and
his conduct disaV9wed
BARRON WENT ABROAD
And some Of his friends made an effort for
bis restoration, which was StubbOrnly Op-
posed by various American officers, among
item Decatur. who had teen on the court
MARTA. This led to passionate CORE
spOHdence between the COmmOdOreS, and
finally to a challenge from Barron. Both
were possessed of untiinching valor and
were admirable markSmen. They met at
the little village Of BladenSburg, Md.-a
famous dueling ground in old dayS-with
bitter hostility IN their hearts, but out
wardly cool. At the first fire both fell.
Decatur died the same night and Barron,
whose life had been deSpaired Of only re-
covered after months of Intense suffering,
AID passed away forty eight years later at
S.. Decatur, who was but 81, was long and
severely lamented, having been one Of our
most brilliant naval officers.
! IL. duel, purely political and entirely i'm
personal, that ranked next in Importance -
that OF Burr and Hamilton, took place in
1888, and is still remembered by many old
citizens. 1t was curious and we'll illustrates
the pCculiaritles of tie code strictly inter
pTeted. The Washington correspondent of
the New York Courier and Enquirer,
Mathew l.. Davis-he was then -, had been
an intimate friend of Aaron Burr, and had
written his memoirs charged some member
OF Congress with corruption, and his
charge having been brought before the
ness. An acrid debate ensued, during
which Jonathan Cillev, a Demo-
cratic member from Maine. denounced
James Watson Webb. editor and proprietor
Of that newspaper aud an ardent Wing
webb. being believer IN the code, was in
cenSed and Immediately went TO the capital
for satisfaction. He engaged Graves of
Kentucky 10 call on Cilley and ask in cour-
teous terms for an explanation Of his Ian
guaee. Cllley, Oh the offer of Graves
,frf,ig7 lion Il pd
/ Stunning that he did not hold himself re-
sponslble for words used in debate; that he
Intended no discOurtesy to Graves, and
that, as Graves understood him, lie did not
object to Nebb's standing as a gentleman.
Alter separation Graves wrote to Ciley re-
qupsting him to commit TO writing what he
Graves had understood Cllley to say. Gil
ley ACKNOWLEDGED all the points except that
referring to Webbs standing which he
would neither affirm nor deny. Graves re-
garded this as ambiguous and required
further explanation, which Cilley refused,
adding that he could not permit himself to
be questioned on
THAT PARTICULAR POINT.
Thereupon Graves, considering his veracity
impcacaed, demanded satisfactiO through
his friend. Henry A. Wise, and Cilley
promptly accepted the challenge to meet at
once, the weapons being rifles and the dis
lance 100 yards.
very delicate position, and he expressed his
determination to prevent the meeting at all
hazards. But the trouble was to discover
where it would be, everything about the
proposed duel being kent profound secret.
He tried IN vain to ind out the time and
place, never suspecting that the time was
the same day of the acceptance Of the cartel,
such haste being almost without prece-
dent. All sorts OF rumOrs were afloat, and
none Of them correct. That duel would
in fha ngr Int M Il
mite or trustworthy could be learned.
Webb, Davis and TWO of their friends, heav-
lily armed and desperately resolved, secured
the region about Washington, their minds
fully made M that Webb should substitute
himself for Graves, even at the expense of
death TO one, both or many. Bat the COM
batants and their friends eluded everybody,
and determined to resist to the utmost any
interference with the duel on the part of
Webb or any of his associates. What would
have been the consequences il they had en-
ecuntared one another it is impossible to
conjecture, for they were all fearless and
resOluie, and believed their honor involved
in the outcome. Happily, ignorance of the
locality kept them apart. Had it been 9TH
eTTise the tragedy must unqueStiOnably
have been deepened.
The meeting was at an unexpected spot,
just out of Washington, of which DO out
slider had any surmSe. 1t was generally
thought that Badensburg would be the
Rt0lnQ CHOSEN, anu tDltner NeDO ana his
friends first belO0k themselves. They had
Just returned 10 the capital from another
fraitess excursion when they learned, TO
their amazement, that the duel had been
fought, only the principals. seconds and sur
geons having been present. The result pro-
duced wild excitement in the city and,
when it became known, throughout the
whole country.
After the first fire, which was harmless,
graves friend, Wise. again asked Cilley's
friend that his PRINCIPAL should express an
opinion concerning Webbs standing. If he
would only admit that Webb was a gentle
man there would be no further
CAUSE FOR HOSTILITY,
And Graves would be Immediately with
drawn. Once more Cilley vehemently re-
fused TO affirm or deny, and the rifles were
loaded aud discharged a second time, also
without effect, Cilley maintaining that the
duel must go on, SO long as Graves insisted
on his right of catechisation. At the mo-
fba tbird 6ra nathan of thn nnnn-