Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-13
SOME KENTUCKY DUELS.
FAMOUS MEETINGS ON THE OZARK
AND BLOODY GROUND"

Affairs of Honor Among the MarshaIls
Clays, Rowans and Others
C.M. Clay's Bowie-knife.
| A few months ago, when the bloody and
tragic encounter in Lexington, KY, be-
teen Colonel Cassius Goodloe and Colonel
Armstead M. Swope thrilled and shocked
the country from one end to the eother, Mr..
Murat Halstead, writing editorially in the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, stated that
there appeared to be something in the very
climate and atmosphere, as well as in the
traditions of Kentucky, which called for
the adjustment of difficulties and misun-
derstandings between the men of that
State by the wager of battle.
| Unfortunately, this is true, and the fact
extends far back beyond the time when
the first white man visited Kentucky. For
many year it has been common hunting.
ground for various tribes of Indians, and,
as their common hunting ground, it had
also become their common battle-ground.
The soil of old "Kentuckee' las thew
called it) had been SO plentifully layed
with the blood of their braves for untold
years that even the rude Indians, with a
correct, though untutored poetic imagery.
had christened this land, baptized with
rivers of their blood, "the dark and bloody
ground" long beforea white man had ever
seen it.
To the student of such lore the early
history of Kentucky, much of which is
unwritten, is especially interesting. 1t is
generally tragic, but is far from being
without its humorous and comical side.
Humphrey Marshall, whose duel with
Henry Clay has been described, once
broke up hostile meeting in quite an un-
expected manner. In 1898 his cousin
Major James Markham Marshall Ia
brother of Chief Justice Marshall), had a
discussion in the public prints with Mr..
James Brown, which grew out of some
charges made by Mr.. Marshall that Mr..
james Browns brother, Hon. John Brown,
was, or had been, deeply implicated with
Wilkinson, Sebastian and others in the
Spanish conspiracy.
A duel grew out OF this, one of the
terms of which was that no person except
! the principals and their seconds should be
present at the meeting. Humphrey Mar
shall, however, desiring to witness the
affair, allowed his curiosity to get the bet
ter of his discretion, and he posted off to
the dueling ground, near which he con-
cealed himself behind large log, from
which "coign of vantage" he might have
a good view of the proceedings
| He always carried long staff or stick,
and this he placed across the top of the
log. The duelists reached the graund,
and the preliminaries had been arranged,
when Humphrey Marshall was discovered
in his retreat. Mr.. Brown then refused to
fight, on the plea that "Old Humphrey
MARSHALL was in ambush on the field with
a gun trained from dead rest to assassi-
nate him in case he should kill his oppo-
nent. The affair ended thus without an
exchange of shots.
About this time, generally speaking,
there grew out of the same fruitful source
of contention, the Spanish conspiracy" an
affair which was probably the most pee
culiar thing in the way of a duel that ever
occurred anywhere. 1t was between DR..
Lewis Marshall, the younger brother of
Chief Justice Marshall, and gentleman
whom we shall call Bradley, because that
was not his name. DIR. Marshall, like all
his name, was man of great courage, and,
in addition, was dead shot, and was
equally as expert with the sword as with
the pistol.
He was an old practitioner upon the
field of honor, having had many duels,
both in this country and in Europe, and
always leaving his opponent dead or dis
abled upon the field. Mr.. Bradley was
also man of courage, but of an excitable
and nervous temperament, and his affair
with DR.. Marshall was his first expert
ence under the code. The weapons chosen
for this affair were pistols, and after the
word either man could fire at discretion.
On the ground Mr.. Bradley showed him.
self nervous and excitable, and when the
word was given-probably with the idea
that the best way for green hand to fight
an experienced duelist, and dead shot at
that, was to 'get the drop" on him-he
blazed away at once, and, of course, missed
his antagonist. DR.. Marshall had fixed
his eye on Bradley in the beginning, and
as soon as they had taken their positions
marked his extreme agitation. After re-
ceiving Bradley's fire Dr. Marshall cooily
raised his pistol and deliberately shut one
eye and squinted along the barrel with the
other. He took slow and full aim and
held Bradley covered for half a minute
Then he lowered his pistol to his side and
asked his second for a plug of tobacco,
saying that he wanted chew before Kill
ing the id foolD
At this Bradley became transported
with rage. Tearing open his coat he
shouted to DR.. Marshall to 'fre." The
doctor, having refreshed himself with a
chew of tobacco, again went through the
same deliberate performance of taking
aim, then lowered his pistol, took out his
handkerchief, and, remarking that he had
forgotten to blow his nose, blew it. BY
this time Bradley was beside himself with
rage and uncertainty, and fairly yelled for
his antagonist to fire. DR.. Marshall for
the third time took deliberate aim at him
then lowered his pistol and said that he
would not fire at the d--n fool unless he
would have his pistol reloaded and take
another shot," The seconds then inter.
fered and the duel, if such it could be
called, ended.
DIR. Louis Marshall had been a student
at the University of Edinburgh, in Scot
lond, and afterward went to Paris and at
tended the university there. He was one
of those who led the attack on the Bastile
and was afterward arrested by order oi
Robispierre, and was saved from the gull
lotine only by the strenuous efforts OF
powerful friends. During his stay in
Scotland and France he fought many
dnels, always without serious injury to
himself and with damage to his opponent
One other afiair that DIR. Marshall had
in Kentucky was with a man named Sites
Mr.. Sites took oifense at some publication
DIR. Marshall had made Arming him.
self with a pistol and rawhide, he came
upon the doctor while the latter was snoIs.
ing cigar and reading a newspaper, and
had his feet cooked up higher than hi.
head against tree-box in front of hotel
s{ln Versailles, KY. With his pistol drawn
in one hand, he commenced to cowhide
Dr. Marshall with the other.
IL DIR. Marshall never took his cigar from
his mouth, nor ceased putting, nor lifted
bus eyes from his paper, until Sites ceased
bis blows. Then, looking at Sites ovel
his shoulder, and brushing the ashes from
bis cigar with one finger, he asked, Gar,
you quite through" Mr.. Sites answered
hat he was, and DIR. Marshall replied