The record-union., 1899-07-28
An EPISODE OF EARLY DAYS.
L1pp1NcorT-rE11s DUEL IN
SIERRA COUNTY.
Stormy Political Times In the
Early TaftiesTshotguns at
Forty Yards.
(By Win. J. Davis.)

(By Win. J. Davis)
The year 1855 was marked in the
history Of California by the coming
into power of the Know Nothing or
American party, the phenomenal spread
Of the temperance movement, and the
number of sanguinary duels that were
fought The Whig and Democratic
parties had also contended for political
supremacy, with the odds much in
favor of the latter, until 1854, when Sc
cret councils of the American party be-
gan to be organized.
The following year the new party so
grew in strength that it carried the
State and elected j. Nicely Johnson Gov
ernor, with the other State officers and
the Legislature. The campaign was
bitter one, and estranged many who
had been lifelong worshippers at the
Democratic shrine. Through the Sons
of Temperance and similar organiza-
tions a crusade of temperance was car
ried on so successfully that very gen.
orally the young men temporarily
stopped drinking and became enthus-
astic advocates of total abstinence.
There was a strange lull in the wild
and riotous life of the early Califor-
mans. The temperance question be-
came prominent political factor. On
June 20, 1853, a. State convention was
held and a political organization Of the
temperance party effected. Two months
later an adjourned convention indorsed
certain candidates for State offices. At
no time since HIS there been so perfect
and effective a political organization of
the advocates of temperance in Cali
fornia Something like twenty duels
were fought in the years 1854 and 1850,
and in many of them the results had
been fatal.
| 1t was an unhappy combination of
politics and temperance that cost young
Robert Tevis his life in the summer
Of 1855, in the mountains of Sierra
County. Tevis was a brother of the
late Lloyd Tevis, and native of Ken
lucky. He was a lawyer, practicing at
Downieville, and had met with success
in the mining litigation that engaged
the attention of the courts so much in
those days. In politics he sided with
the know Nothings," and was an as
pirant for the Congressional nomina-
ton, with fair hope of success.
Miss Sarah Pellet was conducting a
temperance crusade in the State, and
some of the newspapers had attacked
her somewhat scandalously. At Down
ieville she established lodge of the
Sons of Temperance with a large and
respectable membership, and numbered
among her friends and defenders the
majority of the men of that mountain
town. A temperance Fourth of July
celebration was arranged, and despite
the protest of those who objected to
woman orator, Miss Pellet was invited
to deliver the principal speech.
Tevis, who was also prominent in the
temperance movement, was anxious to
deliver the OratiOn in order to
make a favorable presentation Of him
self and to further his political am
bition. He made no concealment Of
his disappointment at the selection of
Miss Pellet, and to pacify him he was
selected to read the Declaration Of In
dependence, with the understanding
that he might speak briefly in reference
to that document.
When the day for the celebration ar
rived about 1000 people were gathered
in the town. Tevis read the Declara-
ton, and followed it with long speech
of the regular Fourth of July order.
The audience became impatient, and in
order to terminate his grafton anvils
were fired off to drown his voice. Tevis
angrily gave way to the orator for the
day. Calvin B. Mcdonald was pub
fishing the Sierra Citizen" an Amer
lean party paper, and the Democrats
had engaged two columns in that jour-
nal to espouse their cause during the
campaign.
These columns were edited by Chas.
E. Lippincott, then the State Senator
from Yuba County, and in them ap-
peared ludicrous account of Tevis'
participation in the celebration-an ar
ticle that caused considerable fun in
the town, but which was mortifying to
Tevis and calculated to fire his chiv
alric spirit. He called on Mcdonald
and demanded the publication of a
card denouncing the author of the ar
ticle as "a liar and slanderer." Nc
Donald explained that he had no con-
troll over the columns in which the ar
ticle had appeared, but Tevis insist
ed on the publication of his card, and
declared that if it was not published
he would hold Mcdonald personally re-
sponsible and would challenge him.
The card appeared and was promptly
followed by challenge from Lippin-
colt to Tevis, which was Immediately
accepted by the latter. Friends en-
deavored to prevent the meeting, and
at one time it was thought to be amic-
ably arranged, but it was renewed
On the 1th of July the principals and
their friends left Downieville secretly
for the duelling ground, which had
been selected about six miles from
town on fiat near the top of the lofty
hills, but when about ready for the
fight the Sheriff and posse approached
and the duelling party moved beyond
diction of the officers.
In the meantime the principals with
their seconds separated and practiced
at targets forty yards off with double
barreled shotguns loaded with balls, the
weapons and distance that had been
agreed on for the duel It was after
ward told that each had broken a bot
tile at the word. Lippincott had de-
clared that he did not wish to kill his
adversary, to whom he had never
spoken, and wished to avoid the con-
flict, if possible, but the nature of the
insult was such that he could not avoid
sending the challenge. Tevis had sel
lected double -barreled shotguns, with
ounce balls, as the weapons.
Mcdonald, in writing of the duel.
said: 1.-The duelists took their places,
forty yards apart. The ground slope1
little, and the higher position fell by
lot to Tevis. The sun was going down,