Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-07-25
FAMOUS DUELING GROUND,
Picturesque Portion of the New Or
leans Park known ns The Oaks.

Picturesque Portion of the New Or
leans Park known ns The Oaks.
One OF the most picturesque and
beautiful spots I'm New Orleans and re-
plete with historical incidents is the
Oaks, the Chenes ballard. as they
were called Of old. They are now a
part of the City park and a favorite
resort for the children Of the creole
quarters. dozens Of swings being at
tached TO the massive live oaks, which
shade several acres of ground.
The land was formerly the plantation
of Louis Anard. very learned French
man of early New Orleans. 1t was
bought by the great philanthropist,
John McDonough, and finally passed
into the hands of the city and was
dedicated as a park. Its most eventful
history was in advance of its park
days, when it was practically waste
land. Lying as it did on the she'll road
to Bayou St. John and Lake Pontchar-
train, within easy distance of the city,
yet deserted and uninhabited, it afford
ed the very spot for the duels so fire.
Quent among the fiery creoles and no
less fiery Americans of New Orleans
in antebellum days. Here, under the
shade of n primeval forest Of gigantic
oaks, either with pistol or rapier. more
especially the latter, the difficulties be-
tween gentlemen" were fought out
under the strictest rules of the code OF
honors
At these times New Orleans. al
though to n large degree cosmopolitan.
was essentially a creole city and bound
by the creole habits and ideas, and one
of these ideas was that n slight or af-
front could be wiped out only by blood
shed in n duel. The result was TO pro
duce the greatest punctilio among men.
a blow was strictly forbidden and suf-
fcient 10 debar the striker from the
privileges Of the duello. 4 gentleman
who would so far forget himself rs to
strike another was exposed 70 the ig-
nominy Of being refused n meeting on
the field Of honor.
Most Of the duels had their origin in
the ballroom, where to brush rudely
against q man was often deemed suffi-
Client cause for exchanging cards. Some
were political some the result OF
breaches of pOliteness or etiquette.
Chevalier Tomasi fought a duel with n
native creole over the proposition that
there were larger rivers in Europe
than the Mississippi. each man being
willing TO risk his life for his home
river. Several duels are reported from
mere excess OF spirit, because the night
was so good for an assault d'armes II
the winter OF 1S57-S the opera pro
duced an epidemic Of duels. The two
prima donnas then in vogue had each
her army of supporters, and TO hiss his
favOrite was supposed to justify any
creole in handing his card TO the Of
fender and demand a meeting at tho
Oaks.
Most of these meetings were secret
known only 10 the friends Of the prin
cipals. 1t was only when some one
was killed or seriously hurt-and no
always then-that the facts of the due
became known. The duello continued
in Louisiana as more or less n custom
Of the country until about 90 year:
ago. An occasional meeting is helC
q even today, but they are CROWN;
scarcer, for the police now interior
and arrest duelists, whereas of oil,
they kept out Of the way. The oak
are among the finest in the Unite
States, some Of them shading nearl
an acre of ground, and each oak Ia
a dozen traditions or stories of tn
duello attached to it, romantic an
bloody.-Leslie's Weekly.