The Negro world., 1900-03-17
WHERE DuELs WERE FOUGHT.
rhe beautiful and l.ictnresaue ror-
tion OF the New Orleans Park
Known aS s.The Oaks


One OF the most picturesque and
beautiful spots in New Orleans, and
replete with historical Incidents is
The Oaks.'the Chenes Il Allard. as
they were called of olti..They are now
part of the City park, and a fatorite
resort for the children OF the Creole
quarter dozens of swings heing at
tached to the massive live oaks. which
shade several acres of ground,
The land was formerly the planta-
ton of Louis Aliard. very learned
Frenchman of early New 0rleans.,
was bought blythe ZgreatZphilan-
thropist. John MeDonough, and final
ly passed into the hautls of the city
and was dedicated as park. Its most
eVentful history was in advance of its
park days, when 1t was practically
wnste land. Lying as il did ON the
shell road TO Bayou st. John and Lake
Pontchartrain. within easy distance of
the city. yet deserted and uninhahited,
1t afforded the very spot for the duels
so frequent among the fiery creoles
and no less fiery Americans of New
Orleans in ante-bellum days. Here. un-
der the shade of a primeval forest of
gigantic oaks. either with pistol or
rapier-more especially the latter
the difficulties between ''gentlemen"
were fought out under the strictest
rules of "the code of honor"
At these times New Orleans, although
TO a large degree cosmopolitan, was es-
sebtially creole city, and bound by
the creole habits and ideas and one
of these ideas was that a slight or af-
front could be wiped out only by blood
shed in duel. The result was to pro-
duce the greatest punetilio among
men. 4 blow was strictly forbidden,
and sufficient to dehar the striker
from the privileges of the duello. \
gentleman who would so far forget
| himself as TO strike another was eN-
posed to the ignominy of being refused
n meeting on the field of honor.
Most of the duels had their origin
ia the ballroom, where TO brush rtdely
against man was often deemed sul|i-
Cient cause for exchanging cards /;
some were political; some the result
of breaches of politeness or etiquette.
| Chevalier Tomasi fought duel with
IA native creole over the proposition
that there were larger rivers in Flu.
rope than the Mississippi. each man be-
ing willing To risk his life for his home
river. Several ducls are reported from
mere excess of spirit. because the
night was SO good for an assault
d'armes" In the winter OF 1888 the
opera produced an epidemic Of duels
| The two prima donnas then In vogue
had each her army of supporters; and
| 10 hiss his faynrite wns supposed I,
Justify any creole in handing his care
to the offender and demanding a meet
ing at "The Oaks"
Most of these meetings were secret
known only TO the friends of the "prin
cipnls,' II was only when some one
was killed or seriously burt-and moi
always then-that the facts Of the due
became known. The daiello continued
in Louisiana ms more or less custom
of the country until about 20 years ago
An occasional meeting II held even TO
day. but they are growing scarcer, fol
the police now interfere and arrcs
duelists, whereas Of old they kept OH
of the way. The oaks are among th'
finest In the United States. some %
them shading nearly an acre Of ground
and each oak has dozen tradition
or stories of the duello attached to II
romantic and bloody .-- Leslie's Weekly