The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-01

the newspaper reports of the day. The
latter, doubtless, being influenced in
their views of partisanism. However. while
1t is true that on the Benton side all cores
pondence relating to the Benton-Lucas
duel was destroyed, there are document
still in possession of the Lucas family of
st. Louis which show the strenuous polit-
ical battles through which st. Louis in its
early days as 4 city passed.
Many of the Lucas documents are In
French. but after much labor, many of them.
though faded and yellow with age. have
been translated. Copies of all letters sent
by young Lucas to his challenger. Mr.. Ben
ton. have been preserrvsd and a copy or
the challenge with them.
| ORIGINAL CHALLENGE
| WAS WRITTEN IN FRENCH.
! The original challenge was written In
( French, as Mr.. Benton was much of a
scholar. a fact upon which he prided him
self, and Charles Lucas. of our old and
aristocratic French family, and referred to
them as the "Frenchman' with whom
Benton had political differences. It was
polite, therefore, for Benton to address his
adversary in what was, naturally, his
mother tongue. and Benton never failed in
polfteness.
The original challenge. in French, was for
many years kept by the Lucas family, but
this has finally been lost trace of, and the
copy has only lately been found to be in
| existence.
I There were two duels fought by Lucas
and Benton. These are referred to by Mrs.
Anne L. Hunt. a sister of Charles Lucas, in
her diary arranged in 1878 by Mrs. Hunt,
then an aged woman of 81, for presentation
to her children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren), as follows:
There is one thing that /. perhaps. ought to
mention. though the subject is a painful one to
me. Ny Brother, Charles. was killed in a duel
by Thomas H. Benton. Benton was an am
bilious politician.
IJa had heat N 0ppopHpf ,orrad novi1 Dor
ton in n political contest and tried to beat my
brother Charles. his other opponent Something
occurred between them which led to a duel. My
brother, who was always averse TO dueling, and
who had frequently stated that if he were ever
compelled TO fight an duel he would not aim
at a vital part. struck Benton in the leg.
Benton's bullet hit my brother in the jugular
vein and for a long time his life was de-
paired of.
He recovered. however, and soon afterward he
was again challenged by Benton. which led to
a second duel. in which my brother was killed.
1 never heard anything of the second duel
until the day after 1t took place. That was
in 1871. 1 was so fearful OF meeting Benton
after that that We moved out into the country,
near the Gravois road. and occupied the same
house which General Grant now owns dS7S.
We sold 1t early in the spring of 1870 to Mr..
frederick Dent. the father-in-law OF General
Grant, and in that way 1t came into the former
Presidents possession.
1t may be noted in passing how the lives
and affairs of these old st. Louis residents
closely entwined.
From a sister of Lucas, whose brother
fell before the aim of Benton, Mrs. Grants
old home was purchased, and Benton's
daughter and Mrs. Grant became two wom-
en- prominent through their connection with
great events of American history, dying
within a short time of each other.
Charles Lucas was 4 young man of %, I'M
married; b enton was ten years his senior
and married. when. at sunrise, one bright
morning in the early autumn, September
q. 1917. they went in a little boat that