The Greeley tribune., 1905-07-13
THE FIELD OF HONOR
DUEliNG IN NORTH CAROLINA IN
THE DAYS GONE BY.
Tragedies In Which Some OF the Ia
NOUS Men ofthe state Were Inhnp-
PLY Invol~ed-The Dismal swamp
Was Favorite Meeting Place.

@N""b'
Was a Favorit. Meeting Place.
Duelng in the Old North State in the
early days was not the light and airy
pastime which the French make of IL
these latter years The history of duel
ing in North Carolina is in most part
quite misty, and really authentic rec
ords do not 60 back more than cen
tury. Up to the time Of the war of the
Revolution swords We're used almost
exclusively by duelists, though In some
cases guns, pistols and even knives
were used. For example about 100
years ago, near the old town of Bath,
there was duel between two ship
captains. growing out of quarrel
about trifiing matter. In which their
left hands We're lashed together. while
each had dagger In the right hand.
Each dagger was fastened to the wrist
with lanyard SO that If 1t slipped
from the hand 1t could be grasped.
Both men We're killed in this desperate
encounter, which was witnessed by
several persons, in the cold blooded
fashion of that time.
Dueling continued to be much In
vogue until the period of the Mexican
warm fact, there We're duels up 10
the time of the civil war. Toward the
end of the eighteenth century dueling
came to be the fashion. and this went
over into the nineteenth century for
some years. The State university was
-, ~. II. - x-fet.
and the president and faculty called
upon the famous Colonel William Polk
Of Raleigh. the greatest North Caro-
linian of his time, a distinguished
Revolutionary soldier. the friend OF
Washington and of Lafayette and the
father of Bishop Polk of Louisiana,
(afterward notable lieutenant gen
eral In the Confederate servicet. to go
to Chapel Hill. the seat of the uni
versity. and by his precept and exam
pie stamp out dueling. Colonel Polk
went and talked to the students in
such a way that due!s ended there.
Perhaps the most interesting Of all
the fatal duels in the state was that
between Governor Richard Dobbs
Speight and John Stanley. This was
fought in the center of tho, historic
town of Newbern in 1906. Newbern
was the most aristocratic place in the
state. 1t had been for years the seat
OF the royal government and for con-
siderable time Of the state government
under the federal constitution. The
duel was the result Of one of the in
tensely bitter and prolonged political
controversies which marked that pc
riod. The challenge was sent by
Spelght. and Stanley, exercising the
right Of the person challenged. chose
pistols as the weapons. The place cho-
sen was lawn under some noble elns
in the rear of the Masonic lodge and
it Is one of the strange facts that com
plete publicity was given to the affair
and that not the least effort was made
to stop It. In fact n number Of promi-
nent persons witnessed it.
The friends of Stanley pleaded for a
reconciliation. not only before the duel,
but while 1t was in progress. After the
first exchange of shots, which was in
effectual. the friends of Stanley urged
Governor Speight to end the matter
anu ISnGN tAC oiA AAiCh0ohips c0t hO
refused, and go Ave times these men
took aim at each other and exchanged
shots. At the fifth shot Governor
Speight raised his hands. staggered
and fell, death resulting in u few mo-
ments. Governor Speight and Stanley
were aristocrats of the highest type.
Speight had twice been governor. A
son Of Stanley became governor Of the
state of California. Members Of both
families yet live in the state. Another
son Of Stanley became prominent dur
ing the civil war because of his ap-
pOintment by President Lincoln as
governor of North Carolina. or course
he could be in charge Of only that part
Of the state which was under federal
control-namely. about fifteen coun-
ties, with Newbern as the capital. the
Tsderals having occupied the latter
city In the summer of 1862.
A brother of John Stanley figured In
another duel, also at Newbern. This
was Wright Stanley. and his antago-
mist was Louis d. Henry. The latter
was man Of great talent and very
marked personal beauty. who in later
yeuES DeCdule dttOIueS SchCioa. NJ laS
time Of the duel Stanley and Henry
were quite young and ranked among
the leading benux Of North Carolina.
The duel grew out of a trifle. At tea
party at which several young ladies'
were present Henry carelessly Tipped
with his thumb and fOretinger u bit of
biscuit across the table and into Stan
ley's cup of coffee. Stanley was deep
ly offended, colored high. rose from the
table, but resumed his seat and little
later in the evening sent challenge to
Henry. This was at once accepted,
and the details were arranged the next
day In this meeting Stanley was shot
dead and Henry lost finger Of the
left hand, which was cut of by the
heavy bullet from stanley's pistol.
Sta6ley's second was George E. Badg-
l-4, f<rsv.