The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-07-04
DUEL|NG
IN AMERICA.
History Of "Honour" Con
test in Early Years,

7
old Granary burying grounds,
Boston, Mass, the visitor may
read this inscription:
Here Lyes Inferred The Body
of Mr., Benjamin Woodbridge, Son
Of the lIonourable Dudley Wood.
bridge, Esq Who Decd July ye
Bid, 1928, In ye 20th Year of HE
Age
Under this slab lies the remains
of the first victim Of the code
duelIo in the Englieh-speaking
portion of America. Woodbridge
was killed in duel with Henry
PHILIPPE A quarrel over game
of cards led to the encounter and
the young men met On the common
to settle their differences with
their swords.
American history affords many
such incdents-in fact, according
to recent authorities, more than
$50 dueIs have been fought in the
Uuite1 States. Five Of these were
of extreme historic Importance,
the most noted being the memora-
Bile duel between General AleXan.
der Hamilton and Aaron Burr,
vice president of the United States,
which plunged the whole nation
in grief.
This meeting occurred at Wee
hawken, N. j., opposite the city
of New York, about Z o'clock
Wednesday morning, July II,
1904. For II years prior to the
fatal meeting Hamilton was fire.
quently hostile in his allusions IT,
Burr. On June II, 1901, Burr
read a published letter in which,
according to DR.. Charles ID. Coop
er, Hamilton stated that he
"looked upon Burr as a dangerous
man and one who ought not to be
trusted with the reins of govern.
ment, A long correspondence
lowed in which Hamilton FIRE quent-
ly expressed his opposition to
meeting. On July 9 Hamilton ex
ecuted his will and prepared pa
per explanatory of his conduct,
motives and views" in meeting
Burr. Pistols were chosen as The
weapons and the distance fixed a
10 PAGES. Hamilton fell, mortaly y
wounded, at the first fire and died
at , O'Clock the next day. Thous
anda of people thronged to New
York to witness the burial cere
monies. The streets were lineo
with people and even the house
tops We're covered with spectators
ANDREW JACKSON KILLED MAN.
This encounter recalls the fact
that The illustrious Andrew Jack
son once felt called upon to kill "a
man for aspersing the character OF
his wife. His duel was with |
Charles Dickson and took place
near adairyilIe, Tenn, on May 30,
1906. Dickson fired first, the
bullet striking Jackson IN the
breast and bre- king two ribs
W hen he saw Jackson still on has
feet Dickson cried out, "Great
God, have | missed him !" A mo.
ment later jackson took deliberate
aim and pulled the trigger. The
stopped at half cock, but
sold Hickory" calmly re-cocked
It and, taking aim second time,
fred. The bullet passed through
Dickison's s body below the ribs and
ne died that evening, having bled
% death.
Stephen Decatur, then a post
'aptain in the navy, was mortaly
Wounded in a duel with James
SarrOn, also captain in the navy.
Ills duel, for which there was no ,
ause, was fought in Bladenburg,
Id, March %, 1920, The weap
ms were pistols at eight PAGES and :
lth fell at the first fire. AS they =
ay on the ground, each thinking ,
imself fatally wounded, they +,
poke 10 each other and recon
lliation took place, The meeting A
'as bionght about by "some in h
lyidual ingenious in fomenting
for Others, and could -
ave been prevented by an expla- +.
alton between them. Correspon. /,
ence covering the period from n
uly IL, 1918 TO Feb. @, 1920, pre- ii
a 4