The Washington herald., 1907-08-18


/ France and Germany. with century old
| records. had TO be content with a sec
I ond place for a while at least This
was in the early part OF the nineteenth
/ century. when Young heads were hot,
when the nation was still a trifle AFRO
giant over its successful struggle for
/ independence. and when ideals of hon.
/ or were trihe too high 10 balance in
the scales With common sense. Politics
was heated game 10 play, and because
/ Of rash speeches made by one side
/ against the other, pretext was not lack
/ ing for call for arbitration by the
code" From Boston 70 New Orleans
and as far West as the movable from
| tier line extended. there were secluded
/ spots where the sword or pistol set
tied disputed points. and there were
many graves bearing the legend OF
| questionable comfort. Died on the field
Of honor" Legislation was at length
resorted 10 by the wiser heads IN each
/ Commonwealth. and with the Mordecai-
Mccarthy duel at Richmond, Va. in
/ 1872 the last fatal satisfaction by the
code" was given on American soil
The encounter between Aaron Burr
and Alexander Hamilton. at Weehay-
ken. on July L. 1904, will always re-
main the most important, in American
/ history u was then that the Vice
| President Of the country shot and kill
cd the leading lawyer Of the time man
| who had served as a general and as
first Secretary of the Treasury Of the
/ United States Burr took onense at .
published statement OF Hamilton's. The
usual satisfaction was asked. and the
/ challenge was accepted. Burr. il is
said. fired to kill He told Jeremy Ben
than afterward in England that he was
sure OF being able to get him"
Hamilton had not meant 10 shoot. but
through nervousness, touched the trig-
ger. sending his bullet. however. wide
Of Burr HamiltOn's son, aged nine
teen, had fallen in a duel on that same
spot two years before. in defense Of his
fathers home.
Admirers Of Hamilton claim he did not
approve Of dueling. Yet We ind him
when an aid on the stan Of Washington,
eagerly wing with Henry Laurens for
the privilege Of challenging Gen. Charles
! Lee. because Of that officers treatment
Of Washington Laurens became the
this encounter Again, Hamilton chal-
lenged cd Commodore Nicholson, because
he had called him an abettor Of the
Tories" but friends prevented the meet
ing. He also threw down the gage for
James Monroe. and asked Aaron Burr
to be his second. but Burr acted as inter
mediary instead, and the duel was not
fought.
Andrew Jackson was one Of the great
est duellsts Of his day. His most famous
one was tina, with Charles Dickinson,
fought on May 30. 1896. This man. it
seems. Wnen in his cups, made a slight
ing re1lark about Mrs. Jackson. which
the general could not forgive. though
Dickinson apologized. and explained that
he was drunk at the time. Both were
notable shots, but Dickinson was as quick
as Jackson was slow Dickinson fired
and saw the dust fieck from Jackson S
coat Jacksons hammer had stopped al
balf-cock. He deliberately recocked It.
aimed. and shot Dickinson through the
body. He himself had been wounded, but
did not show It then. He never f0rgaye
Dickinson. and at his Eifes coffin, many
wears afterward. said: In the presence
Of this dear saint. I can, and do. forgive
all my enemies. but those vile wretches
who have sIandered her must look &c
God for mercy.
Jackson had a most unfortunate en-
counte. with Jesse Benton IN 1913, HAVING
previously served as Gen. William Car
rolls second when that officer was fight
ing out an old feud with Jesse Benton
Il was an unexpected kind OF duel and
bullet from Thomas II. Benton Laid
Jackson up for some time. Many years
later when Jackson was President Of th'
United States and Thomas H. BentoI
again one OF his best friends. Benton wen
20 cali at the White House. Being re
fused audience with the President. he de
manded the reason. He was told tha
physicians were busy with the Chief Elk
ecutlve. cutting a bullet from his arm
Then, il anybody should be allowed In
am that person" said Benton. for
put that bullet there!''
It IS claimed that while riding in car
riage through Virginia. in the early days
Jackson advised Gep. Armistead T. Ma
son 70 repeat challenge given John \
Mccarthy some time before. The chal
lenge was accepted this time. the histori'
dueli1g ground of Bladensburg, nea
Washington. was chosen. and IN a snow
storm these two Virginia cousins met L
settle an election dispute McCarth!
stripped to his shirt, cold though il was
but Mason fought in his overcoat. fac
that saved his opponents life. for the PTS
toll hammer caught on the pocket. the bal
was discharged. and striking Mccarthy
elbow broke into three separate pieces
and made wounds in three different part
of the body-a phenomenon that is still
discussed in military circles. McCarth,
had been eager that both should die, ant
when asked a choice in fighting. first sug
gested that both jump from the dome o
the National Capitol; then that they flgh
on a barrel of powder: then that they US,
dirks. and finally that they use n1usket
loaded with buckshot, at a distance OF tel
feet. II is interesting TO know that whel
Jackson became President he dismisse,
Midshipman Charles G. Hunter from tn,
navy because of an unfortunate duel witt
William Miller, at Chester, Pa.
II wish 1 had fallen in defense of m,
country" were the words said by a her,
who fell at Bladensburg seven years later
This was Commodore Stephen Decatur
who was mortally wounded by Jane
Barron. a disgraced officer. who ha,
asked TO be reinstated in the navy, an,
VINO blamed Decatur for his failure I,
be taken IN. Barron. too, was badl,
wounded, and as they lay on the groun,
waiting for their carriages TO come, the,
deplored the matter and forgave eacl
other. Henry Clay was something of
fighter. His first would-be duel grew
out Of case be took for poor inn
keeper against q monument Kent,ichian