The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-04-15
FAMOUS FIELD OF HONOR.
Many of Nations Most Notable Duels
Were Fought at BlandenSburg.

fought to uphold their honor, is soon
to be converted into building lots for
happy homes, and the happy shouts
of childhood will soon echo where
once the murderous pistol barked.
the swords clashed, the dying duel
lists moaned.
The famous dueling ground bor-
ders a small brook and is about nj
teen acres in extent, fiat and low,
and covered with weeds, grass. vines
and an occasional cedar. 1t was
convenient to Washington, close
enough to Blandensburg, Md, for
nights lodging, and easy OF escape
from legal authority on either side
of the district line.
More than fifty hostile meetings
took place on the banks of this lone
ly and melancholy brook-some ia
tai, some bloodless. The first VIC
tim was Edward Hopkins, of Mary
land, an ensign of infantry. He fell
early in 1914.
Two duels were fought on the
ground that were especially des-
perate. One was between General
Mason, senator from Virginia, and
Colonel McCarty, from the same
State. Although they were cousins
they had a violent tilt at the polls
in Leesburg, Va. Mason challenged
McCarty's vote and McCarty at once
challenged Mason's life. Mason at
first declined, was called coward
and then determined to die, if need
be, to refute the charge.
Neither would consent to terms in
which there was the least escape
from death for the other. They pro-
posed to leap from the Capitol dome
together and fight on the way down.
or to fight on a barrel of powder to
be ignited by slow fuse, but OBJ
iections were raised by their seconds.
They finally agreed to fight with mus
kets charged with buckshot and at
ten feet distance.
The parties spent the night pre-
vious to the battle in what is now
known as the George Washington
house at Blandensburg. At o'clock
on the morning of February 6, 1919,
they 'repaired to the field Of honor.
The citizens of Blandensburg congre-
gated in a snow storm to witness
the event. The weapons were chos-
en-, ground measured, choice decid-
ed antagonists placed, seconds and
surgeons at hand, word was given
both fired simultaneously. Mason
fell dead and McCarty was badly
wounded.
The other notorious meeting was
the one that made the ground for
ever famous. 1t was, fought by Jas.
Barron and Stephen Decatur. Both
were prominent in the navy, but De-
catur was the bright and shining
star" the pride Of the service, and
when he fell the nation sorrowed and
grieved. This duel is said to have
been caused solely by gossip and
slander, and came off without a for
NAL challenge from either party.
Commodore Decatur was a mem
Der of the court-martial and voted to
suspend Barron in 1907 for allow
ing the crew of the British ship
Leonard to board and search the fri
gate Chesapeake, which Barron COM
manded. Commodore Decatur op-
posed every application in after years
that Barron made for restoration in
rank, and although it is said Decatur
acted the part of a true man at the
court-martial and subsequently,
nevertheless Barron naturally con-
sidered him his enemy. Some one re-
ported that Barron had been chal-
lenged to combat by Decatur. Deca-
tur denied the report and wrote:
Il do not think that the fighting
of duels under any circumstances
can raise the reputation of any man,
and have since discovered that it is
not. even an unerring criterion Of
personal courage"
From this report insults and cor
respondence accumulated. The fol-
lowing is an extract from letter OF
Barron to Decatur, dated November
19, 1919, the original of which is in
the possession of Mrs. jamie Hope
MARI, of Virginia:
You acknowledge that you had
formed and expressed an opinion un-
favorable to me, and yet your con-
science was made of such pliable ma
terial that because the then honor
able secretary of the navy was pleas
ed to insist on your serving as a
member of the court-martial, and be-
cause I did not protest against 1t you
conceive that duty constrained you