Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
NOTED ENCOUNTERS
|NDUELS RECALLED
Hungarian Challenge and
Chain Bridge Closing Revive
Crimson Memories.


grand nephew OF Emperor Francis
Joseph. with Count Laszio Szechenyl.
the Hungarian minister, and the clos
ing of Chain Bridge to traffic recall
that one of the most famous duels in
the history of this country was fought
on the old dueling ground on the Nir-
gir~l shore near the old bridge.
When 1.-THE field of honor" was the
court Of last resort during those early
DAYS of the Government. on which
forceful, impetuous leaders in the IN
FAINT republic settled implications
against veracity or courage by appeal
10 the logic of arms, several famous
dueling grounds existed close to
Washington. Dhgonally across the
Capital City from the Chain Bridge,
lust short distance from the DIS
trict line. in Maryland. the Bladens-
burg field of honor" where more than
so duels were fought. became lnterna-
tionally famous.
It was referred TO frequently in Con
gress under cover of the magnlloqueht
but portentous elsewhere, Whlch
meant that the impasse of oratory
was to be blasted or hewn down AMI
,he truth impressed at the point of
q sword, pounded in with dirk or
eApOunuSQ ny tiAS
of gunpowder.
Randolph vs.. Clay.
Lincoln. Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Cal
houn Decatur. Randolph, Clay, An
drew Jackson, recognized the popular
anpeal TO the code duello" by accept
ing challenges, participating in duets
or even sacrificing their lives in TINS
then supreme test of courage.
On the shore of the Potomac near
Little Falls, just as the sun was SINK
ing behind the blue hills or Nlrsnlla'
on April s, 1920, at 4:So pm, shei t
met in mortal combat John RanooiplI
of Roanoke, who had the most bltlng
toncua IF his day, who had served
with distinction in the House ana was
then one of the leaders in the SEN
ate. and Henry Clay of Kentucky
Secretary of State, with notaoIe rec
ord in Congress and three times a can
didate for the presidency.
Tt was Claws second duel, ana IN
zach case it was he who sent the cnaI-
lenge. In 1903 he had fought a felioW
member of the Kentucky Legislature.
Humuhrey Marshall, a Federallst OIL
GREAT influence, They exchanged TWO
or three shots and retired from the
field each slightly wounded and thelr
iIl-feeling cooled by the blood-letting.
The clash between Clay and Kan
dolph grew out of one of the closest
contests in history for the presidency.
When Monroe was retiring, according
TO the prevailing custom. John quincy
Adams as Secretary of State was look
ed upon as the their apparent to the
presidency" His rivals for the ONCE
were Andrew Jackson of Tennessee:
nf
Henry CLAW of Kentucky. Jackson re-
ceiyed 90 votes of the electoral col
Jege. Adams "a, Crawford Al and Gay
az. AS none had a majority, the cleo
tion. under the Constitution, was
thrown into the House of Representa-
tives. Clay, who was Speaker OF the
House, threw his influence to Adams,
thereby defeating Jackson, the canol'
date of the peoples choice. Upon MS
accession, Adams appointed Clay Sec
retary of State, thereby bringing upon
CLAW and himself the charge of bar
gain" and corruption.
Pictures of Duelists.
Pictures of the two duelists just be-
fore the encounter are given by eye
witnesses of the affair. Randolph sent
for Gen. James Hamilton on the night
before the meeting and said: L nave
determined to receive without return
ing Clay's fire. Nothing will induce
me to harm hair of his head. L VIII
not make his wife a widow or ms
children orphans. There would De
tears shed over his grave, but Wnen
the sod of Virginia rests on my bosom
there is not one in this wide world TO
pay this tribute upon mine.
To TQt1Irnp6 with
Col. Tatnall, who was Randolph's Sec
ond, they found him reading Millions
poems. and he Immediately commenced
one of the appreciative criticisms or
the poet for which he was famed.
Finally Tatnall wrung from Randolph
the doubtful promise: "If l see the
devil in Clay's eyes, and that with
malice he means to take my life,
may change my mind'-with emphasis
on the may" and a peculiar smile,
which indicated merely desire to pro-
initiate the anxieties of his friends.
The terms of the duel were: Pistols,
the weapons, at 10 PAGES; each party
to be attended by two seconds and
surgeon, and Representative Benton
allowed to be present as a mutual
friend. There was to be no practice
with the pistols. The signal was:
s'Fire-one. two three-stop." The
Virginia shore was chosen in defer.
ence TO Randolph. He went out as a
Virginia Senator. refusing to compro-
mise that character, and if he fell IN
defense of its rights, Virginia soil was
the ground chosen by him to receive
his blood. There was strict Virginia
statute against fueling, but Randolph
felt that if he went out to receive fire
without returning it, he would not be
guilty of breach of the statute.
Wanted Gold Coin.
Randolph wanted some gold coin and
sent his faithful servitor to the United
States Branch Bank, later the Cor
coran and Riggs. Johnny" came
back and reported that they had no
gold. Randolph stormed and. order
ing his horse, rode to the bank. He
demanded the state of his account
something over s4,000-and asked that
1t be paid to him in money" Finally
he accepted few pieces of gold and
check for the balance. The nine
pieces of gold, it developed later, he
wanted to give three each to his sec
onds and to Benton to be made into
seals.
Returning from the bank, the party
immediately set out for 1.-The field of
honor" Clay and Randolph took their
positions in little depression or basin
surrounded by forest. Col. Tatnan
had won choice of positions, which
gave Gen. Jessup, Clay's second, the
right to give the word. They stood on
a line east and west, stump behind
Clay and gravel bank behind. Ran
dolph. While Randolph's second was
loading, Gen. Hamilton approached the
Senator, who said: CLAY is calm, but
not vindictive. l hold to my purpose,
Hamilton; in any event remember
this"
When Tatnall sprung the hair trig-
ger, Randolph said Although ! am
one of the best shots in Virginia with
either pistol or gun. ! never fire with
a hair trigger" But Tatnall insisted
on the hair trigger.