Evening star., 1943-04-18
The Municipal Center's Historic Neighborhood

man was held In high estimation by all
the patriots of our country. He was in
the Executive Council, and was always
patriot to the core"
Joseph Cilley, Jonathan's brother, had
proved himself worthy son of a worthy
sire in the War of 1812-1815, and
Jonathan was not the type of man to
labor under such an ignominious name as
coward" So when the day came it
found him ready.
1t was agreed that the parties should
meet at Anacostia bridge, ION the road
to Marlboro" between the hours of 1:3O
and 2:30 pm. Cilley and his party ar
rived first, and all proceeded to the duel
ing ground. The position assigned
Graves was near a wood which partly
sheltered it; Cilley's was on higher
ground. Cilley was attended by Mr..
Jones, Mr.. Bynum and Col. James w.
Schaumberg, and by Dr. Duncan, as his
surgeon. Graves was attended by Mr..
Wise, Mr.. Crittenden, Mr. Menefee and
DR.. Foltz. Mr.. Calhoun and Mr.. Hawes,
both members of the House from Ken
lucky, were at some distance off as spec
tators. The hack drivers, together with
Grafton Powell and James F. Brown,
constituted all the eyewitnesses.
Their Second Meeting.
When the command was given to fire,
Cilley fired before his piece was fully
elevated; both missed. The friends of
both nartinc fbnn to to
patch up the differences, but on account
of the obstinacy of Graves seconds and
friends, this resulted in failure, and
again the men faced each other, and
again both missed.
From every viewpoint this was "silly"
duel. Here were two men firing away at
each other neither holding enmity to-
ward the other, both fighting solely to
comply with the code duello. Before the
men were ordered to face each other for
the third and fatal time, Mr.. Wise said:
"The gentlemen have come here without
animosity toward each other; they are
fighting merely upon point of honor.
Cannot Mr.. Cilley assign some reason for
not receiving, at Mr.. Graves hands, Col.
Webb's communications"
To this Mr.. Jones replied: II am au-
thorized by my friend, Mr.. Cilley, to say
that, in declining to receive the note
from Mr.. Graves, purporting to be from
Col. Webb, he meant no disrespect to Mr..
Graves, because he entertained for him
then, as he now does, the highest respect
and the most kind feeling"
And here is a real demonstration of a.
man being killed with kindness, for at
the next shot fired Cilley was shot
through the body. He dropped his rifle
and said, Il am shot; put his hands to
the wound, fell, and expired in two or
three minutes
Congress Notified.
When the Senate and the House met
the following Monday, both bodies off,
cially were notified Of the fatal en-
counter, and both bodies deplored the
death of Jonathan Cilley On February
% his funeral took place from the House
floor, the gallery being crowded with
friends and acquaintances of the de-
ceased. A general attendance Of Sen
ators also was noted. The body was
borne to Congressional Cemetery, from
which 1t soon afterward was taken to
his Northern home and reinterred in
Thomaston, Me, on May following.
In 1929 Cilley had married Miss
Deborah Prince, daughter of Hezekiah
Prince of Thomaston, who survived him,
together with three young children, and
later another one, born subsequent to its
fathers death.
If this duel had done nothing else but
kill poor Cilley, we, indeed, should have
much cause for regret, but it did even
more than this. Congress took UP the
matter Immediately and on February 20,
1889, placed on the statute book a law
against dueling, which had the desired
result, and from that day duellng
around Washington was a rare thing
and ultimately ceased entirely.
Old Third Street House.
At the time of the Cilley duel 219
Third street was probably Mrs. Patmans
boarding house and, though President
Pierce resided there at one time, during
his service in Congress- yet he also re-
sided during this period at Births, on
Third street near PENNSYLVANIA ave-
Do1