By the early 1800's, dueling had become very popular, especially in the South where the act was linked to honor, even though some states had begun to pass laws forbidding it. In order to circumnavigate this issue, some duels were held on sand bars in rivers where jurisdiction was unclear. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer on July 13th, 1884, more duels were fought in New Orleans in 1834 "...than there were days in that year..." and that fifteen of those had occurred on a single Sunday morning.
Mississippi was well known for its duels. In a new book, historian and retired state archivist, H. Grady
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On Monday, Mr. Howell will be speaking about McClung at the Manship House Museum in Jackson, Mississippi. The time? High noon of course. A reenactment of the 1834 duel between McClung and General Augustus Allen will follow the presentation.
Click (HERE) to read more about McClung and Mr. Howell's upcoming presentation. There is also a video of the reenactment that will be performed.
Grady Howell has written several other books about Mississippi history, including regimental histories of the 3rd and 6th Mississippi Infantries. His books can be purchased (HERE).
While dueling has commonly been viewed as an act between prominent gentlemen, citizens from all classes, including women, settled their differences on the dueling grounds. So women not only fought while part of large armies on Civil War battlefields, they faced each other in individual combat in search of retribution. According to a July 27th, 1861, article in the Polynesian, Thomas Jefferson included stories of women duelists in his book about doctors because "...surgeons must dress wounds given by female fighters as well as men duelists." He went on to note that the duels between women have been "...characterized by great ferocity" as evidenced by some of the following accounts from newspaper articles:In 1844, Catherine Roach and Eliza Annis met each other in mortal combat in New Orleans. However, the large crowd that had gathered to witness the fight came away disappointed as police stepped in and arrested the women before blood could be drawn. The article writer concluded with, "We have reason to believe that this act of the Police officers was denounced by the by standers as a 'cowardly outrage,' which they would not dare to perpetuate upon two of their own sex similarly engaged." (The Democrat Signal, 7/26/1844)
In New York, two ladies boarding in a "respectable house on Hudson street" agreed upon a duel after a male boarder at their abode began paying attention to both of them. He tried to interfere but the ladies threatened to turn their fire upon him if he didn't leave, which he did. Upon the command of "fire," both women discharged their pistols, and both fell. However, they were only severely shaken. After regaining their senses, they congratulated each other for surviving the duel and "...mutually resolved to repudiate henceforth the gay deceiver..." (The Newbernian and North Carolina Advocate, 5/21/1850)
Several months later, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Clara Connor, a slave, for issuing a written challenge to her mistress to fight a duel on Shell Road. The article noted that the challenge was "...quite a curiosity..." due to its "...blasphemy, bad grammar, and bad spelling..." (Carolina Watchman, 10/31/1850)
An article from the Times Picayune on September 17th, 1851, noted that a "...manola of Mardrid, a short time ago, sent a challenge to a fair rival, who had supplanted her in the favor of a wealthy admirer." Both parties chose women for their seconds and agreed to use fencing swords due to the foul smell of gunpowder. But just like a previous account, this duel was interrupted by the police who arrested all involved. However, after one of the officers recalled that the law forbade dueling among men, and not women, they were released on their word of honor not to follow through with the combat.
The police in Buffalo foiled the attempts of Jane Hall and Catherine Hurley set to duel on the toll bridge on Ohio Street. (The Liberator, 10/14/1853)
As can be expected, the popularity of dueling began to wane with the onset of the Civil War when Americans began to grow weary of bloodshed. However, that didn't stop two unnamed women, one from Georgia and the other from Missouri, who met in Montgomery, Alabama in 1864. After declining the usage of fists, and noting that shooting within city limits was illegal, the women decided to use brass door keys. Upon the completion of the duel, which resulted in the women suffering black eyes, the pair "...were separated and conveyed to their respective apartments to repent at their leisure." The author concluded the article with, "While the whole nation is engaged at war, the duel....can hardly be wondered at." (The Times Picayune, 10/9/1864)
But yet, women continued to duel after the war, the engagements appearing to become even more violent. In 1876 in Louisville, Annie Simmons and Mary Boules, two black women, dueled in front of a Baptist church with knives. Boules had her right eye cut out. Simmons was arrested. (The Inter Ocean, 10/30/1876)
In Knoxville, Nannie Libsinger and Stella Cole, two "disreputable women," dueled with knives over a man named Matt Bradley. Libsinger was "carved to pieces" and died. Cole was arrested. (The Piqua Daily Call, 7/9/1890)
Two women in Mexico City dueled over the love of a sergeant. The article noted that it was "...fought according to the rules of the code, with other women as seconds." The woman armed with a dagger made of bone killed the other who was armed with a dagger of metal. (The Daily Phoenix, 9/12/1872)
A duel was fought in London between a French woman named Madame Valsavre and an American named Miss Shelby. The article said that the duel was the result of a "....dispute on the relative merits of French and American female doctors." The weapons of choice were swords. Miss Shelby was slightly wounded in the arm. The seconds, all Americans, "expressed themselves satisfied and the duel had been conducted fairly, and that honor had been vindicated and the insult avenged." (Carolina Watchman, 4/8/1886)
Jane McKellar and Frances McNair of North Carolina dueled over the affections of a man who had courted both of them. McNair ended up killing McKellar with a Bowie knife. (The Intelligencer, 6/15/1882)
Yet another duel was caused by a mutual admirer. Sarah Bolton and Mary Lemoore fought it out in New Mexico with pistols. Bolton received a flesh wound to the shoulder. Once recovered, she killed Lemoore near her home with a shot through the heart and lungs. (Morning Oregonian, 5/7/1888)
Jealousy caused the duel of two black women in Richmond. Seconds were present to witness Julia Gibbs club Ellen Woodson to death. Gibbs was given four years in the penitentiary. (Lawrence Daily Journal, 6/30/1869 and The Charleston Daily News, 9/25/1869)
Two sisters, ages 18 and 20, also "...acting under the influence of the demon Jealously..." dueled in Nuremberg, Germany. They used knives to cut each other in the face. One lost an eye.
Finally, there were accounts of women dueling with men. Mademoiselle Dureux fought her lover Antonetti in the street. In 1825, a French girl challenged a garde du corps who had seduced her. The seconds loaded the pistols without balls, unbeknownst to the two participants. She fired first and "...without flinching or trembling, or changing color, she stood watching her adversary , while he took deliberate aim and then, after a painful suspense, fired in the air." (Polynesian, 7/27/1861)
Until next formation.....rest.
Other source consulted in addition to newspapers: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/duel/sfeature/dueling.html
Thanks to Civil War Women/In the Swan's Shadow for the title! Vist her page here: https://www.facebook.com/civilwarwomen?fref=ts&__nodl
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