Dueling Creek
Encyclopedia
Dueling Creek is a tributary
of the Anacostia River
in southern Maryland
in the United States
.
Dueling Creek is located in what is now Colmar Manor, Maryland
.
Notorious as a favorite spot for duel
ers in the 19th Century, the most infamous of these duels was between Stephen Decatur
and James Barron
.
, Bladensburg, Maryland
, now called Eastern Branch because, it is a tributary of the Anacostia River
in southern Maryland in the United States. Dueling Creek is located in what is now Colmar Manor, Maryland
.[1] As a place of infamy
, beginning in 1808, the grove
witnessed, approximately, fifty duels in its fifty years of continuous use by gentlemen, military and naval officers, and politicians, who performed dramatically, violent, public displays, in settling affairs of personal reputation
and honor. A formalized set of rules dealing with dueling etiquette
referred to as a Code duello
was usually enforced by the duelers and their seconds, even though dueling was illegal in the District of Columbia and in most U.S. states and territories.
In 1819, Colonel
John McCarty killed his cousin, General
Armistead Mason. McCarty was haunted for years by his experience after surviving the twelve-pace
musket
duel. On the national scene, after the duellist's death of Alexander Hamilton
at the hands of Aaron Burr
, America's second most shocking dueling death was of, naval hero, Stephen Decatur
, mortally wounded, here in 1820, by James Barron
. These mortally wounded, national figures were the major celebrities of their time.
In June, 1836, 22-year-old Daniel Key, a son of Francis Scott Key
, was killed in a senseless duel with a fellow Midshipman
cadet
, of the United States Naval Academy
, John Sherbourne, over a question regarding steamboat
speed.
Jonathan Cilley
, a Representative from Maine
, was a reluctant participant in another duel here. In February 1838, Cilley was killed by Congressman William J. Graves
of Kentucky
. Graves was a stand-in
for New York
newspaper editor James Webb
, whom Cilley had called corrupt. Cilley was inexperienced with guns, and Graves was allowed to use a powerful rifle
. A shot to an artery
in Cilley's leg caused him to bleed to death in ninety seconds. This duel prompted passage of a congressional act of February 20, 1839, prohibiting the giving or accepting, within the District of Columbia, of challenges to a duel. Following the bloody U.S. Civil War
, duelling fell out of favor as a means of settling personal grievances and declined rapidly; the last known duel was fought here in 1868.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
in southern Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Dueling Creek is located in what is now Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor is a town located in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,257. As the town developed at the beginning of the 20th century, it assumed a name derived from its proximity to the District of Columbia—the first syllable of Columbia...
.
Notorious as a favorite spot for duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
ers in the 19th Century, the most infamous of these duels was between Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
and James Barron
James Barron
James Barron was an officer in the United States Navy. Commander of the frigate USS Chesapeake, he was court-martialed for his actions on 22 June 1807, which led to the surrender of his ship to the British....
.
History of the Dark and Bloody Grounds
Dueling Creek, formerly known as Blood Run, was the site of the Bladensburg Dueling GroundsBladensburg dueling grounds
Bladensburg Dueling Grounds is a small spit of land, along Dueling Creek formerly, in the town of Bladensburg, Maryland and now within the town of Colmar Manor, which is northeast of Washington, D.C., United States, an area which hosted over fifty bloody pistol duels mostly fought using a duelling...
, Bladensburg, Maryland
Bladensburg, Maryland
Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,661 at the 2000 census.Bladensburg is from central Washington, DC...
, now called Eastern Branch because, it is a tributary of the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
in southern Maryland in the United States. Dueling Creek is located in what is now Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor is a town located in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,257. As the town developed at the beginning of the 20th century, it assumed a name derived from its proximity to the District of Columbia—the first syllable of Columbia...
.[1] As a place of infamy
Infamy
Infamy, in common usage, is notoriety gained from a negative incident or reputation . The word stems from the Latin infamia, antonym of fama ....
, beginning in 1808, the grove
Grove
People, places, and things commonly known as grove include:* Grove , a small group of trees* Sacred grove, a small group of trees used as a place of worship- People :* Amanda Grove, Court TV personality...
witnessed, approximately, fifty duels in its fifty years of continuous use by gentlemen, military and naval officers, and politicians, who performed dramatically, violent, public displays, in settling affairs of personal reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
and honor. A formalized set of rules dealing with dueling etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
referred to as a Code duello
Code duello
A code duello is a set of rules for a one-on-one combat, or duel.Codes duello regulate dueling and thus help prevent vendettas between families and other social factions. They assure that non-violent means of reaching agreement be exhausted and that harm be reduced, both by limiting the terms of...
was usually enforced by the duelers and their seconds, even though dueling was illegal in the District of Columbia and in most U.S. states and territories.
In 1819, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John McCarty killed his cousin, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Armistead Mason. McCarty was haunted for years by his experience after surviving the twelve-pace
Pace
Pace may refer to:*Pace , the speed at which movement occurs*Pace , a unit of length*"Peace" in Italian, sometimes written on a rainbow flag...
musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
duel. On the national scene, after the duellist's death of Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
at the hands of Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
, America's second most shocking dueling death was of, naval hero, Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
, mortally wounded, here in 1820, by James Barron
James Barron
James Barron was an officer in the United States Navy. Commander of the frigate USS Chesapeake, he was court-martialed for his actions on 22 June 1807, which led to the surrender of his ship to the British....
. These mortally wounded, national figures were the major celebrities of their time.
In June, 1836, 22-year-old Daniel Key, a son of Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
, was killed in a senseless duel with a fellow Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
, of the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, John Sherbourne, over a question regarding steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
speed.
Jonathan Cilley
Jonathan Cilley
Jonathan Cilley was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine. He served part of one term in the 25th Congress. He died in office at Bladensburg, Md. as the result of being challenged to fight a duel with Congressman William J. Graves, a colleague from Kentucky...
, a Representative from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, was a reluctant participant in another duel here. In February 1838, Cilley was killed by Congressman William J. Graves
William J. Graves
William Jordan Graves was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Graves was born in New Castle, Kentucky, and pursued an academic course early in life, choosing to study law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in Kentucky before serving as member of the State house of representatives in 1834...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Graves was a stand-in
Stand-in
A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting.Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of production. Lighting setup can be a slow and tedious process; during this time the actor will often be somewhere else...
for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
newspaper editor James Webb
James Webb
James Webb, Jim Webb or Jimmy Webb may refer to:Public service*James B. Webb, known as J. B. Webb , influential in shaping Australia's international relations and aid during the 1950s, 60s and 70s*James E...
, whom Cilley had called corrupt. Cilley was inexperienced with guns, and Graves was allowed to use a powerful rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
. A shot to an artery
Artery
Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....
in Cilley's leg caused him to bleed to death in ninety seconds. This duel prompted passage of a congressional act of February 20, 1839, prohibiting the giving or accepting, within the District of Columbia, of challenges to a duel. Following the bloody U.S. Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
, duelling fell out of favor as a means of settling personal grievances and declined rapidly; the last known duel was fought here in 1868.
External links
- Dueling Creek Natural Area, Colmar Manor Community Park
- "Colmar Manor: Deadly dueling ground now a neighborly community," by J.J. Smith, Washington Examiner, May 13, 2010
- Dueling Creek and Town of Colmar Manor History, Dueling Creek Academy of Leadership in Environmental Science & Fine Arts
- Haunted Maryland, Bladensburg Dueling Grounds
- The Shadowlands, Famous Hauntings, Bladensburg Dueling Grounds
- Ghost Stories: The Bladensburg Dueling Grounds
- Bladensburg Dueling Grounds, Paranormal Studies, EastGhost.com
- Duels and the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds
- Dueling Grounds Historical Marker, The Maryland Historical Marker Database