Antebellum Dueling

Thanks to Mary Carton and Carl with Remember Tuscumbia for all the photos in this blog.

Me on the left dueling my buddy Duane Broyles

       This past Saturday I had the honor of performing a duel with James Connings original 1854 dueling pistols made in London and valued today at $250,000. Of course my civilians suit was paid for and Duane's was rented, we knew the outcome ahead of time. I knew I was to die, so I quickly fired each time first so I could get my shot off. I felt like Clint Eastwood, but I always missed my target. Before the past weekend, I had no idea there were so many rules to antebellum dueling.

      

James Mitchell (in the tall hat) of Auburn, Alabama owner of the dueling pistols marking off ten paces

       I learned a lot about dueling in the old south. For one thing, it was extremely rare for men to stand back to back and march in the opposite direction. They usually stood and fired from ten paces and it was considered cowardly to turn sideways to present a smaller target. 

Lanny Perry me second (who knows what he's doing here)

       Each duelist had a second and Lanny Perry was my second on this occasion. I have no idea what he was doing at this point, possibly picking his nose. His job is to shoot a duelist that attempts to shoot before the command is given. Mr. Mitchell gave the commands, "Ready, Fire, One, Two, Three, Halt!" It was that quick and that is the reason there were so many misses. If you fired before the word 'fire' or after the command 'halt' one of the second's was to shoot you.

Leland Free is the surgeon, but I accused him of being an undertaker drumming up business

       On the field during a duel there were only a certain number of people allowed. The two duelists of course, the two seconds, and a surgeon, and possible two assistant surgeons. Now if you had a problem with a man that was not on your social level, you did not duel him, you caned him with a walking stick. 

Me taking a bullet in the duel

       There were duels long after dueling was outlawed in the South. Mr. Mitchell gave us a talk on dueling that was really great and we learned a lot about dueling. I loved every minute of his talk. 

Lanny my second is running to check on me

The surgeon confirming the worst

A moment of silence for the dearly departed

Resurrected from the dead because my last name is Kent, I'm Superman

My second Lanny Perry and I posing together

Southern Charm: The Top Confederate Generals Who Possessed It

Thomas Benton Smith

       Confederate Brigadier General Thomas Benton Smith from Tennessee was known for his southern charm.  His staff officers often begged him to share the many pretty women who were attracted to him because of his good looks and southern charm.  All that would come to an end at the Battle of Nashville when he was struck over the head by a sword after surrendering.  He would spend the next 47 years in an insane asylum.  

Matthew Calbraith Butler

       Major General Matthew C. Butler from South Carolina may have gone a little far with his southern charm.  Despite losing a leg and having a wife he always had a lady on the side.  Somehow he kept his adulterous relationships going despite serving in the United States Congress following the war.  

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard

       General Beauregard was well liked by the women of the south because he was supposed to be the next Napoleon.  His first wife had died in 1853 and he had remarried in 1860.  Following his performance in capturing Fort Sumter, southern women fawned over him.  He received so many bouquets that he didn't have enough room to display them all.  His second wife died in 1864 and the man would never remarry, however the man was never without female companionship.  

Benjamin Franklin Cheatham

       Major General Ben Cheatham obviously obtained quite a bit of southern charm.  Because as my wife says, "He must have had something but it wasn't looks!"  The lifelong bachelor was well known for his hard drinking and his colorful language.  At the Battle of Murfreesboro he was so intoxicated he couldn't even mount his horse.  At the Battle of Springhill he was rumored to be seeing a local belle named Jessie Peters while the federal army escaped a carefully laid trap.  This resulted in the high casualties at Franklin the next day.  After the war he would return to Nashville, Tennessee, get married, and settle down.  

James Euell Brown Stuart

       Major General Jeb Stuart, the eyes and ears of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was well known for his southern charm.  He was married to Flora Cooke and there is no evidence that he ever cheated on her.  He did have a fondness for ladies though.  When in camp   he always made sure there was a ball.  Several officers under his command complained that Stuart always had to kiss all the pretty girls.  His life came to a tragic end at Yellow Tavern in 1864 where he was shot in the liver.

Earl Van Dorn

       The general most known for his southern charm was Earl Van Dorn of Mississippi.  Southern women thought he was extremely handsome and charming.  He had an extremely large ego, although he  never won a battle in command of an army.  Although he was married his wife knew of his extramarital activities.  President Davis reduced him to cavalry command and Van Dorn made Springhill, Tennessee his headquarters.  He chose the home of a local doctor.  The doctors wife was named Jessie Peters and they were known to take long carriage rides together alone.  One afternoon General Van Dorn was working at Dr. Peters desk when the doctor slipped around behind him and shot him in the back of the head.  

       You have to be careful with that southern charm because it is not always a good thing.  Some southern gentlemen can get away with these things while others of us get shot in the back of the head.