The Duel: John Marmaduke and Lucius Walker

Me being shot in a duel a year ago at LaGrange

       If you've read my blog on antebellum dueling written in 2013, your familiar with the photograph above. I had a great time that Saturday getting shot and killed twice in one day. Back during the 1800's, dueling was anything but great fun. Most of the time, one of the men was not walking away. A duel could be issued for any perceived slight. I learned that newspaper editors dueled more than any other person because of something he'd printed that offended someone. Many duels were fought over women. Another thing that would cause a duel would have been to call a man a coward. That was a big "no-no" during that time period. 

Major General John S. Marmaduke

       I remember the first time I mentioned Confederate Major General John Marmaduke to my wife. She burst into laughter and asked, "You mean there was a general named Marmaduke?" I believe she was thinking of the big dog that used to appear in the cartoon section of the newspaper to be the reason she was so amused. Marmaduke was a Trans-Mississippi commander, meaning that he served throughout the war west of the Mississippi River. He was born in Missouri in 1833. He graduated from West Point in 1857, ranked 30th out of 37 cadets. He would become a lieutenant in the U.S. Army serving in the cavalry under Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston. He participated in the Morman expedition before the Civil War began. Although his father wanted him to remain on the side of the Union, Marmaduke resigned his commission to fight for the South. He began the war as a lieutenant, but soon worked his way up to brigadier general. 

Brigadier General Lucius Marshall Walker

       Major General Lucius Marshall Walker (called Marsh by his friends) was born in Tennessee in 1829. He also graduated from West Point in the year 1850 ranked 15th in a class of 44 cadets. He served on the frontier as a lieutenant until the year 1852 when he resigned and returned to Tennessee to go into business. When the Civil War began, he was living in Arkansas. 

       He commanded the Confederate forces in a small affair called the Battle of Reed's Bridge or Bayou Meto. The Confederates were forced to retire from their entrenchments, yet halted the Federal advance. After nightfall, the Union forces retreated. General Marmaduke commanded a brigade there under General Walker. He became so incensed at the result of the battle that he asked to be relieved from command under General Walker. He thought Walker had endangered his brigade by retreating after darkness. Walker judged that Marmaduke was calling him a coward and immediately wrote him a letter asking if this were true. 

       Marmaduke replied to Walker that he had not called him a coward, but that his conduct on the field caused him to no longer want to serve under his command. Major General Sterling Price (their field commander) issued orders for both men to remain with their separate commands. Unfortunately, the order was never delivered to Marsh Walker. General Marmaduke ignored the order. 

     The letters were exchanged by both officer's seconds, Captain John C. Moore (Marmaduke's friend and second) and Colonel Robert H. Crockett (Walker's friend, second, and also the grandson of Davy Crockett). Both seconds ended up issuing the challenge to the duel without allowing the senior officers to come to their own conclusions. The two general officers met on a Sunday morning, September 6th, on a plantation near Little Rock, Arkansas. Both were armed with Colt Navy Revolvers. 

         Both men opened fire from fifteen paces and both missed. On the second shot, Walker was hit and collapsed to the ground. Marmaduke immediately rushed to his side and asked how badly he was wounded. Marmaduke then had Walker placed in his own ambulance and rushed to Little Rock to be cared for. Walker died the next day, his bravery now without question. Marmaduke was arrested by General Price, but soon released. Marmaduke would continue the war and become a major general before it ended. In 1884, he would be elected governor of Missouri. He too passed from this earth in 1887. For the rest of his life, he regretted having killed General Marsh Walker. 

Me and my buddy James Howard at the grave of Marsh Walker in Memphis, Tennessee

Civil Wargasm #3

Me and James "Beasley" Howard at the grave of General Pillow

       About two months ago, Jerry and I decided to go on another Civil Wargasm. We thought it would be fun to ask two of our buddies along, James Howard and Lanny Perry. Unfortunately, Lanny's wife wouldn't let him miss any work, but James was game. We planned to head to Memphis and hit Elmwood Cemetery and then travel to the grave of Jerry's hero, Nathan Bedford Forrest.

       The trip got off to a slow start when James (who happens to be 49 years old) couldn't seem to get away from his mom. They stood on the front porch (I didn't want to be nosy so I never looked to see if they were hugging or not) for several minutes. I was beginning to wonder about James. Perhaps his mother had been told some bad things about Jerry and myself. I immediately decided that it had to be Jerry who she thought was the bad influence and my mind was put to ease. 

General Vaughan's Desk

       The three of us left for Memphis and discussed my favorite subject the entire way, the war of course. We soon arrived in Elmwood and entered the office to find a map. Inside the office was the desk (the actual word is secretariat) that belonged to Confederate Brigadier General Alfred Jefferson Vaughan who is also buried in Elmwood.

       We purchased a map showing the burial places of all prominent people buried in Elmwood. There are eleven Confederate general's buried there not to mention some militia general's and two Federal general's. We left the office and struck out for the nearest grave. We found the grave of Major General James Patton Anderson first. Not wanting anything to be unusual about this trip, I managed to attract a wierdo. The fellow gave us a brief lesson on General Anderson and mentioned the general was buried in the poor section of the cemetery. He told us he just couldn't grasp why a major general would be buried among the poor. I explained to him the general was in financial trouble after the war as most Southerner's were. The man looked at me with a confused look on his face and said, "I just can't imagine why he is buried over here." Oh, well, I tried. 

       

Me with Brigadier General Preston Smith

       We found all the generals, although we were followed and greatly distracted by my wierdo. We were regaled with tales from one end of the planet to the other and time began to become a factor. I got a picture of myself at the grave of one of my hero's, General Preston Smith who was killed at Chickamauga after riding forward in the darkness to locate the Federal main line. Among the other generals we found in Elmwood were Elkanah Greer, Alfred Jefferson Vaughan, Gideon Pillow, William Humes, Lucius Marshall Walker, James Chalmers, William H. Carroll, George W. Gordon, Robert V. Richardson, and William M. Gardner. 

       Before leaving the cemetery, Jerry found a dog monument with an actual flea collar around its neck. Obviously, Jerry thought this was a waste and James and I had to talk him out of taking the collar home to use on his Dachshund named Pumpkin. James did learn that when you don't have a door covering your memory card on your camera and you swing it around like a mad man, your apt to lose the card. (By the way, if anyone comes across a memory card in the Forrest family section of Elmwood, please contact James Beasley). 

Jerry thought this fluorescent collar would make Pumpkin look good

       The best part of the trip was saved for last. We headed down town to Forrest Park where the "Wizard of the Saddle" himself is buried. The fearless commander who struck fear in the hearts of all Federal troops including Grant himself, happens to be Jerry's hero of hero's. I thought we would arrive to see Jerry well up in tears, rushing from the car to the giant monument, but Jerry never fails to surprise me. 

Two rednecks trying to operate a parking meter

       Instead, he and James spent the next fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to operate the parking meter. I decided to press on to the monument alone while they beat, banged and twisted the meter mercilessly. They finally arrived at the huge monument (I'm still not certain who won, but I'm putting my money on the meter). As we walked around the monument in awe of the great man, I continued to check Jerry's eyes for moisture. Jerry was not to be outdone. He understood that if he shed one single tear I would never let him forget it. I walked over to Jerry and asked, "What do you think?" He replied simply, "That stud horse is anatomically correct. Just look at that thing." What could I say? Just another typical Civil Wargasm with Jerry.

Jerry and me in front of Forrest's grave