History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 186

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358

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" In this case, who made the first breach of decorum, if one was made ? You complain of my having given you the lie direct, and have as much right to complain of the whole jury, who on their oaths found a verdict in direct contradiction to what you stated to be the evidence. My object was that no inisstatement of the testimony should be made in hearing of the jury without being contradicted. This was my duty to my elient and to myself. The verdict of the jury verifies the statement I made of the evidence, and I will not, for supporting that truth, be in any way bound to give the redress or satisfaction you ask for to any person who may feel wounded by such exposure of truth.

" Yours, etc.,

" CHARLES LUCAS."

After the difficulty in August, 1817, at the polls, Benton refusing to listen to any mediator, Lucas arranged his affairs and sent his enemy a challenge, which was at once accepted. Under date of August 11th a letter found among his papers said,-

" DEAR FATHER,-Embarked as I am in a hazardous enter- prise, the issue of which you will know before you see this, I am under the necessity of bidding you, my brothers, sisters, friends, adieu. May my brothers and sisters proeure to you that consolation which I cannot render . I request mny brothers, William and James, to pursue their studies with as- siduity, preserving peace and good will with all good men. Father, sister, brothers, and friends, farewell.

(Signed) " CHARLES LUCAS."

On the following morning they met. Luke E. Lawless, the famous and pugnacious lawyer, and Maj.

1851

FAMOUS DUELS.

Pilcher were Benton's seconds, and Dr. Farrar his surgeon. Joshua Barton, the eloquent and popular advocate and politician, and Col. Clemson acted as seconds for Lucas, and Dr. Quarles as surgeon. The momnent the signal was given the two men fired simul- taneously. Dr. Quarles, in his written statement to John B. C. Lucas, said,-

" Mr. Lucas appeared to be, previous to and at the time of his taking the ground or distance, cool and collected. At the first fire your son was wounded ; the ball struek obliquely on the left side of his windpipe, in the immediate neighborhood of what is called the thyroid cartilage; it buried itself, and having passed obliquely downward, came out at the distance of about an ineli and a quarter from where it entered ; in its pas- sage it opened the external jugular vein. As it was my opinion that the wound which he had received disabled him from fighting with equal advantages, I dissuaded him from taking another fire. In this opinion I was afterwards confirmed, for he fainted soon after getting into the boat."

Joshua Barton, the second of Charles Lucas, made the following statement in a letter addressed to John B. C. Lucas :

" In answer to your last inquiry, I assure you that Charles at both interviews appeared perfectly cool and collected before and after taking his position to fire. At the first meeting, when Col. Benton demanded another fire or a second meeting, Charles told me to reload, that he eould stand another fire. This I hesitated to do, under a belief, which I have never changed, that to let him shoot again would have been on my part a wanton exposure of the life of a man who, to judge from the profuse discharge of blood, had received a wound which might prove mortal. He requested me to propose shortening the distance, which I deelined for the same reasons. It was at the solieitation of Dr. Quarles and myself that he consented to adjourn that meeting. We supported him to the boat, soon after getting into which he fainted."

Not until September 18th, or nine days before the second meeting, was any statement made by the Ben- ton side, though rumors, charges, and countercharges were abundant. Col. Lawless then made a statement, which, after saying that Mr. Lucas was not satisfied, but found his wound more severe than he thought, concludes thus :

" I again demanded of Mr. Lucas if he was satisfied, and if he wished for another meeting with Col. Benton. To this ques- tion he replied that he was satisfied, and that he did not require a second meeting. Having reported this answer to Col. Benton, he deelared aloud that he ' was not satisfied, and required that Mr. Lueas should continue to fight or pledge himself to come out again as soon as his wound should be in a state to permit him.' This promise was accordingly given, and the parties pledged themselves by their seconds to perform it."

This statement was confirmed by a letter from Joshua Barton. As the case now stood, Col. Benton had insulted Mr. Lucas ; the latter had asked for re- dress and been refused. They met, and Lucas, the challenger, was wounded. He desired another mcet- ing, but waived his rights under the so-called

" Code of Honor," and said he did not wish another meeting. Then Col. Benton, who had every advan- tage on his side, declared with his famous energy and determination that "he was not satisfied,"-that is, he meant to try to kill Lucas, for there is no doubt but that Benton was known as the better shot, and the odds were all in his favor. It is a sad thing to say, but impartial history must write it thus : At the point when the demand for a second meeting was made, even the poor excuse of the duello was left be- hind.

Mr. Lucas recovered rapidly, though his wound was severe, and the heat of the season very unfavor- able. When his friends came to see him, and asked of the talked-of second meeting, he said frankly that if he must meet Col. Benton again the distance must be shortened to better equalize their chances. August 22d he told Barton that he was ready to meet his foe. In a letter dated October 3d Barton says,-

"On Friday, the 22d of August, about eight o'clock in the morning, I waited on Col. Lawless for that purpose. After con- versing a while on different subjeets, Col. Lawless inquired after Mr. Lucas' health and his state of convalescence, to which I replied that he was then sufficiently recovered to meet Col. Benton. Col. Lawless asked when he would be ready to go out, to which I answered the next morning, or at whatever time should be thought best. Col. Lawless then informed me that he was going that day to Hereulaneum on important business of his own, and should not return before the next Sunday even- ing or Monday morning, and mentioned something of Col. Ben- ton's calling on another friend in ease the meeting should take place next morning. I professed my willingness to post- pone it till his return, if Col. Benton was willing. Col. Law- less not seeming disposed to agree to anything without previous consultation, we conversed freely on everything connected with the affair, and particularly on the prospects of peace resulting from an attempt which had been made a few days before. Col. Lawless did not know at that time whether his friend would drop it in the way which had been proposed, but said 'he (Mr. Lawless) would make another trial of him.' We parted with an understanding, as I thought, that Col. Benton was to be informed of what had passed, who could then either withdraw his demand for a second meeting, eall on another friend, or wait Col. Lawless' return. I was surprised at not hearing from them sooner, and afterwards asked Mr. Lawless if he had not in- formed his friend before going to Hereulaneum, who told me he ealled for that purpose, but did not find him at home. I con- sidered that a sufficient notice was given."

With reference to the attempts to bring about a reconciliation at this juncture, the evidence will be taken entirely from Col. Lawless' statements. His letter of September 18th, already quoted from, throws a flood of light on the proceedings. This was pub- lished at a time when Lawless thought harmony had been sccured. His object was to justify his principal. Hc says, -

" The earnest representations of Col. Benton's friends and his own generous disposition had considerably weakened those in- dignant feelings which on the ground had impelled him to

1852

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

exact from his antagonist a promise of another interview. His cooler reflection informed him that, having wounded the man who had ehallenged him, and who, notwithstanding the wound, declared himself satisfied, in pursuing Mr. Lucas further his conduct would assume an aspect of vengeance foreign from his heart, and that the sympathies and opinions of his fellow-citi- zens would probably be roused against him. On these consider- ations he had almost determined to withdraw the demand of a second meeting, and did not conceal this feeling from those persons with whom he was in habits of intercourse. Col. Ben- ton, in thus yielding to the entreaties of friendship and to the dictates of his conscience, did not imagine that he was furnish- ing a means of calumny to his enemies, or that the motives of his conduct could possibly be misunderstood. In this idea he found himself disappointed, and was in a very few days assailed by reports of the most offensive nature to his feelings and repu- tation. Col. Benton then saw the necessity of disproving those reports, either by another meeting or by the explanation of Mr. Lucas, from whom or from wbose friends he supposed tbem to have proceeded. He accordingly determined to await the mo- ment when Mr. Lucas should be sufficiently recovered to come to the field, and then to give bim an opportunity of justifying or contradicting the reports in circulation. About this time Mr. Barton called on me, whether in the capacity of Mr. Lucas' second or not I cannot say, and in the course of conversation, in reply to a question of mine, informed me that Mr. Lucas was sufficiently recovered to meet Col. Benton."

Two days later Col. Lawless, having seen Col. Ben- ton, called on Mr. Barton. His statement continues,-

" As I was one of those who were of opinion that he should release Mr. Lucas from the pledge he had given, I felt consider- able regret that the generous intentions of my friend should be affected by reports which might have been eirculated without the knowledge of Mr. Lucas, and considered it, therefore, my duty to exert myself in every way consistent with the bonor of Col. Benton to avert a result which would certainly prove inore or less calamitous. With this view, I stated to Mr. Barton the motives that might have disposed Col. Benton to release Mr. Lucas from his promise to meet him and the causes that counter- acted this disposition. I then proposed that Mr. Lucas should sign a declaration disavowing the reports in question. To this proposition Mr. Barton assented, and a declaration to the above effect was drawn up and agreed to by us. This declaration, which appeared to me sufficiently full, was submitted to Mr. Lucas, who consented to sign it. Col. Benton, however, did not consider it as sufficiently explieit, and rejected it. This decision appeared to leave no other alternative than a meeting, wbich was accordingly agreed upon between me and Mr. Barton."

The Lawless account procecds as follows :

"In this situation matters remained for three or four days, during which my own reflection, and the opinion of several hon- orable and sensible men whom I consulted, convinced me that the cause of quarrel at present being perhaps ideal, I should omit no effort to prevent the fatal consequences of the intended meeting. In this opinion the personal safety of my friend was my least consideration, as upon such occasions it ever has been. With this view I drew up a second declaration more explicit and full than the former, precluding all possibility of muistake as to the motives or conduct of either party, and, as it appeared to me, consistent with the honor of both. Mr. Barton having examined and approved of it, obtained from Mr. Lucas his consent to sign it. I, on my part, submitted it Col. Benton, and, supported by his other friends, succeeded in inducing him to accept it."

The terms of this declaration are as follows :

"In consequence of reports having reached Col. Benton of declarations coming from me respecting the shortness of the distance at which I intended to bring him at our next meeting, I hereby declare that I never said anything on that subject with a view to its hecoming public, or of its coming to the knowledge of Col. Benton, and that I have never said or in- sinuated, or caused it to be said or insinuated, that Col. Benton was not disposed and ready to meet me at any distance, and at any time whatsoever.

(Signed) " CHARLES LUCAS."

The object of this publication was to show that with honor to both parties the entire matter had been closed. It proves beyond question that here the whole matter should have ended. It fixes the blame of subsequent events on Col. Benton. On this point J. B. C. Lucas said afterwards,-

" My son thought he had attained his object, which was to silence his enemies, to convince the world that he dared to meet a renowned duelist, his superior in the art and mystery of kill- ing men, and give him a full chance to shoot at him; but he dreaded nothing more than the idea of sliding into the char- acter which he most abhorred, that of a common duelist. He apprehended that in pursuing that course any further he would soon forfeit the esteem and confidence of the sober and virtuous part of the community. He thought it was high time for him to retrace his steps, and consented, with the advice of his friends, to sign the declaration."

But there was a determination to force a second meeting. Whether Col. Benton was most to blame, or whether evil-minded friends, knowing his disposi- tion, misrepresented the facts, cannot be easily de- cided. September 26th, on his return from Superior Court, Lucas, to his surprise, received a peremptory challenge dated three days before. It read as follows :

"SIR,-Wben I released you from your engagement to return to the island, I yielded to a feeling of generosity in my own bosom and to a sentiment of deference to the judgment of others. From the reports which now fill the country it would seem that yourself and some of your friends have placed my conduct to very different motives. The object of this is to bring the calum- nies to an end and to give you an opportunity of justifying the great expectation which has been excited. Col. Lawless will receive your terms, and I expect your distance not to exceed nine feet.

(Signed) "T. H. BENTON."

Young Lucas blazed with indignation, and responded as follows :

" Although I am conscious that a respectable man in society cannot be found wbo will say he has heard any of those reports from me, and that I think it more probable they have been fabricated by your own friends than circulated by any who call themselves mine, yet, without even knowing what reports you have beard, I sball give you an opportunity of gratifying your wishes and the wishes of your news-carriers. My friend, Mr. Barton, has full authority to act for me.

(Signed) " CHARLES LUCAS."

They met the next morning on Bloody Island. The distance was ten feet. Benton had a barely per-

1853

FAMOUS DUELS.

ceptible advantage in quickness, and his bullet, pass- ing through Lucas' arm, gave him a mortal wound in the region of the heart. He died in a few minutes. Col. Benton was unhurt.

Mr. Barton stated that " at the last interview Lucas appeared equally cool and deliberate ; both of them presented and fired so nearly together that I could not distinguish two reports." It was remarked that Lucas raised his pistol in a good direction, hence it is supposed that the ball of his adversary reached his arm before or at the time his pistol went off.

Col. Benton, as is customary in such cases, ap- proached the fallen man and expressed his sorrow. Lucas replied, " Col. Benton, you have persecuted mc and murdered me. I don't, or cannot, forgive you." And he repcated these words. Finding, how- ever, that his end was fast approaching, he added, " I can forgive you,-I do forgive you," and he gave Col. Benton his hand.

This is a plain account of a dreadful affair, which ought never to have been permitted. The seconds of both parties appear to have been much to blame. They should, after the first meeting, have declared that sufficient had been done to satisfy all concerned. The second meeting was forced in spite of reason and humanity, and thus a young man of high character and great promise was lost to the service of his State. A letter, printed in 1817, from Col. Rufus Easton, one of the most prominent lawyers in St. Louis at that time, throws further light on the affair. After saying that a report had been industriously circulated in St. Louis to the effect that he had instigated the challenge from Lucas, Col. Easton proceeds,-

" A sense of justice and a respect for truth induce me to state that this report is utterly false. I attest that I traveled with Charles Lucas from the village of Prairie du Rocher to St. Louis, on his return from attending the Superior Court for the Southern Circuit; that we arrived together at St. Louis on the 26th of last month, at about eight o'clock in the morn- ing; that on his arrival he expressed mnuch astonishment at seeing in the Missouri Gazette, under the name of L. E. Lawless, a statement not only containing a long series of facts, but also what were pretended to be the thoughts, motives, and intentions of Col. Benton. Mr. Benton was represented in this statement in glowing colors and occupying a very high ground, and Charles Lucas was standing on a low one. Notwithstanding all these apparent advantages on the side of Col. Benton, some- thing was still wanting, he was not satisfied, -Charles Lucas was yet breathing."

The coolness and high courage of Mr. Lucas at both meetings was proved by irrefragable evidence. He was but twenty-five years old at the time of his death. After the fatal result the Missouri Gazette remarked, --

" The infernal practice of dueling has taken off this morning one of the first characters in our county, Charles Lucas, Esq.,

attorney-at-law ; his death has left a blank in society not easily filled up."

The party factions of 1817 are long ago forgotten and outgrown, except in the memory and record of such events as this Benton-Lucas duel.

In August, 1818, occurred the next duel of which any distinct account is preserved. It was that of Capt. Martin and Capt. Thomas Ramsay, of the First Regiment United States Rifles. It took place near St. Louis, the exact locality not being recorded, and at the first fire Capt. Ramsay was fatally wounded. He was buried with Masonic honors August 17th.

On the 30th of June, 1823, occurred the death of Hon. Joshua Barton, shot in a duel by Thomas C. Rector, brother of the surveyor-general of the Terri- torial district. Barton, sccond in the Benton-Lucas duel, and one of the ablest and best-loved men in the community, was at the time attorney-general for the district of Missouri, and his brother was United States senator. In the Missouri Republican of June 25, 1823, Joshua Barton, over the signature " Philo," criticised the official conduct of William Rector, the surveyor general. The editor said, in the same issue,-

" We have inserted the communication signed ' Philo' on the principle that men in office are bound to answer to the people for the manner in which they discharge their public duties, and that if charges are made against them from a respectable and responsible source, and are couched in decorous terms, the press would defeat the object of its institution if it refused to permit them to come before the public."

Barton's complaint was,-

" That the surveyor-general indulged in the practice of giving out the largest and best contracts for surveying to his family connections and personal friends, who sub-let them, and, with- out incurring any particular labor, responsibility, or risk, were enabled to pocket considerable emoluments."

After the ducl (July 16thi), Edward Bates, one of the most distinguished men St. Louis has ever claimed as a citizen, gave his public pledge to sub- stantiate this. He then showed that no less than twelve relatives and connections of Surveyor-General Rector had received from him appointments as dep- uty surveyors, and had sub-let contracts at enormous profits to themselves. In the year 1822 alone, out of two hundred and fifty-four townships surveyed, one hundred and nincty-five were given to his own kindred. Batcs concluded his exposure in the fol- lowing sensible manner: "If Gen. Rector should take offense at what I have written, the courts are open to him, and if I have wronged him, the laws will afford him a vindictive remedy. If he will venture to take this course, I will justify these statements and prove the facts upon him before a jury."

1854

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

But the Rector blood was aroused when the mem- bers of the family read Barton's letter. The general was in Washington attending to his political interests, for his place was in jeopardy. Though expected to return in a few days, his brother Thomas could not wait, but having secured the name of the writer he challenged him. The meeting took place at six P.M. June 30th. Both fired at the word, Barton dying in a few moments, and Rector escaping unhurt. On July 1st Gen. Rector returned, and issued a card requesting suspension of public judgment. He also, losing his temper, wrote angrily to the editor of the journal that had published " Philo's" communication. A week later he published a general denial of the charges against him. Public sentiment could, under these circumstances, have but one opinion, and the Rectors lost caste. Thomas was killed in a brawl some years later, and William died in poverty and misery in Illinois.

On the 17th of September, 1823, the Republican remarked, " Two more persons have been killed in duels near St. Louis. Their names are Messrs. Waddle and Crow. It must be a vicious state of society in which the pistol is the umpire in cvery con- troversy." Two of the three fatal duels fought in 1823 near St. Louis occurred on Bloody Island.

Undeterred by these tragical events, and yielding weakly to an evil public sentiment, fatal encounters continued. In 1831 the doubly disastrous Biddle- Pettis duel occurred. This also originated in politi- cal causes, and had its sources in the war against the United States Bank, at whose head was Nicholas Biddle, a conspicuous figure of the time. The con- flict grew fierce and acrimonious. In St. Louis re- sided Maj. Thomas Biddle, a gallant officer of the war of 1812, brother of Nicholas, and Spencer Pettis, an ardent supporter of the Jacksonian policy. The former was paymaster of the army, and had recently been married. The latter, a lawyer and representa- tive in Congress, desired re-election, and in his canvass was very severe in his criticisms of Nicholas Biddle. Maj. Biddle attacked Pettis in a newspaper article, and Pettis replicd in strong terms. Maj. Biddle then re- solved to cowhide his opponent, sought his lodgings carly in the morning, was shown to his room, found him in his night-clothes and asleep, and procecded to chastise him unmercifully. Outsiders rushed in and put a stop to the disgraceful scenc. Mr. Pettis was in feeble health, and great sympathy was felt for him. He took no immediate steps towards redress ; his friends and partisan newspapers said all they could, and at the election he was chosen by a large majority. But the night before the election, Pettis, thinking that

Biddle might attack him upon the street, procured his arrest on a peace warrant, and Judge Ferguson, reasonably thinking that under the circumstances too much peace was better than too little, also bound Mr. Pettis over. This action has been variously criticiscd. Its causes were purely political. David Barton was Pettis' opponent, and a giant to contend against. Col. Benton himself took the matter in hand, and told Pettis that if they met and he was shot, there was no time to bring out another candidate. " Therefore," he said, " arrest Biddle, print the facts, and after the election vindicate your honor." After the election, for nearly a month, the parties were engaged in official business.

On August 21st or 22d the challenge was carried by Capt. Thomas to Maj. Biddle. They met at Bloody Island at five o'clock on Friday afternoon, August 27th. The intelligence of the duel spread through St. Louis, and an immense concourse of peo- ple lined the river shore to witness it. The windows and the tops of the houses were crowded with specta- tors. Owing to the nearsightedness of Maj. Biddle, the distance was fixed by him at five feet. Both parties behaved intrepidly. When they presented their pistols they overlapped. At the word Pettis suddenly stooped, with the evident purpose of shoot- ing in the abdomen of his adversary. In this he succeeded, but was himself hit in the side, the ball passing entirely through his body. Both were mor- tally wounded, When assured of this fact, they ex- changed forgiveness, and were borne from the ground. Mr. Pettis died the next afternoon. Maj. Biddle survived until the following Tuesday, and was buried with the honors of war at Jefferson Barracks .. His widow dicd in 1851. She was possesscd of large wealth, and devoted herself and her fortune to public and private charities. In her will she left provision for a Widows' and Infants' Asylum, a noble benefac- tion, which stands at the corner of Tenth and Biddle Streets, in St. Louis. In the grounds of this institu- tion the remains of herself and husband reposed for many years, and until their removal to the new Cath- olic cemetery in the vicinity of the city. On the old monument was this touching inscription,-

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History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 186

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1358

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358