Where Insults Turned Into Gunfire

Duels were once a grimly accepted way to defend honor in early America, where reputations often mattered more than laws. From political rivalries to personal grudges, these deadly encounters shaped the course of history, leaving stories of courage, controversy, and tragedy. Some duels ended with survival, others with fatal consequences that echoed through generations. Join us as we explore the shocking moments that defined American dueling culture and see which ones changed history forever.

Gilbert Stuart on Wikimedia

1. Alexander Hamilton Vs. Aaron Burr

On a quiet July morning in Weehawken, Alexander Hamilton faced Aaron Burr but had no intention of taking his life—he’d already decided to waste his shot. Fate intervened cruelly when Burr struck Hamilton’s abdomen, ending his life and effectively destroying Burr’s political career.

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2. Andrew Jackson Vs. Charles Dickinson

Andrew Jackson lived with a bullet lodged near his heart for the rest of his life after a deadly 1806 duel with Charles Dickinson in Kentucky. Doctors couldn’t remove it because it was too close to vital organs, leaving Jackson in chronic pain for decades. Still, he managed to fire back and win—driven by his fierce sense of honor.

Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl on Wikimedia

3. Stephen Decatur Vs. James Barron

Naval pride turned tragic in 1820 when Stephen Decatur and James Barron met in Bladensburg, Maryland. Their dispute over Barron’s court-martial escalated into a duel. Decatur’s shot struck Barron, but Barron survived—while Decatur, a celebrated war hero, died from his own injuries.

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4. Abraham Lincoln Vs. James Shields

With a broadsword in hand and nerves on edge, Abraham Lincoln stood ready to face James Shields in Illinois, 1842. But before any blows landed, mutual friends intervened. The quarrel ended peacefully, sparing both men—and history—an unnecessary tragedy.

Alexander Gardner on Wikimedia

5. Oliver Hazard Perry Vs. John Heath

Oliver Hazard Perry’s career nearly unfolded after his 1817 duel with Captain John Heath in Virginia. What began as an argument over naval discipline escalated into gunfire. Perry wounded Heath’s arm, a sobering outcome that reminded even heroes of how fast pride could turn deadly.

Gilbert Stuart on Wikimedia

6. William Graves Vs. Jonathan Cilley

In 1838, Maryland became the stage for a fatal duel between Representatives William Graves and Jonathan Cilley, who stood eighty yards apart with rifles. The exchange ended with Cilley’s death, marking the only time one sitting congressman fatally wounded another. The shocking event finally pushed Washington to tighten its stance on dueling.

Philip Haas on Wikimedia

7. Thomas Hart Benton Vs. Charles Lucas

Before rising to political fame, Thomas Hart Benton bore the burden of a deadly 1817 duel. He fired the shot that proved fatal to Charles Lucas during their second encounter. The incident cast a long shadow over Benton’s later career and stained his public reputation.

Ferdinand Thomas Lee Boyle on Wikimedia

8. Henry Clay Vs. John Randolph

Henry Clay and John Randolph’s 1826 duel in Virginia showed how ridiculous politics could become. Both men intentionally missed by firing wide to preserve their honor. Afterward, they shook hands and walked away to prove that reconciliation could outshine ego in the age of dueling.

Matthew Harris Jouett on Wikimedia

9. John Laurens Vs. Charles Lee

When Charles Lee publicly insulted George Washington, John Laurens stepped up to defend his commander’s name. Backed by Alexander Hamilton as his second, Laurens faced Lee in 1778 near Philadelphia. Lee was wounded when the brief fight ended.

Scan by NYPL of etching by Hall, Henry Bryan (1808-1884) (Etcher) on Wikimedia

10. Samuel Price Carson Vs. Robert Vance

A bitter political rivalry in North Carolina turned fatal when Samuel Price Carson and Robert Vance met in 1827. The duel ended Vance’s life as the only sitting congressman from the state to die that way—a chilling reminder of honor gone too far.

Mathew Benjamin Brady on Wikimedia

11. John Swartwout Vs. DeWitt Clinton

Aaron Burr’s close ally, John Swartwout, carried his mentor’s fiery spirit into a 1802 duel with DeWitt Clinton in New Jersey. Both men fired but missed. The quarrel ended without injury, allowing Clinton to focus on the groundbreaking Erie Canal project.

Rembrandt Peale on Wikimedia

12. David Broderick Vs. David Terry

In 1859, a bitter political feud between Senator David Broderick and former Chief Justice David Terry ended in tragedy near Lake Merced. Terry’s shot proved fatal. It turned Broderick’s death into a rallying point for California’s anti-slavery cause and reshaped local political loyalties overnight.

Mathew Benjamin Brady on Wikimedia

13. Albert Sidney Johnston Vs. Felix Huston

Years before the Civil War, Albert Sidney Johnston clashed with Felix Huston over command of Texas’s army in 1837. The duel left Johnston shot in the hip but alive. Huston emerged unharmed, while Johnston’s wound nearly cost him the military future he later achieved.

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14. Philip Barton Key II Vs. Daniel Sickles

When Congressman Daniel Sickles discovered that Philip Barton Key II—son of the “Star-Spangled Banner” composer—was involved with his wife, rage consumed him. Sickles shot Key in 1859 near the White House, later securing America’s first “temporary insanity” acquittal.

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15. Joshua Barton Vs. Thomas Rector

In 1823, Missouri’s first Secretary of State, Joshua Barton, defended his brother’s honor against Thomas Rector. The argument escalated to a pistol duel. Barton was killed instantly, a grim reminder that politics and pride often made fatal companions.

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16. George Washington Campbell Vs. Barent Gardenier

Political tempers flared in 1808 when George Washington Campbell and Congressman Barent Gardenier met in Weehawken. Insults over party rivalries led to exchanged shots, yet both survived. Campbell later became Secretary of the Treasury.

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17. Humphrey Marshall Vs. Henry Clay

Dueling was deadly, but Henry Clay beat the odds—twice. His 1809 clash with Humphrey Marshall in Kentucky stemmed from a trivial argument about homespun attire. Both were wounded but survived, and Clay wisely traded pistols for politics, earning his later title, “The Great Compromiser.”

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18. James Watson Webb Vs. Thomas F. Marshall

Words failed two masters of language in 1838 when journalist James Watson Webb and orator Thomas F. Marshall met with pistols in Indiana. Webb’s shot went wide, Marshall’s grazed a hat, and both walked away embarrassed. 

Mathew Benjamin Brady on Wikimedia

19. Button Gwinnett Vs. Lachlan McIntosh

Pride proved deadly for Button Gwinnett, who signed the Declaration of Independence but lost his life in a 1777 duel in Georgia. Political rival Lachlan McIntosh met him with pistols drawn. Both men took bullets, though only Gwinnett's wound proved deadly.

Artist: Nathaniel Hone the Elder (Irish, 1718–1784) on Wikimedia

20. Marmaduke Vs. Walker 

In September 1863, Confederate generals John S. Marmaduke and Lucius M. Walker clashed over battlefield conduct in Arkansas. Their rivalry escalated into a duel. Walker was fatally wounded; Marmaduke was arrested but later released. 

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