Due to the tradition of dueling in the Southern United States there were a number of duels during the American Civil War between Confederate States military officers and/or politicians.
Following the Marmaduke–Walker duel, the Southern Unionist Nashville Daily Union commented approvingly on the trend: "To which we say, Amen! Can't the rebels get up a few nice little duel parties between Jeff Davis and Stephens, Bragg and Joe Johnston, Harris and Polk? It would afford an agreeable variety to the tremendous wholesale fights which ever and anon shake the land."[1] According to historian William Oliver Stevens, there were no duels between officers of the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy during the American Civil War.[2][a][b]
Duellist | Duellist | Date | Place | Outcome | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Clair Morgan | George S. Storrs | March 20, 1861 | Florida – near Fort McRee, Pensacola | Morgan wounded[5] | Main article: Morgan–Storrs duel |
Lieutenant John S. Lanier | Unidentified "wagonmaster of his corps" | Between May 20, 1861 and July 9, 1863[6][7] | Place unknown | Lanier wounded[8] | |
William A. Lake | Henry Cousins Chambers | October 16, 1861 | Arkansas | Lake killed[9] | Rival candidates for Confederate Congress[10] |
Doctor Forward, a sutler[11] | Lieutenant Alfred H. Jones[12] | December 24, 1861 | Virginia – near Young's Mill, on the Peninsula | Both killed[13] | Rifles at 40 paces;[11] the duel resulted from a "quarrel about the price of a box of candles."[13] |
Major Alfred M. Rhett | Colonel William Ransom Calhoun[c] | September 5, 1862 | South Carolina – Charleston | Calhoun killed[16] | Calhoun, a relation of John C. Calhoun, was Rhett's superior officer at Fort Sumter.[16] |
Captain John Cussons Jr. | Major Alfred Horatio Belo | April 1863 | Virginia – near Suffolk | Belo wounded[17] | |
Captain George Moody | Captain Pichegru Woolfolk | July 2, 1863 | Pennsylvania | No duel[18] | Planned but forestalled by the Battle of Gettysburg[18][19] |
Major General John S. Marmaduke | Brigadier General Lucius M. Walker | September 6, 1863 | Arkansas | Walker killed | Main article: Marmaduke–Walker duel |
Lieutenant William H. Dorsey | Mr. Adler of Baltimore[d] | December 13, 1863 | Maryland – near Bowling Green, Caroline County | Adler killed[21] | |
Captain Smith | Lieutenant Scott | December 16, 1863 | Virginia | Scott killed[22] | |
Major William F. Rapley | Major Albert Belding | October 18, 1864 | Missouri | Belding wounded[23] | |
Edward C. Elmore | John Moncure Daniel | August 16, 1864 | Virginia | Daniel wounded[24] | Daniel participated in a number of duels during his lifetime.[25] |
Private Marx Cohen Jr. | Private Thomas R. Chew | March 19, 1865 | North Carolina | No injuries[26] | Said to be the final duel of the Confederacy; their seconds put blanks in their pistols, both walked away unharmed, and both were killed later that day at Battle of Bentonville.[26] |