A desperate duel was fought this day, at Washington, between Captain Everett White, brother of the delegate in Congress, and Colonel Bellamy, formerly president of the Legislative Council. These gentlemen were candidates for Jefferson’s county, and Captain White was returned. The duel, from the mode of conducting it, was evidently intended to have fatal results. They were stationed sixty yards apart, with four pistols, to advance and fire. Captain White advanced, and received three shots without injury, and then fired at the distance of fifteen paces. His first shot passed through Colonel Bellamy’s arm, the next through his body, and, in the act of advancing with the other two pistols, he received a mortal wound from Colonel Bellamy’s fourth pistol.
BETWEEN BRIGADIER-GENERAL EVANS AND CAPTAIN DICKSON.
April 8, 1836.
A meeting took place this day, at Wormwood Scrubs, between Brigadier-General Evans, of the British Auxiliary Legion, and Captain Lothian Dickson, of the British army, and late of the Legion. The misunderstanding arose out of circumstances that had taken place at the quarters of the Legion in Spain. Brigadier-General Evans, however, had refused to meet Captain Dickson, in consequence of what he considered to be conduct, on the part of the latter gentleman, which had forfeited his claim. The Junior United Service Club at last interfered, and decided that no stain of that nature rested on Captain Dickson. The meeting, in consequence, after some negotiation, took place. The following is the account of General Evans’s second, which is borne out by Mr. Cooke, the friend of Captain Dickson:—“The meeting took place, and the principals being placed, General Evans received Captain Dickson’s fire; when, after an interval of a few seconds. General Evans brought down his pistol and uncocked it, without having fired. Upon which I addressed myself to Mr. Cooke, and said, ‘I have now to say, that, in deference to the opinion of the committee of the Junior United Service Club, I have brought my friend here; and, having now paid that deference to those gentlemen, I feel it my duty to withdraw General Evans from the ground.’ Mr. Cooke then said, ‘I am not satisfied,’ and again made allusion to an apology. I persisted in withdrawing General Evans, without further explanation; and, on leaving the ground, he then only informed me of his being wounded; and, on his return to his hotel, he was attended by Sir Stephen Hammick, who extracted the ball, and left his patient in as comfortable a state as, under the circumstances could be expected.”
BETWEEN M. ARMAND CARREL AND M. ÉMILE DE GIRARDIN.
July, 1836.
A fatal duel took place between M. Armand Carrel, editor of the Parisian journal the Nationel, and M. Émile de Girardin, editor of the Presse. The Nationel, in a very measured note upon a prosecution instituted by the Presse against the Bon Sens, expressed an opinion, that M. de Girardin would have done better to settle his quarrel with the editor of that feuilleton by written discussion, than by having recourse to the law. The Presse, in answering this note, introduced, in a manner not the most proper, the name of M. Carrel; who, although he did not sign the Nationel as its responsible editor, felt himself called upon to take the steps which led to such a deplorable result. M. Carrel fired first, and wounded his adversary in the thigh. M. de Girardin fired in his turn, and the ball entered the lower part of M. Carrel’s body. He was immediately conveyed to Mandé, to the house of M. Peyra, an old and intimate friend; where he died on the following day. When they were carrying him from the ground, in passing his antagonist, he said to him, “And are you, M. de Girardin, suffering much?” The latter, replied, “I wish, sir, you were not more seriously wounded than I am.”
BETWEEN THE HONOURABLE GRANTLEY BERKELEY AND WILLIAM MAGINN, LL.D.
August 4, 1836.
In consequence of an assault committed by the Honourable Grantley Fitzhardinge Berkeley, M.P. on Mr. James Fraser, the publisher of the magazine under his name, Dr. William Maginn, the author of the article which originally gave offence, left his card at Berkeley House. A hostile message was forthwith sent by the honourable member, and a meeting was agreed upon for seven o’clock in the evening. Mr. Grantley Berkeley was attended by Major Fancourt, and Dr. Maginn by Mr. Hugh Fraser. The parties met in a field near the Edgeware Road, and, after exchanging three shots without effect, Mr. Hugh Fraser withdrew his principal; no explanation or apology having been required or tendered.
BETWEEN MR. HARRING AND A POLISH OFFICER.
May 11, 1837.
A duel was this morning fought, in a field adjoining Hampstead Heath, between Mr. Harro Harring, a native of Denmark, and a Polish officer, whose name is not known. The principals met on the ground, attended by seconds; and, having been placed at ten paces’ distance, both discharged their pistols at the same instant, when Mr. Harring fell to the ground. He was conveyed to the North London Hospital; and the wound being pronounced to be dangerous, the victor, after asking and receiving forgiveness from the wounded man, mounted his horse and rode off to London Bridge; where he embarked on board a steamboat for Boulogne; the duel having been expressly fought at the time appointed, to allow the escape of the survivor to the Continent.