The last duel to take place in Savannah, Georgia, happened in July of 1877 between Rodolph Rufus Richards and Samuel Barnard Adams. The engagement occurred at Brampton Plantation about three miles northwest of downtown on the Savannah River. Both Richards and Adams were Savannah lawyers, and their disagreement stemmed from an argument over the judgment in a case. Duels were not uncommon in the South or in Savannah, but the practice was beginning to wane as the Civil War approached and was almost completely dead by the 1870s. So, this occurrence was unusual. Each man arrived at Brampton early in the morning with his physician and second alongside. The physician was brought along for the obvious reasons, and the second was there to “have your back.” The second was a close friend; he was to inspect the weapons, make sure the agreed upon rules were followed, and to serve as a replacement if the participant “chickened out.” After marching 12 paces, both Richards and Adams fired at each other, and they both missed. A second attempt was made, and again, they both missed. After the second round, both men, fearing death, agreed to apologize to each other and sign a document releasing the other from any wrongdoing. With their courage, dignity, and honor intact, both men left respected and alive! Richards would eventually die in 1927, and Adams would pass in 1938. Both men are buried in Bonaventure Cemetery just outside of downtown Savannah.
Duels had been fought throughout the centuries with varying rules and weapons. The Irish Code Duello was established in 1777 and was used during the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and North America. The code consisted of 25 rules and several footnotes. Rule 16 gives the choice of weapons to the challenged party. More often than not, the weapon of choice was a dueling pistol. The Irish code outlawed the discharging of a weapon into the ground well in front of the opponent. Some believed that this was the gentlemanly thing to do – accept the challenge to show your manhood and courage but then agree to not inflict bodily harm on the opponent. The challenge had been met, honor and integrity had been kept intact, and apologies were accepted. Ironic as it might sound, the practice of firing into the ground was outlawed because it was viewed as too dangerous as some had been accidentally shot and killed.
Dueling was the “gentleman’s” way of solving a dispute. Some very famous and prominent American leaders have fought in duels. The most famous duel being the contest between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1803 in which Burr killed Hamilton. Henry Clay, perhaps the most influential congressman in US history who also served as Secretary of State, fought in multiple duels. President Andrew Jackson also fought in multiple duels and killed Charles Dickinson in 1807 in a duel just outside of Nashville. The famous Navy commander Stephen Decatur died at the hands of James Barron in a duel in 1820. Sadly, Barron apologized to Decatur as he fell. Decatur’s last words to Barron was “do not worry, it was a fair fight.”
In the American South, perhaps more than in any other part of the western hemisphere, courage and honor were held above all else. Duels were fought regularly in all of the southern states, mostly by members of the upper class. In 1838, former South Carolina Governor, John Lyde Wilson, published a set of southern rules for duels. It was titled The Code of Honor. These rules covered the basics and gave guidelines for weapons, seconds, and physicians. It also included a section outlining what type of insults were grounds for a challenge. Savannah had its share of duels, and most were fought on the southside of Colonial Cemetery. The cemetery actually has a section for individuals that were killed in a duel just outside of the grounds. Perhaps the most famous duel ever fought in Savannah was between General Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett.
Both McIntosh and Gwinnett were leaders in the Revolutionary movement against Great Britain but had differing opinions on how to best defeat the British and run the colonial Georgia government. McIntosh was a military man and highly accomplished. He won the favor and admiration of George Washington due to his galant service. Gwinnett was a politician and very important, being a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. These were two very significant men to say the least! McIntosh became upset with Gwinnett over his perceived mistreatment of his brother, George McIntosh, and orders that he received from Gwinnett to carry out a poorly conceived attack against Spanish Florida. He called Gwinnett, “a scoundrel and a lying rascal.” These were fighting words if ever there were such!
Gwinnett challenged McIntosh, and the duel was set for May 16, 1777. After marching 12 paces, the two men turned and fired simultaneously. Both were struck in the leg. McIntosh recovered from the wound, but Gwinnett would succumb three days later. Fearing retaliation against McIntosh, George Washington ordered him to join the Continental Army at Valley Forge for the winter of 1777-1778 where he was in charge of a regiment from North Carolina. The duel damaged McIntosh’s reputation, and he never fully recovered his good name in the eyes of Savannahians. Both McIntosh and Gwinnett are buried in Colonial Cemetery in downtown Savannah, and both have a county in Georgia named after them.
These two duels that took place 100 years apart are a very interesting and important part of Savannah history!