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Filler
May 29, 1810
The New Hampshire Gazette
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A duel in Cornwall using a single musket misfired due to the second's actions, causing both combatants to fall—one over a precipice, the other into mud—instead of shooting each other.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Serious Warning to Duellists!
A duel was fought a few days since in Cornwall, when both the combatants fell at the first fire! A catastrophe imputed to the extraordinary conduct of the second (for there was but one,) who assisted on the occasion. It seems the parties—a commercial ambassador from London, and a gentleman of the neighborhood, being "flushed with the Tuscan grape and in high blood," quarrelled; and in the impatience of their valor, having no other arms at hand, proceeded to the work of death with a single musket. The toss of a dollar, which gave the first fire to one, fixed the other as the fatal mark. The single second, charged the musket: and in the act of delivering it, with elevated muzzle, purposely pulled the trigger, when both combatants fell—at the second!—one over a precipice, the other into the mud; and the gentleman to whom we owe our account says, he left the former in charge of a nurse—the latter of a washerwoman!
[London paper.
A duel was fought a few days since in Cornwall, when both the combatants fell at the first fire! A catastrophe imputed to the extraordinary conduct of the second (for there was but one,) who assisted on the occasion. It seems the parties—a commercial ambassador from London, and a gentleman of the neighborhood, being "flushed with the Tuscan grape and in high blood," quarrelled; and in the impatience of their valor, having no other arms at hand, proceeded to the work of death with a single musket. The toss of a dollar, which gave the first fire to one, fixed the other as the fatal mark. The single second, charged the musket: and in the act of delivering it, with elevated muzzle, purposely pulled the trigger, when both combatants fell—at the second!—one over a precipice, the other into the mud; and the gentleman to whom we owe our account says, he left the former in charge of a nurse—the latter of a washerwoman!
[London paper.
What sub-type of article is it?
Accident Or Mishap
Human Interest
What keywords are associated?
Duel
Cornwall
Musket
Accident
Falls
Second
Intoxication
Where did it happen?
Cornwall
Filler Details
Topic
Misfired Duel With Single Musket Causing Falls
Location
Cornwall
Event Details
Two men, a commercial ambassador from London and a local gentleman, quarreled while intoxicated and dueled with one musket. The second intentionally fired it upward while handing it over, causing both to fall: one over a precipice, the other into mud.