Charles Dickinson (historical figure)
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Charles Dickinson (1780-May 30, 1806), was a 19th century American and nationally famous duelist. An expert marksman, Dickinson's dueling career included 26 kills before it was ended at the hands of future president Andrew Jackson.
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[edit] Life
Born at Wiltshire Manor, Dickinson grew up in the Grove community of Caroline County, Maryland. He was a successful planter, renowned duelist, and a popular socialite.
[edit] Death
Jackson's political opponents convinced Dickinson to insult Jackson's wife assuming Jackson would not survive. At a party near Hillsboro, Maryland, at the Daffin House plantation, he met Andrew Jackson and struck up a conversation about horse racing. Later the two would meet again when Dickinson had relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. A horse race was set up between the two men, but Dickinson pulled his entry out at the last minute.[1] Both men, enraged after trading public insults subsequent to the scrapped race, agreed to a duel. Dickinson fired first, and Jackson took one ball in the ribs.[2] Without wavering, Jackson then fatally wounded Dickinson with a .70-caliber shot to his middle, severing an artery. He died a few hours later, the only man Jackson ever killed in any of his 103 duels.<ref>Wallace, Chris (2005). Character : Profiles in Presidential Courage. New York, NY: Rugged Land. ISBN 1-59071-054-1.</ref>
[edit] Trivia
- Jackson fought only about 4 duels in his lifetime:
- 1788 the 1st was with a attorney Wiggstill Avery in which no one was hurt;
- 1803 the 2nd with John Sevier in which 2 mishaps caused no one to be hurt as well {although both parties tryed their best to the contrary};
- 1806 the 3rd was with Dickinson
- 1813 the 4th was a brawl with Thomas Hart Benton and Benton's brother Jessie in which Jackson was badly wounded. {Jackson had been a second in an 1813 duel which involved William Carroll and Jessie Benton}.
[edit] References
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