Who Shot First? A History Of Famous Duels

Famous duels are the stuff from which legends are made. Dueling with pistols might seem cruel and senseless to men of the modern era, but it made perfect sense a couple of centuries ago when it was inextricably linked to male honor. Especially in the South, and before the Civil War, duels were a spectacle—sometimes attended by hundreds of people—that allowed a gentleman the opportunity to prove his courage and preserve his honor.

Most pistol duels involved a single volley of shots. If neither man was hit, the duel was over, both men having retained their honor through their willingness to risk their lives. There were many reports of duelists aiming at their opponent’s leg or intentionally missing. And while satisfying the demand of honor was often sufficient, sometimes the matter needed to be settled with the shedding of blood or the loss of life. Approximately twenty percent of all duels ended in a fatality.