President Andrew Jackson Personal Advice On Dueling.
Let him loose in DC Today.
Hermitage Sept 9th 1819
Captain Call.
In prosecuting the business you have taken charge of for your friend, Major Eaton, you must steadily keep in mind that the man you have to deal with is unprincipled. You will
be guarded in all your acts, have everything in writing and hold no conversation with him unless in the presence of some confidential person of good character, he is mean and artful.
It is possible from what I think of the man that he will propose rifles or muskets. These are not weapons of gentlemen – and cannot and ought not to be yielded to.
Pistols are the universal weapons (with one solitary exception) of firearms gentlemen use. These or swords ought to be selected, and as neither of those concerned are in the habit of using swords, the offending party will make choice of this weapon.
The next choice in the opponent is distance — ten paces is the longest — and although the defendant may choose as far as ten paces, still if the offended is not as good a shot as the defendant, custom and justice will bring them to a distance that will put them on a perfect equality position. To prevent accident, let them
keep their pistols suspended until after the word fire is given.
The first rule is to let each man fire when he pleases, so that he fires one minute or two after the word.
Charge your friend to preserve his fire, keeping his teeth firmly clenched, and his fingers in a position that if fired on and hit, his fire may not be extorted. Sometimes when the distance is long it is agreed that both or either may advance and fire. If this arrangement is made, charge your friend to preserve his fire until he shoots his antagonist through the brain, for
if he fires and does not kill his antagonist, he leaves himself fully in his power.
Have every rule written down and signed by his friend. Receive none but written answers, and all open, that you may inspect and see that they are decorous, for this is the friend’s duty to see that no paper that comes through him ought to contain indecorous expressions.
I have been always of an opinion that a base man can never act bravely. The attack upon Major E[aton] was in the first place wanton, then throwing the authorship on a diminutive blackguard printer, that no one could notice, only with a cudgel – shows a meanness and cowardice, with all his boasted courage, that induces me to believe that he will not fight.
It may be he may rather select me – as he may think that I will have nothing to do with him, and in this way get off.
Should he (by way of example sake), just close with him. I then have a right to choice of distance. Take him at seven feet, placed back to back, pistols suspended, until after the word fire, and I will soon put an end to this troublesome scoundrel. It is possible from what I have heard that he may attempt to take this ground and I charge you agree on my part without hesitation.
He is a man I cannot challenge, but if a villain will run from one danger and hold out ideas of bravery – they ought always to be taken in. I pledge myself on the foregoing terms.
If my pistol fires – I kill him—
A.J.