The way it was #9: The Saga of Bowie Knife Potter
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In the years preceding the Civil War many events took on an
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importance that they might not have attained in calmer times such an
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event occurred in mid April 1860 a week before the
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Democratic nominating convention and a month before the Republican the
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era of Washington was already electric with emotion when Virginia's Congressman
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Rogers a Pryor challenged John Fox Potter the representative of
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Wisconsin to a duo of honor.
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The way it was presenting eyewitness accounts of historic events
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material for this series was drawn from the files and papers of the State Historical Society of
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Wisconsin. Today in the saga of bowie knife Potter.
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John Fox Potter was born and educated in Maine and it migrated to
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fronter Wisconsin at the age of 21. There he acquired land and
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combined the trades of Farmer lawyer and politician. Known as a
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charitable fearless man with a sense of humor and a genial disposition. He was elected
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to the United States House of Representatives in 1857.
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There he quickly developed an aptitude for the hairsplitting niceties of parliamentary law
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and brought a biting sarcasm into debates on the slavery issue.
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Hardly he settled into his congressional seat before he was challenged to a duel.
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On this occasion Congressman Barksdale of Mississippi was haranguing the house on the evils of
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abolition and the crimes of the abolitionists
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temporarily presiding over the house called the Mississippian to order. Then as Grohe
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passed down the aisle two Southerners sprang at him whereupon John Fox
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Potter came to the rescue as he was to explain many times afterwards
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was assaulted.
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It was nearly four o'clock in the morning. I seized the man who had him
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by the throat and threw him on the floor. And then Davis
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Lamar and others came up and joined in the fracas. I hit
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Davis and he drew a knife. Someone seized him
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and Barksdale came up then. I never saw a man who looked more as if
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possessed of a demon. I struck out right and left and then fell
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down. I never struck one of those fellows but once and every
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blow was in self-defense. The floors
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seemed strewn with man. I remember looking up and seeing or
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the speaker standing close by with a gavel in his hand. I wheeled
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around and saw the Washburn in the clutches of Barksdale Washburn gave a
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cry. I suppose Barksdale was armed and I struck him on top of
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his head. To buy stylish meant I found a bunch of hair
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in my hand. I never supposed Barksdale wore a wig. There it
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was.
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However I was not much surprised to hear the crowd cry out that someone had been scalped
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and a group of Southerners made a rush at me then the sergeant at arms bearing his mace came up
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and in the name of the house commanded me to take my seat. I said to go start us off.
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And just then one of those Southern fellows struck me. And my friends cried out Oh you
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wanted a veena didn't like my face was covered with
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blood. Finally order was restored
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my brother of the creature was a member of the house at that time. He was one of
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those who came up and spoke to me after the melee. He said the must of taken
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lessons in the pugilistic guard. No I replied I
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never took a lesson in my life. To this he replied dryly with
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obvious reference to Barksdale swig. I notice that I blow those were
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very effectual.
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Twice more before that session of Congress ended representative Prado was in the fore as a
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belligerent figure. Once he rose in Congress to deny a newspaper report that he'd been
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in a fight with a Tennessee member. And once he was brought after some
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resistance to the buyer of the house and fined for deliberate absenteeism
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throughout most of the next session of Congress Potter quietly performed his duties as a member of two
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House committees. In the background the sectional controversy between North
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and South waxed in intensity as spring came and the dates
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for the presidential nominating conventions grew near nervousness and their inability
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increased. Members of Congress quarreled with one another and
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vied the one with the other in making bellicose speeches for the record.
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On April 5th Owen Lovejoy a congressman from Illinois rose to
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make a violent speech against slavery. In his old age John
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Fox Potter was to vividly remember the sequence of events that followed and earned for
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him the nickname booie knife. Potter.
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Lovejoy was making a speech. When Lovejoy got excited
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he used harsh terms in relation to slavery.
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Now he was standing in front of his desk. Roger a prior was on the
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opposite side of the house. Pryor walked over and shook his fist in
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Lovejoy's face saying you should not come over on our side
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of the house. Well I stepped up fearing there might be a fight.
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And I said to Pryor he's not on your side you're on our side.
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Now the object of Pryor and his clique was evidently to force a fight and
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to to have it go out through the country that
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Lovejoy had provoked trouble by going up on the Democratic side of the house. So you see
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the rule was that a member addressing the House should speak from his own place
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or from a clerk's desk Lovejoy didn't insist upon his right to stay where he was he went to the
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clerk's desk and finished just speech. He said many things that
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exasperated the Southern members. I remember this. He said
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if any poor fugitive slave comes to my house asking for bread he will have
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bread Constitution or no constitution. Well
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they Congressional Globe was always several days behind at that time. The
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custom was for members who had made speeches to look over the proofs and see that the reports were
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correct. Lovejoy came to me some days after this incident he said you know what
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those fellows have done with your remarks interpreted in my speech. They went down the congressional
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printing office and inked out what you said and tore out several pages
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of proof. Well I went down with Lovejoy to see
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about it and I found that Singleton
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Pryor and others had made changes in the reports as Lovejoy had stated.
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I said the printer I'd like to restore those remarks and he replied all right and I did so.
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When the globe came out it was so far behind the matter it almost passed from my mind.
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But on the floor several days later Pryor had in his
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hand a copy of the globe and referring to the report of my interpellation he
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said no such remarks were made when the proof went to the speaker.
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They were not there when I explained the matter and I said I don't know what that
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gentleman's idea as a courtesy may be but if I had been in his place I
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would have let my right hand whether before I would have done what he's done.
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And Pryor turned to me and he said
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Do I understand the member from Wisconsin to say that he did
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make those remarks.
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Do you stand by them. And I responded that I did.
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And then he hissed out the sequel show demonstrate whether
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you stand by him or not.
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And I replied let it demonstrate that same
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afternoon John Potter received a challenge from Roger Pryor.
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So when you have the kindness to choose a place outside of the District of
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Columbia when and where there may be further correspondence between us
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Roger Pryor sprang from a different background and partook of a different heritage
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than John Potter descended from the first families of Virginia. It already
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made a mark for himself as an ardent fire eating southerner when in 1859
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Virginia sent him to the House of Representatives. He was an impassioned speaker
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with a reputation as a convincing orator and in his first session of Congress he
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assumed a leading position in debates with the northerners frequently in his
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speeches he alluded to his career as a dualist and expressed his willingness
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to meet his Yankee antagonists on the field of honor.
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The sunny southern climb the curious ones are ripping gentle and
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calm and a staggering swaggering sort of job that takes his whiskey straight
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and condemns his eyes on to
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some other. Just want all of them
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of course he's all the time in debt to those who credit given to manages
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upon the best the market yields to live. But if the Northern creditor or
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asking is built this gentleman instantly draws his boy
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and he claims that in consequence of their repeated aggressions of the North and its gross violations of the
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Constitution that it would not only degrade him to pay whatever and in
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fact that he has at last determined to use this tone
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as some other
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time.
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JOHN POTTER always aware of Pryor's background but he nevertheless took up the challenge of
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observing the strict code provided for such circumstances. Potter withdrew temporarily from the
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House of Representatives.
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The other congressmen were quick to note that he had to have a prior engagement
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Potter bad farewell that was wife go through the house of a friend and there with a group of his
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fellows agreed upon strategy. Colonel F. W. lender was
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selected to act as Potter's second. And the response to Pryors challenge was
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delivered late that evening to the Hon. Mr. Rogers a prior.
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So your note of this date invites a
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correspondence to be here after conducted outside the
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District of Columbia. A deadly to avoid on your part certain
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penalties imposed by law. I replied that the constitution of
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Wisconsin allows me no escape from the consequences of such a
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correspondence as you seem to contemplate. Wherever it may be conducted.
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I therefore inform you that such further correspondence as you may wish to
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make may be delivered to my friend Colonel F. W. lander.
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I have the honor to be very respectfully Your obedient servant John F. Potter Potter's note
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reflected the situation in which many northern congressmen found themselves during those last
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years before the Civil War. The Northern congressman on several occasions had been
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intimidated by those from the south. The Southerners were generally expert
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swordsman and pistol shots while the Northerners had been brought up to regard
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dueling with abhorrence. In Potter's case duelling was against the
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law of the state he represented some of the northerners who had been insulted and
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bullied had replied simply that they would fight only if crowded. But there had been a
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growing feeling that it was necessary for some Yankee to fight a duel.
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JOHN POTTER realized that he had to find some way to compensate for the fact that
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unlike prior he was not an expert dualist prior had been
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engaged in a duel with a member from West Virginia.
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He had been a second in a duel between Pleasants and Reggie. The terms of
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which were that the principals were to exchange shots with pistols and then take gooey
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knives and fight it out. I was not a good shot with a pistol
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and I didn't propose to have any hair trigger business. I proposed to bring the
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combat down to the first principles of human butchery.
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12th 1861 Roger Pryor's second Mr. T peaches MN
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delivered to Potter's second Colonel F. W. Lander a more formal
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challenge.
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To the JFK plot. I demand the satisfaction usual
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among gentlemen for the personal affront you offered me in debate and for which you were pleased
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to have your responsibility.
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I have the honor to be very respectfully Roger.
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A prior to which John Fox Potter promptly
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responded I refer you to my friend Colonel
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F. W. lander to make all the necessary arrangements. I have the honor to be very
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respectfully. John F. Potter.
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From then on it was all in the hands of the seconds. A flurry of notes went back and forth
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between them as they endevor to agree to terms for the duel.
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April 12 1860 11:30 in the evening. Do
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the honorable men serve I have to
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state that my principal they Honorable John Potter is
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claiming the particular rules of the code will fight they honorable
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Roger a prayer with a common bowie knife at such a place. A private room or
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open air. In this district as we may agree upon the time to be fixed within the next
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twelve hours by you and myself. Distance four feet at commencement of
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engagement two seconds present to each principal seconds restricted to 180
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revolver each. Knives are principles to be of equal weight and length of blade fight to
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commence at the word three. The calling of the tally and the word to be decided by
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turning a piece of money.
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I have the honor to be most respectfully and response to
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the demand of my friend love and satisfaction
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unusual among gentlemen from your friend Mr.
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disclaim and the particular rules of the who will fight
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with the common man.
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Not recognizing Barbara's
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difficult or
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distant notions of civilized society I must
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without communication or even
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implant it.
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Whenever you will reply to Mr. Pryor
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in such a way to me or
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even liberal construction whether
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I should be most happy to communicate.
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Principal responds.
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Respect your note is just.
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Without replying to your terms of indignation which seemed to pervade the note
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I will simply say that my principal did tests and they were whores the
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barbarous and inhuman mode of settling difficulties usually
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among gentleman. He represents his constituents in the following
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manner. He asserts and maintains his right to present on the floor of
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Congress within parliamentary rules any matter which he believes to be correct or
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called upon by note to reply to your principal. He has made his
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statement as his friend I have presented it.
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You object to the terms. They were such as what alone
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enable my principal who is unacquainted with the usual weapons of the
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duelist to meet your friend on equal terms.
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He will not go out of this district to fight a duel. He waives the
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usual last resort of a non-dualist and that is the assertion that he will
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defend himself for ever assailed. He even goes so far as to be willing
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to name time place and weapons when at this stage
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of the affair you appeal to the strict terms of the duelling code under express yourself
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is satisfied. There is but one result
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of this group. My friend Mr. Potter differing with
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politics with him that every American citizen is entitle to the
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free expression of opinion. Therefore present myself
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in his place with restrictions to be respectful.
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The District of Columbia with the.
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Usual
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terminate this correspondence
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between principals and the usual gentleman though your
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principal did
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not have
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to be
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30 this morning.
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In it you reiterate your assertion that your principal Mr. Potter
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is making assurance doubly sure. I have to correct an impression I
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have apparently conveyed in my last letter an impression also referred to in your note.
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It appears that my statement that Mr. Potter is the
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resort of the duelist. The assertion that he will defend himself
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has led you to believe that he will not defend himself ever saw that
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this is a mistake. If for the time he waved the
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mere assertion and placed himself so far as he could at the disposal of
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Mr. Pryor in regard to a personal combat by no means believe that he
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will not defend himself with honor wherever it sailed.
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It also becomes my duty to inform you that the Honorable John Potter
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did not know of my offer to appear for him. The further remarks of your
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letter being mere expressions of opinion upon a mode of adjusting
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difficulties the propriety of which we are now discussing. I have
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nothing to offer in reply. I have the honor to be
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most respectfully.
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You left the matter did not end here Roger prior upon his return to
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Washington claimed that he did not go along with the seconds refusal to fight with bowie knife.
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As a matter of fact he was still willing to fight with knives.
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And about this point the police of the district stepped in and arrested both Potter and Pryor
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and released them under $5000 bonds to preserve the peace.
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While the principals in this ludicrous incident were exchanging notes and insults
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the newspapers had squeezed the last drop of partisan sensationalism prominent.
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WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT scurried about the city gathering rumors to send their papers.
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At home republican editors wrote solemn editorials either praising Potter's
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willingness to defy southern braggadocio or deploring his risking his life
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for the demand of a Southern bully. During the incident of some editor wrote that
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Pryor was making a cheap display of valor and offering only a paltry
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performance.
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In serious vein they discussed whether under the code there had been any real
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grounds for a duel.
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When the outcome was known they all agreed that Potter had made prior ridiculous
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and with one accord they agreed to laugh at the discomfiture. The Southern chivalry
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from all parts of the country booie knives and congratulatory letters
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came to Potter.
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So we are all delighted with your style of weapons.
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If he meets you cut his tory hardtop the first lick you give him the fire eater needs a
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good cooling off. So prior second considered booie night was a
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vital instruments die. Well perhaps his
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principal would prefer muskets loaded with slugs at 10 paces. Colonel Bissell offered to
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accommodate Jeff Davis with an interview on those terms. I suppose
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Prior is not overanxious to be sent to hell across lots
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and consequently prefers pistols with which he's been practicing all his life time. There
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is just one way to deal with such a man and that is to cane him the first
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time it gives you any of his lip.
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Let a stranger make a suggestion. If Pryor will not fight as
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you suggest change the weapons to flails old fashioned
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flails 10 paces and advance. I think one crack of
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the swingle side of his head would set him.
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Stargazing beers are your constituency. Come to the
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conclusion that you're a devil of a fellow. Indeed this impression seems to be quite
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general in this region. People threw up their hats when the news arrived that you were
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driven prior to the war. Republicans congratulated each other
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and Democrats swore they would vote for you the next time.
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Here's a little model of this whole some northern pluck and the
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plantation manners of these large wings really materially mitigated. But
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Northern men should join in repudiating the Southerners brutal and
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detestable code of honor.
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Not all the reactions to John Potter were favorable. The first reactions of the
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Democrats have been to point up at the state law for bad dueling and to
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demand that Potter resign. On second thought they concluded that
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the whole affair was disgusting and that it reflected no credit on either side.
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Potter had behaved indecently imprudent and prior had acted like a
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braggart fool. Moreover they reflected that time for
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congressional nominations was near and Potter was probably trying by some
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exhibition of foolhardy and Roughie Anneli valor to get into the
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papers. Of course Pryor's friends had a different attitude altogether
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they congratulated Pryor on his victory and at least one
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prior supporter wrote her opinion directly to Potter
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there.
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You a thought you know I felt very smart. You need Mr. Pryor to get
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at you again. You nasty dirty
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dog.
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Find a lady who would like to get you whatever
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the opinions of the bystanders the mere duel between John Fox Potter and
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Roger a prior did have according to most later commentators one
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salutary effect their ridiculous performance had helped end the
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practice of dueling in this country.
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The way it was presenting eyewitness accounts of historic events
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today in the saga of a knife. Potter. Material for this series
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was selected from the files and papers of the State Historical Society it was Scott's. Consultant
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for the series was Doris planned script by Beth helper and music by kept up for
[27:23 - 27:28]
production. Ralph Johnson. This is the national educational radio network.
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