Most people probably think politics is uglier than it has ever been these days. However, history is full of stories of physical fights and assaults related to politics, even on the floor of Congress.
In North Carolina, one of the southeast’s last duels took place in Wilmington among two prominent citizens, Dr. William Crawford Willkings and Joseph H. Flanner. The cause was political rhetoric.
Ironically, it is believed the first duel among native North Carolinians took place in Wilmington as well, behind the Episcopal Church on July 11, 1787. John Bradley killed Samuel Swann and was charged with murder, but ended up getting a pardon from the governor.
Politics and arguments over slavery were splitting the country, and the Whig Party fell apart. Some former Whigs formed the American Party — also called the Know-Nothing Party — and there was the anti-slavery Republican Party.
In Wilmington, the Know-Nothings were having a good showing in 1856 and the races were taken seriously, even the ones for seats on the navigation board. The Democrats had a meeting on April 30 in the courthouse with several speakers and one was the 30-year-old Willkings who railed on the “anti-Democrats” and had harsh words for Flanner, the Know-Nothing candidate. Flanner made some rough comments in public about the Democrats, referring to them as “Sand Hill tackies.”
Flanner won the last seat on the navigation board by one vote, supposedly when a confused Democrat cast the wrong ballot. Flanner published a card during the campaign — it was common in that era to circulate cards or handbills to make a statement, a sort of forerunner of social media — that basically claimed Willkings’ remarks were false.
Willkings called for a duel. Flanner responded by asking for a “fair and honorable settlement” without the two men having to shoot at each other. Willkings would have none of it and insisted they settle the matter with pistols.
On May 3, some reports say the men and their seconds travelled to Marion, South Carolina for the duel, while another report says the duel took place near Fair Bluff, in Columbus County and that the men stepped across the state border to avoid violating North Carolina laws regarding duels.
The men marched ten paces, turned and fired. Flanner claimed later that he fired his shot in the air, a move often made to allow the duel to conclude “with honor.” Willkings then grazed Flanner in the arm, and it was on. Flanner sent one round through Willkings’ hat and another into his chest, killing the young doctor in minutes.
There was a huge turnout at Willkings’ funeral, but things turned out okay for Flanner. He ended up being the Confederacy’s Ambassador at Large to Europe during the Civil War and died in New Bern in 1885. A Buncombe County man sent two duel challenges in 1885, but neither was carried out.
Souces:
Scoundrels, Rogues and Heroes of the Old North State, by Dr. H.G. Jones
“Dueling” by Richard Rankin, NCPedia
Another good one, Michael. Thanks.
thanks for reading!
Good stuff Mike. I seriously considered challenging the gentleman who was driving a Mercedes with Biden and Cooper bumper stickers on it that I saw this morning, I figured that the folks at the Harris-Teeter would probably frown on it.
Haha! I’m glad you decided otherwise.