Anatomy of a duel : secession, Civil War, and the evolution of Kentucky violence / Stuart W. Sanders.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sanders, Stuart W., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Metcalfe, Leonidas.

Casto, William T., 1824-1862.

Casto, William T.

Dueling--Kentucky--History--19th century.

Dueling.

Violence--Kentucky--History.

Violence.

Kentucky--Social life and customs--19th century.

Kentucky.

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Influence.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (248 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Lexington, Kentucky : The University Press of Kentucky, [2023]

Summary:

"When the popular musical Hamilton showcased the celebrated duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, it reminded twenty-first-century Americans that some prominent, honor-bound citizens once used negotiated, formal fights as a way to settle differences. During the Civil War, two prominent Kentuckians--one a Union colonel and the other a pro-Confederate civilian--continued this legacy by dueling. At a time when thousands of soldiers were slaughtering one another on battlefields, Colonel Leonidas Metcalfe and William T. Casto transformed the bank of the Ohio River into their own personal battleground. On May 8, 1862, these two men, both of whom were steeped in Southern honor culture, fought a formal duel with rifles at sixty yards. And, like the fight between Hamilton and Burr, only one man walked away. Anatomy of a duel: secession, Civil War, and the evolution of Kentucky violence examines why white male Kentuckians engaged in the 'honor culture' of duels and provides fascinating narratives that trace the lives of duelists and opponents. Stuart W. Sanders explores why, during a time when Americans were killing one another in open, brutal warfare, Casto and Metcalfe engaged in the process of negotiating and fighting a duel. In deconstructing the event, Sanders details why these prominent Kentuckians found themselves on the dueling ground during the nation's bloodiest conflict, how society and the Civil War pushed them to fight, why duels continued to be fought in Kentucky even after this violent confrontation, and how Kentuckians applied violence after the Civil War. Anatomy of a duel is a comprehensive and compelling look at how the secession crisis sparked the Casto-Metcalfe duel--a confrontation that impacted the evolution of violence in Kentucky"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Praise

Half Title

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Contents

Introduction

1. A Scene of Desolation

2. All to Lose and Nothing to Gain

3. When Men Talk Politicks Now They Whisper

4. Beyond the Reach of Law or Liberty

5. The Soul of the Rebellion

6. Down with Them

7. A Matter of Honor

8. Kentucky and the Code Duello

9. His Blood Is on His Own Head

10. Doomed to Exile

11. History Is Written in Blood

12. Two Young Bloods

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index.

Notes:

Includes index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-8131-9847-X