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Saturday, January 26, 2008

Rifles at Thirty Yards!


While I was writing the last post, I read (and linked to) the Wikipedia entry on William M. Gwin, a southerner who transplanted to California and became one of that state's first two senators.

The entry includes a description of an event that I can't help but share:
Gwin had a duel with Congressman Joseph McCorkle with rifles at thirty yards following an argument over his alleged mismanagement of federal patronage: Shots were fired by both men but only a donkey some distance off was shot dead.

I can't figure out what stuns me more: that two guys decided to duel with rifles at thirty yards, or that they both shot and missed.

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