Benjamin Franklin Washington

Benjamin Franklin Washington (April 7, 1820 – January 22, 1872) was a relative of George Washington. He was involved in a duel with C. A. Washburn over articles printed in the "San Francisco Herald".

Personal life

Washington married Georgia H. Ransom on October 22, 1845 in Jefferson County, Virginia [cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~mocooper/Bibles/John_Washington_Family_Bible.htm|title=Washington Family Bible|author=Jn. T, A. Washington|accessdate=2006-03-18] He studied law [cite web|url=http://www.calarchives4u.com/Biographies/plumas/plum-harb.htm|title=Plumas County Biographies, 'Judge Joseph E. N. Lewis'|accessdate=2006-03-20] but went west to California in the 1849 Gold Rush as the president [cite web|url=http://history.sloco.net/Butte1882.html|title=Autobiography of John William Bowers|author=John William Bowers|publisher=Butte County Edition of the San Francisco Journal of Commerce|accessdate=2006-03-20] of the Charlestown Company [cite web|url=http://www.calarchives4u.com/Biographies/plumas/plum-rupp.htm|title=Plumas County Biographies, 'Charles C. Thomas'|accessdate=2006-03-20] [cite web|url=http://www.calarchives4u.com/Biographies/plumas/plum-blak.htm|title=Plumas Count Biographies, 'Robert M. Blakemore'|accessdate=2006-03-20] .

He was coeditor of the "Sacramento Democratic State Journal", along with Vincent Geiger. [cite web|url=http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NORCAL/2002-10/1036028508|title=Biographical Sketches Part 4|accessdate=2006-03-20]

On October 7, 1863, the "Democratic Press" was established in San Francisco, and by June 12, 1865, it became the "Evening Examiner", with William S. Moss as publisher and B. F. Washington as editor. For several years William S. Moss, Phil Roach and George Pen Johnston were its owners. Until it was bought by Senator Hearst in the 1880s, the paper had been a "highly chaste and non-sensation journal" [cite web|url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/newca/newca10.html|title=A History of the New California, ch. 10, "GROWTH OF NEWSPAPERS"|author=Leigh H. Irvine|publisher=The Lewis Publishing Company|accessdate=2006-03-18] . After Senator Hearst's death the paper went to his son, William R. Hearst.

B.F. Washington died January 22, 1872 in San Francisco, California.

The duel

Washington, who at the time worked for the Times and Transcript, took offense at articles written in the "San Francisco Herald". As a result, he challenged C. A. Washburn, then the editor of the "San Francisco Herald", to a duel. Though Washington aimed to kill, his second shot went through the rim of Washburn's hat, and his third bullet struck Washburn in the shoulder. The duel then ended [cite web|url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/tinkhamch14.html|title=California Men and Events, ch. 14, "PULPIT, PRESS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL"|author=George H. Tinkham|accessdate=2006-03-16] .

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