Charles Dickinson (historical figure)

For writer, see Charles Dickinson (writer). For engineer and architect, see Charles Dickinson West.

Charles Dickinson (1780 – May 30, 1806) was an American attorney, and a famous duelist. An expert marksman, Dickinson's died from injuries sustained in a duel with Andrew Jackson, who later became President of the United States.

Life

Dickinson was born at Wiltshire Manor in Caroline County, Maryland. The son of Elizabeth Walker and Henry Dickinson. The grandson of Sophia Richardson and Charles Dickinson(1695–1795). The great grandson of Rebecca Wynne (daughter of Dr. Thomas Wynne) and John Dickinson. He studied law under U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall, who wrote formal letters of introduction and recommendation for his student. Dickinson owned a house in Maryland for 3 years before moving to Tennessee, where he became a successful horse breeder and plantation owner. Within two years of his arrival in Tennessee, he courted and married the daughter of Captain Joseph Irvin. Unfortunately for Dickinson, he also ran afoul of fellow plantation owner and horse breeder, Andrew Jackson.

"In 1805 a friend of Jackson's deprecated the manner in which Captain Joseph Ervin had handled a bet with Jackson over a horse race. Ervin's son-in-law, Charles Dickinson became enraged and started quarreling with Jackson's friend which lead to Jackson becoming involved. Dickinson wrote to Jackson calling him a 'coward and an equivocator.' The affair continued, with more insults and misunderstandings, until Dickinson published a statement in the Nashville Review in May 1806, calling Jackson a 'worthless scoundrel, ... a poltroon and a coward.'"^[1]

The political atmosphere in Nashville was heated by ambition. John Coffee, a friend of Jackson's, had fought a duel earlier in the year with one of Dickinson's associates, and there were larger political and sporting interests involved. The Jackson-Dickinson duel, like that between Aaron Burr - another friend of Jackson's - and Alexander Hamilton, had been developing over some time.

Although the actual issue that led to the duel was a horse race between Andrew Jackson and Dickinson’s father-in-law, Joseph Ervin, Jackson had confronted Dickinson over a report that he had insulted Rachel. Dickinson said if he had, he was drunk at the time and apologized. Jackson accepted his apology, but there were probably still hard feelings between the two. Jackson and Ervin had scheduled their horserace in 1805. The stakes specified a winning pot of $2,000 paid by the loser, with an $800 forfeit if a horse couldn’t run. Ervin’s horse went lame, and after a minor disagreement about the type of forfeit payment, Ervin paid.^{[2]:136–137}

Later, one of Jackson’s friends, while sitting in a Nashville store, shared what was probably a more lurid story about Ervin’s disputed payment. When Dickinson heard the story, he sent a friend, Thomas Swann, to act as a go-between to inquire about what Jackson said about his father-in-law. Whether the friend misinterpreted or even misrepresented what was said by the two men, this minor misunderstanding flamed into full controversy.^[2]

In a confrontation at Winn’s Tavern, Jackson struck Swann with his cane and called him a stupid meddler. Dickinson sent Jackson a letter calling him a coward about the same time that Swann wrote a column in a local newspaper calling Jackson a coward. Jackson responded in the same newspaper saying Swann was a “lying valet for a worthless, drunken, blackguard” meaning Dickinson.^{[2]:138–139}

That did it for Dickinson who, after he returned from New Orleans in May 1806, published an attack on Jackson in the local newspaper calling Jackson “a poltroon and a coward.” After reading the article, Jackson sent Dickinson a letter requesting “satisfaction due me for the insults offered.”

Death

Because dueling was outlawed in Tennessee, the two men met in Kentucky on May 30, 1806. Dickinson left Nashville the day before the duel with his second and a group of friends, confident, even demonstrating his shooting skills at various stops along the way. Since Dickinson was considered an expert shot, Jackson and his friend, Thomas Overton, determined it would be best to let Dickinson fire first, hoping that his aim might be spoiled in his quickness. Jackson would wait and, if he was still standing, take careful aim at Dickinson. The obvious weakness of this strategy was, of course, that Jackson might not be alive to take aim.^{[2]:140–141}

Dickinson did fire first, hitting Jackson in the chest. Under the rules of dueling, Dickinson had to remain still as Jackson took his one shot. Jackson’s pistol stopped at half cock, so he drew back the hammer and aimed again, this time hitting Dickinson in the chest. Dickinson bled to death.^[2]:142

Doctors determined that the bullet in Jackson was too close to his heart to operate, so Jackson carried it for the rest of his life, and suffered much pain from the wound. Locals were outraged that Dickinson had to stand defenseless while Jackson re-cocked and shot him, even though it was acceptable behavior in a duel. Jackson could have shot in the air or shot only to injure Dickinson; this would have been considered sufficient satisfaction under dueling rules. Jackson replied that Dickinson had meant to “kill the genl,” so Jackson had also shot to kill. Jackson’s reputation suffered greatly from the duel.^{[2]:136–143}

Jackson stood stoically throughout the duel; but his second, Thomas Overton, noticed blood running down on Jackson's boot as they left the duelling ground.^{[citation needed]} The expert Dickinson had aimed at Jackson's heart though the bullet had been slightly deflected by Jackson's choice of loose clothing on his lean frame, and careful sideways stance. The bullet broke some of Jackson's ribs, and had lodged inches from his heart. While Jackson could easily have fallen from such a wound, he said later, "I should have hit him if he had shot me through the brain."

The bullet could not be removed under the then-current state of medical technology. Jackson would carry it inside his torso for the remainder of his life, and he chronically suffered many related ailments.

Dickinson's body was returned to Maryland, where his family owned farmland, by his servant Truxton.^[3] There has been dispute in recent years over the events and burial.^[4]

See also

• List of people killed in duels

References

1. ^ Morris, Hal (November 11, 2005). "Andrew Jackson's Duel with Charles Dickinson". University of Groningen, Humanities Computing. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/P/aj7/about/bio/duel.htm. Retrieved 19 November 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Remini, Robert V., Andrew Jackson, Volume One: The Course of American Empire, 1767-1821. (Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1977,1998) ISBN 978-0801859113
3. ^ http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=46119
4. ^ The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/us/17grave.html. 

External links

• Visit Logan County, Kentucky - Jackson-Dickinson Duel

Persondata
Name	Dickinson, Charles
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1780
Place of birth
Date of death	May 30, 1806
Place of death