Existing comment:
"Going to the Iron Man:"
From the late 1700s to the late 1800s, dueling was a common way for upper-class South Carolinians to settle disputes.
Duels were first fought in South Carolina during the mid-18th century. Frenchmen in the state during the Revolutionary War helped make the practice popular. Even though an 1812 law prohibited duels, juries refused to convict duelists.
Like the plantation system, dueling declined after the Civil War. The last duel of record in the state was fought in 1880 in Darlington County between Camden lawyer William M. Shannon and E.B.C. Cash, one of the area's largest landowners. Shannon was killed. There was a such an outcry that a strict law against dueling was passed, and state officials were required to swear not to take part in duels.
The Code of Honor: Dueling was formal practice with strict rules. In 1818, South Carolina John Lyde Wilson published "The Code of Honor." It outlined procedures for a duel and gave rules of conduct for duelists, seconds and other participants. Both parties were to show courage and honor. Cowardice was disgraceful.
Dueling Pistols: According to "The Code of Honor," duels should be fought only with matching pistols so neither participant had an advantage. Usually these sets contained everything necessary to make the bullets and load the weapons. The English pistols in this exhibit case, made by I.N. Wadsworth of London, are typical of the weapons used in duels after about 1835. They were used at least twice in duels in upper Spartanburg County. |