Bladensburg dueling grounds
| Bladensburg Dueling Grounds | |
|---|---|
| Type | County park and state historic site |
| Location | Dueling Creek Natural Area, Colmar Manor Community Park, Colmar Manor, Maryland, United States (formerly, the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds, in Bladensburg, Maryland) |
| Coordinates | 38°55′30.6″N 76°56′25.4″W / 38.925167°N 76.940389°WCoordinates: 38°55′30.6″N 76°56′25.4″W / 38.925167°N 76.940389°W |
| Created | October 15, 1966 |
| Owned by | Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Duration | 1808-1868 |
|---|---|
| Participants |
Barent Gardenier vs. George W. Campbell (1808) John Mason McCarty vs. Armistead Thomson Mason (1819) Stephen Decatur vs. James Barron (1820) Daniel Key vs. John Sherbourne (1836) Jonathan Cilley vs. William J. Graves (1838) A. Galletin Lawrence vs. Baron Kusserow (1868) |
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Barent Gardenier, wounded Armistead Thomson Mason, killed Stephen Decatur, mortally wounded Daniel Key, killed Jonathan Cilley, mortally wounded |
|
Barent Gardenier vs. George W. Campbell (1808)
John Mason McCarty vs. Armistead Thomson Mason (1819)
Stephen Decatur vs. James Barron (1820)
Daniel Key vs. John Sherbourne (1836)
Jonathan Cilley vs. William J. Graves (1838)
Barent Gardenier, wounded
Armistead Thomson Mason, killed
Stephen Decatur, mortally wounded
Daniel Key, killed
Bladensburg Dueling Grounds is a small spit of land, a fraction of its original size, along Dueling Creek, formerly in the town of Bladensburg, Maryland, and now within the town of Colmar Manor, just to the northeast of Washington, D.C., United States. Dueling Creek, formerly known as '"Blood Run" and the "The Dark and Bloody Grounds", is a tributary of the Anacostia River, which was formerly, called the East Branch Potomac River.
From 1808 the grove witnessed approximately fifty duels by gentlemen, military officers, and politicians, settling "affairs of honor". The exact number of duels and the names of all the participants who fought at Bladensburg may never be known because dueling was against the law, surviving records are obscure, and the events are not well documented. It is quite possible that more than fifty duels took place there. A formalized set of rules dealing with dueling etiquette referred to as a Code duello was usually enforced by the duelers and their seconds, even though dueling was illegal in the District of Columbia, and in most American states and territories.
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