Plumas County CA Archives History - Books .....Historical Reminiscences - The Leggett-Morrison Duel 1882
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Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

THE LEGGETT-MORRISON DUEL.

   The mode of vindicating wounded honor by a formal combat with deadly weapons
has happily gone out of fashion; and the challenger, instead of exciting
admiration among his sex for his bravery and high spirit, must endure jeers and
ridicule, and is looked upon as a crank or a fool. Dueling is a relic of
chivalry, and was formerly resorted to upon the slightest provocation from one
gentleman to another, encounters happening between parties who had not the least
enmity for each other. Though the practice had generally grown obsolete
throughout civilized countries at the time California was settled up, yet it
obtained considerably in this part of the country because of the
heterogeneousness of the characters that made the population of the coast. In
many cases the result was a harmless meeting of the combatants, an exchange of
shots from bulletless pistols carefully prepared against accidents by prudent
seconds, and an amicable settlement of difficulties by handshaking after the
bloodless affray. But all the duels fought in California were not so pleasant
and peaceable, the unfortunate affairs of Gilbert and Senator Broderick being
notable exceptions to the rule. Plumas county can also number one encounter of
the kind that was not unattended with bloodshed and death. It occurred in the
month of August, 1852. Some difficulty between William Leggett and John
Morrison, both Englishmen, resulted in a challenge being sent by the former,
which was accepted. The seconds were Horace Buckland and Washington Justice. The
scene of the combat was at the head of Missouri bar, on the east branch of
Feather river, and the weapons selected were Colts' revolvers. The duel was
fought in the presence of several hundred spectators. Three shots were
exchanged. At the last, Leggett fell, mortally wounded, and soon expired. His
body was buried on the spot where it fell. 


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)


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