Sierra County CA Archives History - Books .....The Lippincott-Tevis Duel 1882
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com January 20, 2006, 10:25 pm

Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

THE LIPPINCOTT-TEVIS DUEL.

   The duel fought near Brandy City, in September, 1855, between Judge
Lippincott and young Tevis, was not so bloodless an affair as the one just
related. Lippincott was a strong democrat, and was interested to some extent in
a temperance paper of short life at Downieville, called the Old Oaken Bucket.
Tevis was a younger brother of Lloyd Tevis, now of San Francisco, and was highly
thought of. He belonged to the know-nothing party, of which he was a leader, and
was a candidate for district attorney on that ticket. Lippincott and Tevis were
not on the best of terms; but the dispute that led directly to the meeting was
caused by an article from the pen of Lippincott casting reflections on the
character of a Mrs. Pellett who was lecturing in the town on temperance. Tevis
replied in another paper with a sharp letter that greatly exasperated
Lippincott, who tried to meet Tevis on the street, that he might give him a
thrashing; but being unsuccessful in getting up a street fight, he sent the
young man a challenge to fight a duel, which was promptly accepted. The place
selected was on the county line between Yuba and Sierra counties, near to Brandy
City. The weapons were big, double-barreled shot-guns, loaded with ball. At four
o'clock in the morning the parties, with their friends, left Downieville for the
scene of conflict, and arrived there at daylight. John Marshall acted as second
for Tevis, while E. J. Smith performed the same service for Lippincott. Jerome
B. Totten and W. S. Spear officiated to some extent; Benjamin Green loaded the
guns, Drs. Carr and Aiken were on the ground in the capacity of surgeons; about
twenty persons were present as spectators. As the principals took their
positions, Lippincott's second placed his hand on his breast, to indicate where
to fire. Benjamin Green gave the signal, and at the first fire Tevis fell to the
ground a corpse. A piece was shot out of the shoulder of Lippincott's coat. He
was hurried off by his friends, and no proceedings were ever entered against
him. The body of Tevis was brought to Downieville, where he was buried amidst
impressive ceremonies, conducted by the Good Templars—the Masonic order, of
which he was a member, refusing to bury him with the honors, because of their
strong opposition to dueling. The Sierra Guards took a prominent place in the
procession.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sierra/history/1882/illustra/lippinco296ms.txt

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