Bullets, Bluster, and Brains: The Duel That Wasn’t (But Kind of Was)

Few chapters in American political history are as dramatic as the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. Among the many strange moments to come out of that 1868 kerfuffle was a little dust-up between two members of Congress who apparently thought pistols at dawn were still a valid form of conflict resolution. (And it is still a requirement in Kentucky that lawyers and political office holders swear an oath that they have not participated in such things).

During the trial’s closing arguments, Congressman Thomas Nelson of Tennessee got into such a heated spat with Congressman Benjamin Butler of Massachusetts that Nelson challenged Butler to a duel. Because nothing says “reasoned debate” like suggesting your opponent meet you behind the Capitol with loaded weapons. The challenge, thankfully, went unanswered—Butler being more of a “fight with footnotes” than “fight with firearms” kind of guy. That didn’t stop the press (and some very creative gossips) from having a field day.

According to the humorous version passed around Washington salons and saloons, the duel did in fact take place. In this retelling, Butler was shot through the heart, and Nelson through the brains. This might have been a problem for anyone else, but not for these guys. Nelson had no brains to shoot through, and Butler had no heart to damage, so both men supposedly dusted themselves off and calmly walked back to the Capitol completely unharmed.

While the duel never actually occurred, the tale became one of the more entertaining legends of the impeachment trial—a welcome comic relief in a process that otherwise involved angry speeches, legal gymnastics, and a nation hanging in the balance. And if nothing else, it proves that even in the most serious of times, there’s always room for a little satire and a lot of ego.

For more interesting tales surrounding the big events of the day, be sure to read Impeached by David O. Stewart.

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