Anatomy of a Duel - Secession, Civil War, and the Evolution of Kentucky Violence (Paperback)

When the popular musical Hamilton showcased the celebrated duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, it reminded twenty-first-century Americans that some prominent, honor-bound citizens once used negotiated, formal fights as a way to settle differences. During the Civil War, two prominent Kentuckians - one a Union colonel and the other a pro-Confederate civilian—continued this legacy by dueling. At a time when thousands of soldiers were slaughtering one another on battlefields, Colonel Leonidas Metcalfe and William T. Casto transformed the bank of the Ohio River into their own personal battleground. On May 8, 1862, these two men, both of whom were steeped in southern honor culture, fought a formal duel with rifles at sixty yards. And, like the fight between Hamilton and Burr, only one man walked away. Anatomy of a Duel: Secession, Civil War, and the Evolution of Kentucky Violence examines why white male Kentuckians engaged in the "honor culture" of duels and provides fascinating narratives that trace the lives of duelists and opponents. Stuart W. Sanders explores why, during a time when Americans were killing one another in open, brutal warfare, Casto and Metcalfe engaged in the process of negotiating and fighting a duel. In deconstructing the event, Sanders details why these prominent Kentuckians found themselves on the dueling ground during the nation's bloodiest conflict, how society and the Civil War pushed them to fight, why duels continued to be fought in Kentucky even after this violent confrontation, and how Kentuckians applied violence after the Civil War. Anatomy of a Duel is a comprehensive and compelling look at how the seccession crisis sparked the Casto-Metcalfe duel - a confrontation that impacted the evolution of violence in Kentucky.

General

Imprint:	The University Press of Kentucky
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	November 2023
Authors:	Stuart W. Sanders
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	258
ISBN-13:	978-0-8131-9846-0
Categories:	Books
LSN:	0-8131-9846-1
Barcode:	9780813198460

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!