How they did it back in 1839

Gen_Leigh_Read · 1 year

The one time my username is relevant, the thread has blown up before anyone will be able to see my comment. CURSE YOU REDDIT!

angrydroid · 1 year

*This public notice pronouncing General Leigh Read to be a coward was posted by Whig party leader William Tradewell in March, 1839, after Read refused to apologize or duel following an argument. General Read, a leading Democrat, remarked at the time that if he were going to fight someone, it would be the head of the Whigs, Colonel Augustus Alston.

Hearing this, Colonel Alston challenged Read to a duel. This offer was accepted and the duel set for December 12, 1839. Alston was a seasoned duelist and Read was considered to be as good as dead.*

TheGreatPastaWars · 1 year

From here on out, I will only offer insults.

"If I may, sir, your dear mother is so fat that not even our dear lord and savior Jesus can lift her spirits."

cereal1 · 1 year

My local newspaper lets you put small 1 to 2 sentence quips in the paper every week for free. I see a lot of passive-aggressiveness going on.

AskMeAboutMyGenitals · 1 year

http://titleofmagazine.com/2010/03/22/803/

Backstory.

PenAndSword · 1 year

Shit just got real for Leigh Read.

Frdwrd · 1 year

Source: http://www.jstor.org/pss/30150885

Summary: According to the paper, Tradewell was Read's opponent in the hotly-contested 1839 election. This election instigated several brawls and at least one armed conflict between citizens. Tradewell initially challenged Read to a duel after a political argument related to Democratic reform of territorial banking. After Read's refusal both Augustus Alston and a Dr. Randolph challenged Read to duels.

The paper goes on to say that at Alston's urgings Tradewell and Dr. Randolph both put up placards insulting General Read. Read, in response, posted a public card stating that should he fight anyone it would be Alston who was most responsible for the violence and difficulties surrounding the election.

Alston sent a letter in response to the card that called Read a coward and stated that Alston was not willing to "be diddled again by a verbal message or a bully boast." In response to the letter, Read challenged and Alston accepted.

As the man challenged, Alston was given choice of weapon, and chose Yager rifles. Both men agreed to 15 paces back-to-back, and a count of four while turning to fire. They also agreed to duel until both men were satisfied, or two surgeons (one hired by each man) agreed that one party was too injured.

Alston, overconfident, broke the rules and fired on three. He missed Read entirely in his haste. He then stood with his rifle clutched to his chest as Read calmly took aim and fired.

Later Read explained why he had chosen to kill Alston. First, Alston had chosen rifles when he knew Read had a wrist injury that would prevent him from aiming quickly. Second, Alston had stipulated that the duel would be fought within 24 hours, preventing Read from contacting his preferred seconds, and preparing himself physically. Third, Alston had hired Dr. Randolph as his surgeon, thus ensuring that Read would not, if injured, be declared unfit to continue the duel. Fourth, Alston broke the rules of the duel.

Obviously, Read won the election.

Willis Alston returned from Texas at the news of his brother's death, and attacked Read without warning during a dinner in the Tallahassee City Hotel. Alston shot Read in the side with a pistol, Read gave chase and shot Alston in the hand before collapsing from blood loss. Willis then stabbed Read repeatedly with a bowie knife and fled.

However, Read was not mortally injured and returned to his legislative duties a month later, albeit with a sidearm for personal protection. Willis Alston evaded arrest.

Finally, on April 26, 1841 Willis Alston leaped out of a building a few yards in front of Read and opened fire at point-blank range with a double-barrelled shotgun full of slugs and pistol rounds. Read died early the next morning.

Willis Alston was held for months before his political allies secured his release on bail. He then fled to Texas.

The paper also describes a story about the Alston family reusing the shot from Augustus Alston's body as a local legend, and stated that it could not be verified.

shabatooo · 1 year

You just read the first Tweet ever.

Countryb0i2m · 1 year

he pronounced him a coward AND a scoundrel. them is fightin words

hypokineticman · 1 year

cool repost bro

1 year

[deleted]

andrewsmith1986 · 1 year

I need to start proclaiming my hatred in ways that future generations can see it.

acerbicmom · 1 year

Today's version: COME AT ME BRO!

gusthebear · 1 year

I wish rappers fought like this.

Lurking_Grue · 1 year

┌─┐ 
┴─┴ 
ಠ_ರೃ

I Say!

jordanlund · 1 year

TO THE PUBLIC.

The object of this placard is to inform the Public that Sean Hannity has declined the opportunity to be waterboarded despite offering to do so and having all the proceeds resulting thereof to be donated to charity. I therefore pronounce him a Coward and a Scoundrel.

jordanlund

Portland, Mar. 29, 2011

michaelcolestie · 1 year

Wonder what the insult was?

PeriodBlood · 1 year

Leigh Read, you just gon' let him play you like a bitch?

rotomangler · 1 year

This is the way I will quit my job.

ON A PLAQUE LIKE A 19TH CENTURY BOSS

GargamelCuntSnarf · 1 year

I don't know how accurate this is:

from AskMeAboutMyGenitals' comment

William Tradewell, the man who declared General Leigh Read a “Coward and Scoundrel” was a member of the America conservative Whig party and slave owner in the Old South. General Leigh Read was a rising star in the Democrat party whose political naivety cost him.

Tradewell requested a duel with Read because of Read’s refusal to “apologise for the insult offered” and the feud between Tradewell and Read’s respective political parties. Read, being a poor shot turned him down.

Another guy by the name of Augustus Alston also offered Read a duel (but no public notice on his ’scoundrelness.’)

Read accepted knowing he was going up against a man who was a good shot, wealthy, from a nepotistic family, and vehemently opposed the Democrat party’s bank reform bills. Read stood by his position knowing if he was going to go down, it had to be someone who was a “bulldog” of the dying Whig party.

In Alston’s arrogance, he misfired and Read killed him with one shot. Alston– and pretty much everybody– planned on a “victory banquet” but Alston’s itchy trigger finger and cockiness caused him a critical delay and certain death.

Even though this was a duel, that Alston initiated, his sisters deemed it “murder.” Alston’s sisters had the bullet removed and recast. They instructed their brother Willis Alston– then in Texas– to kill General Read with the same bullet that killed Augustus Alston. Willis Alston approached Read at a public speaking event a few weeks later dressed in a cloak and hat to disguise himself. He threw off his disguise and the crowd immediately recognized him. He attempted to stab Read with a knife but was foiled when Read grabbed his gun and grazed Willis Alston’s hand.

A few years later after keeping a low profile Willis Alston caught up to Read and shot him in the back. Willis Alston was arrested but through family connections and $30,000 in bribes managed to escape to Texas.

Dr. Stewart a Tallahassee native son and friend of Read living in Texas became enraged that Read’s killer lived nearby– and said several insults about Willis Alston. Rather than post a public notice to apologize, Willis Alston approached Dr. Stewart on horseback demanding he apologize for those ill remarks.

Stewart refused and shot Willis Alston in the stomach. Though injured, Willis Alston fired back and killed Dr. Stewart.

Again in jail, Willis Alston hatched an escape plan with his family connections. That night though, friends of Dr. Stewart formed a lynch mob and fired endlessly at Willis Alston until he laid dead.

Keefster · 1 year

Tallahassee! Perhaps the CEO of sabre was a descendant of this fine gentleman.

GirlsCANbeEngineers · 1 year

GO FSU!

mHtt · 1 year

The fact this is on the front page of reddit almost 200years later must increase the value of the original investment by some extraordinary incalculable amount.

1 year

[deleted]

spankr · 1 year

X-post to /r/proper

sjbennett85 · 1 year

I don't see an upvote, share, or like button...

How can I inform my fellow people that I support such a statement?

illogicalreality · 1 year

Cue "the good, the bad, and the ugly" theme music

Havoc_101 · 1 year

http://www.christopherstill.com/mural_a_new_capital.htm

Here's the story - and a mural. :)

This public notice pronouncing General Leigh Read to be a coward was posted by Whig party leader William Tradewell in March, 1839, after Read refused to apologize or duel following an argument. General Read, a leading Democrat, remarked at the time that if he were going to fight someone, it would be the head of the Whigs, Colonel Augustus Alston.

Hearing this, Colonel Alston challenged Read to a duel. This offer was accepted and the duel set for December 12, 1839. Alston was a seasoned duelist and Read was considered to be as good as dead.

"Yager" Rifle. General Read chose this unusual hunting rifle with a sensitive hair-trigger with which to duel. The over-confident Colonel Alston, unused to this heavy weapon, lost his balance and fired before he was able to aim. Read then calmly shot Alston in the chest, killing him.

Bullet Press and Bullet. Although the Alston-Read duel was considered "fair", Alston's grieving sisters thought of it as murder. They removed the bullet from Alston's body, and had it melted down and poured into a press to reshape it. They sent it to their older brother-insisting he avenge his brother's death using the same bullet. General Read was shot and killed by Willis Alston in April, 1841.

longshot · 1 year

Looks like a wall post to me.

puffynipples_r_swell · 1 year

Oh Reginald... I DISAGREE!

SailorRipley · 1 year

I cannot imagine Tallahassee in 1839. Bugs, mosquitos, alligators, heat, humidity with no air conditioning. No wonder everyone was killing each other. 'Course it was probably on a little worse than the place is now.

AntiMythRenegade · 1 year

Ah yes; the time when calling out someone's honor was actually an insult.

N8ivg33k · 1 year

I said GOOD DAY SIR!

EyeFicksIt · 1 year

Where's the LIKE button on this status.

LeighRead · 1 year

Mr. Tradewell,

I will not abide this unsightly public rebuke, and do demand to get justice at dawn.

ProbablyHittingOnYou · 1 year

Check out r/RedditThroughHistory

[deleted] · 1 year

Ironically, 1839 was the first time that this image was submitted on Reddit.

killminusnine · 1 year

I challenge you to a duel sir! Pistols at dawn!

[deleted] · 1 year

Be nice to have a subreddit for pronouncing people cowards and scoundrels.

xhosSTylex · 1 year

William Tradewell

A man of his character ought not be insulted, nor denied an honorable apology.

tarekd19 · 1 year

I believe Reddit comment disagreements and insults should sound more like this

MandatorySuicide · 1 year

the only thing missing is a piece of chalk on a string with two columns for liking

[deleted] · 1 year

Cocksucker!

skippy619 · 1 year

I was expecting something much dirtier.

honusnuggie · 1 year

God I wish we were allowed to challenge people to public fisticuffs. Don't use the proper rules of the road? I challenge you to a fist duel. You refuse? Motherfucking placard.

jamessnow · 1 year

"I demand satisfaction"

PeskyVarmint · 1 year

The pucilanimous polecat!

cowings · 1 year

and may I also add to this 'Fuck yo couch, nigga'

Adumbrations · 1 year

So, back then they used a double space after a period with variable spaced fonts? Yep, looks pretty bad.

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