There are conflicts within different documents on the exact wording of codes, words, terms and rules.  If the words or punctuation is varied I tried to utilize the one that seemed the easiest to understand.  The Irish and French Codes have there own section at this site.  The majority of this section will be used to clarify words and terms associated with duelling:

Audience: The guest list, some duels are private, some invite anyone interested, other had specific guest lists.

American Duel: This came in vogue in some circles in Germany (about 1880).  It was part suicide, part Russian roulette.  The duel was to mock Americans, and mock the formality of the French duel.  The participates drew straws.  The loser then had an agreed to time period to get his affairs in order and commit suicide.  

Animals in Duelling: Animals were used in duels.  In one case a dog fought the suspected murder of his master.  The dog was declared the victor, and the man was hung.

Armourer: Individual that maintains or repairs weapons.  With pistols he would prepare and bring 5 cased sets to the field.   

Barrier Duel: Common in Germany and Russia.  Principals were positioned a far distance apart.  Upon the signal they advanced, they could not cross into a measured minimum distance zone.  Once someone fired they had to stand their ground until their opponent returned fire.  The second one to fire could advance to the zone boundary before returning fire.

Benefit of Clergy: privilege of Medieval clergy, similar to Diplomatic Immunity. 

Champions: A person who takes responsibility for the acts of a Primary.  The Champion takes the place of the Primary in the duel.

Class: Class is social level, status.  Gentlemen did not fight a duel with someone outside their class.  They may actually Cain of Whip someone beneath them.  To accept a challenge was to acknowledge the other was of equal class.  

Delope: To fire intentionally into the air.

Disease: British officers that were killed in a duel were routinely listed as having died of Cholera or Typhus.   

Dress: Dress is very important to the event:  

Field: The Presiding Officer, with the assistance of the Seconds, shall lay it out; mark with appropriate boundaries, lines, and stations in advance.

Firing Ranges: Most of the Famous gun makers maintained Firing Ranges on their premises. 

Flash in the Pan: A term used today to imply quick.  In old power guns, the flint sparks into a little pan full of powder that flashes as it lights and primes the charge to fire.

Four (4) Duels: Some Codes stated that a man was not a man until he had fought four (4) duels.  This is still a guideline in Fraternity Duelling that is active today in Germany.  Four duels must be fought to be accepted as a man.  

French Duelling Code: French Dueling Code has its own section on this web site.  

French Rifling: Rifling that ended about one inch from the muzzle and was undetectable without close scrutiny.   

Futile Duel: To fight over the honor of a prostitute would be considered absurd or a futile duel. 

Gentry: The highest level of class.  They rule by birth or appointment.  Early American politicians considered themselves the "Gentry" which would then include responsibility for social issues like honor.

German SS Code: The SS had a duelling code dating from 1935.   

Glove: The use of a glove, across the face, to challenge another was a Hollywood creation.  The face was a "Sacred Zone" striking someone across the face was a higher degree of insult then most other offences. 

Grant, Ulysses S: "If any man should wrong me to the extent of my being willing to kill him, I would not be willing to give him choice of weapons with which it should be done, and of the time, place and distance separating us, when I executed him."       

Honor: One's most valuable possession.  More important to a gentleman than his life.

Honor Courts: Assemblages of peers to adjudicate matters of honor.  They were utilized to try to reduce duels but never took hold. 

Insults and Degrees of Insults: (English? See Offence)

1. Slight Cases -- A lesser degree of offense (very rare among Gentry).

Swords -- Requires a substantial drawing of blood (well beyond a piddling trickle) in the torso, neck, or head.  Seconds from both sides can agree that an upper thigh or arm wound to a major vessel is satisfactory.

Pistols -- Requires at least five shots but continues until a hit is sustained.

2. Gross Cases -- A greater degree of offense.

Swords -- Requires death or permanent removal.  

Pistols -- Requires at least five shots but continues until death or permanent removal.  

Insults and Kinds of Insults:

1. The Offense and Retort - An exchange of insults between the two parties. Example: A tells B he is impertinent, etc. B retorts that he lies; yet A must make the first apology because he gave the first offense.

2. The Lie Direct - An unprovoked and untrue insult. Among the refined, a retort to a lie is only serves to dignify it beyond the limits of polite company

3. The Third Party Insult - An insult directed at a third party to whom the challenger feels some responsibility. They are always gross insults.

4. The Blow - A physical blow is a cowardly act of the rabble and unsuited for gentry. They are always gross insults.

5. Undivulged Causes - Preserving the honor of some person or persons unknown is the most common reason for this cause.

6. An Issue of Contention - This can be any cause, intellectual or otherwise, where there is a dispute between the parties but no clear insult either way. Example: Evolutionism v. Creationism. All Issues of Contention are gross and must be decided by death of one or both of the Primaries.

Irish Duelling Code: 1776 Irish Dueling Code has its own section on this web site.  

Judicial Duel: Trial by combat, God would intervene on behalf of the just.

Lock Stock and Barrel: A term used today to say or imply the whole thing.  Came from gun makers – the lock, the stock, and the barrel were assembled to make a gun.

Mercy: Mercy is an admirable quality among Gentry, even in the face of a breach.  If a Primary is unable to continue the fight through injuries sustained upon the Field, the Victor-Apparent may choose to spare the coup de grace.  Publication will show the Victor prevailed, therefore having the righter cause, and elected to show mercy.  

Nose Tweak: A form of insult; used to aggravate an individual you wanted to fight.

Offences: (French)

1.      A simple offence.

2.      An offence of an insulting nature.

3.      An offence with personal acts of violence.

Officer Seconds: Chosen by the Presiding Officer for their neutrality in the matter on the field. They serve as Seconds to the Presiding Officer. There will be four. They will be armed in a like fashion.  It is considered bad form and a gross breach for them to kill without the consent of the Presiding Officer.

Physician: Whenever possible, a physician would attend. 

1. To render aid to an unsuccessful primary if, and only if, the successful primary agrees out of mercy.

2. To pronounce death.

Presiding Officer: The fair and impartial word and hand upon the field. The Presiding Officer will see that the matter at hand and its terms of honor are satisfied in a fashion suitable for the gentry. The Presiding Officer and Officer Seconds shall at all times be suitably armed to enforce the rules and punish those who act in a manner beneath the dignity of the Event and their Station.

Primaries:

Publication: Notice that a duel will take place.  If the Challenged does not answer the challenge upon the Field within a reasonable time, the Challenger may subscribe/Post him/her to be a Pultroon to the community at large using any and all media. The Gentry are required to shun the Pultroon.

Reconciliation:

1. Apology - Requires an admission of wrongdoing.

2. Beg Pardon - Asks for reconciliation without an admission of wrong-doing

3. Explanation - A justification for the position taken.

4. Withdrawal - Removing the challenge prior to the duel.

Satisfaction: The terms of honor at stake have been returned to a pristine state. There are two methods:

1. The Primaries' Decision.

Slight Cases -- May be decided without any blood.

Gross Cases -- Requires blood.

2. Death - The matter is ended with the honorable death of one or both parties. Others may not take up the matter at hand, except in cases where the death was dishonorably rendered through a cowardly or common act.  

Scratch Rifling: Lightly cut rifling, almost invisible up to the muzzle. 

Seconds: Individuals who assist the primaries with the complexities of the meeting.  Certain circumstances may require the seconds to stand in for the primary.  

Silk: Silk was considered a clean strong cloth.  It was used to stop bullets (in many layers).  It was considered cleaner than any other cloth and smart to wear if you might be shot. 

Subscription: Public Notice of the events surrounding a Challenge and the Answer.  Posted after the Meeting.   Names the Primaries, Seconds, Officers, Date, Time, Issue (if good taste allows), and the Outcome, clearly denoting the Victor and Vanquished.

Types of duels: See French Duelling Code

Weapons of Choice: Pistols or Swords only.  Exceptions by agreement are the rapier, a pike on a buckler with the cut and thrust sword. Clubs, fists, knifes and other lesser weapons are not allowed.

Western Showdown: The classic western duel was a creation of Hollywood.  It would have never occurred to a gunfighter to leave his pistol in his holster when he saw a fight coming.  Outlaws did not have honor, they would just as soon shoot you in the back or from across the street with a rifle.  

Women in Duelling: Women were active in duelling.  Sometimes the ground was neutralized by placing the man in a hole (like two feet) where the man had to fight from.  Champions were allowed.  One woman is known to have taken on three men at the same time with a sword and killed them all.   

Wilson, John Lyde:  A former governor of South Carolina published a 22-page booklet in 1838 called “ The Code of Honor”.  It provides a more “American look” at what that period and area utilized when duelling.  If you want more information, search “The Code of Honor” on the Internet.

Send mail to jim@duellingpistols.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2005 Duelling Pistols
Last modified: March 21, 2005