Post by schlager7 on Oct 19, 2005 9:08:05 GMT -6
This started as an odd sort of duel and became a melee. It is an excerpt from my local fencing history, Campeche Steel:
On May 18, 1844 a spectacular duel erupted on the streets of San Antonio. The encounter was between one Terence Corcoran and Corbel de Lominie.
Corcoran had sold his plantation in Tennessee in 1840 and had leisurely made his way into Texas, by way of a yearlong diversion in New Orleans. Most of his time was whiled away on Exchange Alley, the locale of numerous salles d’armes. Already a crack shot, in New Orleans Corcoran decided to avail himself of the services of Pepe Llulla, fencing master. At the end of eight months of instruction, Lulla stated he had nothing more to teach Corcoran.
By 1841 Corcoran had wandered into San Antonio. A man of some leisure, he tended to pass time by visiting shops, taking scotch in the cantinas and shooting dice with the soldiers, or fencing with them.
On May 18, 1844 Corcoran was in the Jabali Cantina. He was drinking scotch and quietly reading a poem of his own composition to his friend Don Jose Salceda. Corbel de Lominie, who was standing nearby, interrupted and asked if Corcoran was as poor a fighter as he was a poet.
Corcoran looked up at the Frenchman and replied, "No. I am at a disadvantage when I pick up the pen; my hands are awkward. They fit nothing but the hilts of swords or the butts of pistols."
De Lominie replied that he had three friends at the inn. He asked if Corcoran could come up with an equal number for his party. Corcoran agreed. They arranged for an encounter at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
At the appointed hour De Lominie arrived with three men, named Souriau, Pavie and Villemessant. Corcoran arrived with two men named Twigg and McDowell, as well has his friend, Don Jose Salceda. The agreement was for each to face off against an adversary from the other party. They also agreed that, the moment one finished off his counterpart, he was free to jump in and assist any of his comrades. De Lominie faced off against Corcoran. Souriau faced Salceda. Pavie squared off against Twigg. Villemessant opposed McDowell. Then the melee began.
De Lominie fenced with both skill and ferocity. It initially appeared that he might get the better of his foe. In time, however, Corcoran was able to get de Lominie’s measure and found the appropriate parry for each attack.
Salceda, meanwhile, had run Souriau through before two minutes had passed. He then turned to assist Twigg, who was fencing Pavie. Pavie, however, evaded a thrust from Twigg and, at virtually the same time, cut down Salceda. He then turned to face Twigg without missing a beat. Clearly the better swordsman, Pavie soon killed Twigg.
McDowell, meanwhile, had Villemessant hard pressed. Pavie raced to his comrade’s aide. Before he reached the scene, however, McDowell disarmed Villemessant, sending the Frenchman’s sword flying ten paces away. Villemessant and McDowell each raced for the sword. McDowell arrived first, planting his foot on Villemessant’s blade.
By now Pavie had also arrived and thrust his sword at McDowell, who parried it, delivering a riposte and running Pavie through.
Villemessant, deprived of his own sword by McDowell, had used the short time McDowell and Pavie fenced to take the sword from the fallen Souriau. Villemessant raced upon McDowell, whose blade was still in Pavie. McDowell was barely able to extricate his weapon in time to face his new foe. Villemessant, however, got into too much of a rush to deliver a quick cut and left his guard open. McDowell took the opening and ran his point into Villemessant's shoulder.
McDowell then turned to aide Corcoran, who was still crossing blades with de Lominie. Corcoran, however, waved him off. In the next moment, Corcoran ran his adversary through.
When the affair was over Cocoran and McDowell suffered nothing more than minor cuts. Salceda and Twigg were dead. On the other side, Souriau suffered a serious wound, but recovered after many months in a hospital. Villemessant was injured, but not badly. Pavie and de Lominie died.
On May 18, 1844 a spectacular duel erupted on the streets of San Antonio. The encounter was between one Terence Corcoran and Corbel de Lominie.
Corcoran had sold his plantation in Tennessee in 1840 and had leisurely made his way into Texas, by way of a yearlong diversion in New Orleans. Most of his time was whiled away on Exchange Alley, the locale of numerous salles d’armes. Already a crack shot, in New Orleans Corcoran decided to avail himself of the services of Pepe Llulla, fencing master. At the end of eight months of instruction, Lulla stated he had nothing more to teach Corcoran.
By 1841 Corcoran had wandered into San Antonio. A man of some leisure, he tended to pass time by visiting shops, taking scotch in the cantinas and shooting dice with the soldiers, or fencing with them.
On May 18, 1844 Corcoran was in the Jabali Cantina. He was drinking scotch and quietly reading a poem of his own composition to his friend Don Jose Salceda. Corbel de Lominie, who was standing nearby, interrupted and asked if Corcoran was as poor a fighter as he was a poet.
Corcoran looked up at the Frenchman and replied, "No. I am at a disadvantage when I pick up the pen; my hands are awkward. They fit nothing but the hilts of swords or the butts of pistols."
De Lominie replied that he had three friends at the inn. He asked if Corcoran could come up with an equal number for his party. Corcoran agreed. They arranged for an encounter at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
At the appointed hour De Lominie arrived with three men, named Souriau, Pavie and Villemessant. Corcoran arrived with two men named Twigg and McDowell, as well has his friend, Don Jose Salceda. The agreement was for each to face off against an adversary from the other party. They also agreed that, the moment one finished off his counterpart, he was free to jump in and assist any of his comrades. De Lominie faced off against Corcoran. Souriau faced Salceda. Pavie squared off against Twigg. Villemessant opposed McDowell. Then the melee began.
De Lominie fenced with both skill and ferocity. It initially appeared that he might get the better of his foe. In time, however, Corcoran was able to get de Lominie’s measure and found the appropriate parry for each attack.
Salceda, meanwhile, had run Souriau through before two minutes had passed. He then turned to assist Twigg, who was fencing Pavie. Pavie, however, evaded a thrust from Twigg and, at virtually the same time, cut down Salceda. He then turned to face Twigg without missing a beat. Clearly the better swordsman, Pavie soon killed Twigg.
McDowell, meanwhile, had Villemessant hard pressed. Pavie raced to his comrade’s aide. Before he reached the scene, however, McDowell disarmed Villemessant, sending the Frenchman’s sword flying ten paces away. Villemessant and McDowell each raced for the sword. McDowell arrived first, planting his foot on Villemessant’s blade.
By now Pavie had also arrived and thrust his sword at McDowell, who parried it, delivering a riposte and running Pavie through.
Villemessant, deprived of his own sword by McDowell, had used the short time McDowell and Pavie fenced to take the sword from the fallen Souriau. Villemessant raced upon McDowell, whose blade was still in Pavie. McDowell was barely able to extricate his weapon in time to face his new foe. Villemessant, however, got into too much of a rush to deliver a quick cut and left his guard open. McDowell took the opening and ran his point into Villemessant's shoulder.
McDowell then turned to aide Corcoran, who was still crossing blades with de Lominie. Corcoran, however, waved him off. In the next moment, Corcoran ran his adversary through.
When the affair was over Cocoran and McDowell suffered nothing more than minor cuts. Salceda and Twigg were dead. On the other side, Souriau suffered a serious wound, but recovered after many months in a hospital. Villemessant was injured, but not badly. Pavie and de Lominie died.