Two early California politicians, David Broderick and David S. Terry, had a falling out that led to a fatal duel. Broderick made his fortune in the Gold Rush and as a state senator, while Terry served as a state justice. They dueled on September 13, 1859 at Lake Merced after a political dispute left Terry bitter over losing re-election. Broderick was fatally shot through the lung, dying three days later, in a duel where Terry had the advantage due to using hair-trigger pistols. Their friendship and lives were lost due to escalating political tensions surrounding the issue of slavery in California.

1. Two Friends in Early California Anti-Slavery David C. Broderick and David S. Terry And Their Unfortunate Adventures Pro-Slavery

2. David Broderick came to California in 1847 for the Gold Rush He made lots of money minting $10 Gold coins like this: Of course, they only contained $8 worth of gold… Then he really made a lot of money being a California State Senator from 1850-1857, selling lucrative political nominations; enough to become a US senator from California…

3. Broderick’s friend, David S. Terry, served as a California State Justice from 1855-1859. He stabbed Sterling A. Hopkins in 1856. He must have been pretty mad at him to have done that.

4. Not half as mad as he got when he didn’t get re-elected in 1859, and blamed Broderick for his loss. He said many vitriolic things, in public, and so did Broderic. They were both REALLY mad! One thing led to another, and: On September 13, 1859, at Lake Merced…

5. Oops! The two friends dueled, but since they were using Terry’s hair-trigger dueling pistols, Broderick had an accidental discharge into the ground, and Terry carefully aimed and shot him through the right lung. Broderick died three days later.

6. David S. Terry was killed in 1889 by a bodyguard of United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Field, said Justice whom he was assaulting at a train station in Lathrop, California, near Stockton. Pro-Slavery Mr. Terry was really mad at him, too. Stephen J. Field Sometimes things just don’t work out. Anti-Slavery Even between friends…

7. This is Senator William Gwin. According to the NY Times, Oct. 10, 1859, everyone was surprised that Broderick did not have a duel with him. Gwin thought that Broderick had blocked his re-election to the Senate. He had. Too bad for Broderick. In Gwin’s last duel, with Congressman Joseph McCorkle, the only casualty was an unfortunate donkey. (Wikipedia)

8. The same article indicated that Mr. Broderick had also dueled at least once before. He and Judge J. Caleb Smith fired a total of twelve shots at each other at twelve paces, and the only hit was on Mr. Broderick’s watch. Unfortunately, part of the ball ricocheted, and struck Mr. Broderick in the groin. Ouch! Although the wound was not serious, I must say that I would have been dissuaded from further dueling activities.

9. Apparently, Broderick and Terry tried to have their duel the day before, on the 12th of September, but were arrested by the San Francisco Chief of Police and three other officers. The two men were released on parole, but engaged the next day

10. In “The fight for Slavery in California”, James McPherson speculates that the shot that killed Broderick on Sep 13, 1859 might have been the first shot fired in the Civil War, and the shots that killed Terry at the railroad station in 1889,the last. Sadly, David Broderick and David Terry were not the only two friends who faced each other over a pair of gun sights in this dispute. .. The End