Site of Broderick-Terry Duel - San Francisco, CA
Posted by: 
DougK
N 37° 42.473 W 122° 28.933
10S E 545639 N 4173530
Senator Broderick and California Chief Justice Terry were dueling over the issue of slavery. Broderick, with anti-slavery roots from the North, was mortally wounded by Terry, a Californian with Southern roots. This was the last duel in San Francisco.
Waymark Code: WM6FER
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/26/2009
Views: 6
A nearby
California Landmark plaque reads:
BRODERICK-TERRY DUEL
THE FAMOUS DUEL THAT ENDED ALL DUELS IN CALIFORNIA
WAS FOUGHT IN A RAVINE EAST OF HERE, NEAR THE SHORE
OF LAKE MERCED, IN THE EARLY MORNING OF SEPTEMBER
13, 1859. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE U.S. SENATOR DAVID
C. BRODERICK AND CHIEF JUSTICE DAVID S. TERRY OF THE
CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT. SENATOR BRODERICK WAS
MORTALLY WOUNDED. THE SITE IS MARKED WITH A MONU-
MENT AND GRANITE SHAFTS WHERE THE TWO MEN STOOD.
STATE REGISTERED LANDMARK NO.19
TABLET PLACED BY CALIFORNIA CENTENNIALS COMMISSION.
BASE FURNISHED BY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN CO-
OPERATION WITH SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
DEDICATED OCTOBER 16 1949
A short distance away from this Landmark plaque, is a small monument shaft stating simply:
DUAL
SITE
BRODERICK
&
TERRY
SEPT 13, 1859
Another 150 yards down a small paved path are two small shafts designating where each of the duelists stood. Only the last name of each man appears on these small shafts. The posted coordinates are for for these two shafts, marking the duel site.
| Broderick Marker
|
Terry Marker
|
The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco gives a short account of the duel, while the Anchor Brewing web site gives an extensive recount of the incident.
The incident in the The American Guide Series for California is described:
At 6.1 m. is the junction with Sloat Blvd.
Right on Sloat Blvd. to the junction with Sunset Blvd., 6.7 m. and L.
around Lake Merced to the SITE OF THE TERRY-BRODERICK DUEL, 9.6 m.,
at the southern
tip of the lake, marked by two granite shafts, one bearing
the name "Broderick" and the other "Terry" in bronze letters. At dawn on
September 13, 1859, a United States Senator and a California Supreme
Court Chief Justice took their positions here with duelling pistols, 30
paces apart. They represented opposing factions in the struggle on the
issue of
slavery which was tearing the Democratic Party in California
apart Broderick the anti- and Terry the pro-slavery side. Broderick was
the son of an Irish stone
mason, schooled in politics by Tammany Hall;
Terry, a Kentucky-born aristocrat, aligned with the "Chivalry" Democrats.
Terry had publicly attacked Broderick and the Douglas Democrats for
sailing under "the banner of the black Douglass, whose name is Frederick,
not Stephen." When Broderick replied in kind, Terry resigned from the
bench and demanded a retraction; Broderick refused. Broderick was no
match for his opponent; his shot^ fired first, entered the ground only
9 feet
from where he stood. Terry's shot entered his breast. He died three
days later. A crowd of 30,000 people gathered at Portsmouth Square in
San Francisco to hear the funeral oration.