Emory S. Foster - Duel With John Newman Edwards

Duel With John Newman Edwards

After the war he became an editor at the St. Louis Journal.

On September 4, 1875 he fought a duel north of Rockford, Illinois with Edwards, who was then an editor of the St. Louis Times (after leaving the Kansas City Times in 1873).

The dispute had centered on an August 25 article by Edwards talking about the mistreatment of Jefferson Davis at the Winnebago County, Illinois Fair. The Journal replied the same day "the writer of the Times article had lied, and knew he lied, when he wrote it."

Edwards demanded a retraction and Foster refused saying the editorial was not directed at Edwards personally. On August 30 Edwards challenged Foster to a duel:

The disclaimer in the first four paragraphs of your letter would be satisfactory had you followed it up by a withdrawal of the offensive terms of your editorial, so far as they referred to me personally. But as you decline to do so I must, therefore, construe your letter of this date, and its spirit, as a refusal on your part to do me an act of common justice, and so regarding it, I deem it my duty to ask of you that satisfaction which one gentleman has a right to ask of another.

Their seconds made the arrangements and at 5 pm the two met in a field and both missed as Foster smoked a cigar. Foster commented, "A little high."

Edwards demanded a second fire, "I will go on if it takes a thousand fires."

Foster refused a second fire. He had been challenged and shots had been fired and so his honor had been maintained.

Both shook hands and made a bourbon toast.

Foster died in Oakland, California.