I don’t always get it right. “Wrong answer – no cigar” so to speak. I noticed the cannon to my left perched on the large manicured lawn. At the time, I didn’t know that the cannon was endearingly referred to as Lady Baxter. That being said, the man providing the dialogue referenced the name of the rooms we had seen earlier at the Capitol Hotel and said: “Brooks and Baxter had a duel in the Old State House”. It was a stupid question on my part, but I asked: “Did they both walk away?” Duh! Obviously not! At least one of the guys was a better shot than the other. Only one of the two guys walked away or so I’m told.
We looked at other places in downtown and as we made our way back in the direction from which we came, I stopped in front of the Old State House to take a picture. The colleague who had shared the information regarding the duel, said: “We can go inside if you like. It doesn’t cost anything.” Immediately, I had the thought: “I met this guy yesterday and already he has pegged me as being cheap”. I guess you could say: “It is what it is?”
In some respects, I’m a history buff. Even more importantly, there is nothing I like better than a good story. With that thought in mind, I walked inside the building. It only took a moment, but it became clear instantly that no one has the knack of sharing stories like Latonya Wilson. She is one of the staff employed in the Old State House Museum. When she asked if she could help, I said I was curious: “Did a duel really take place in the Old State House?” Her response surprised me: “Oh, there’s been more than one”.
From the look on my face, Latonya could tell that I was shocked. Georgia may be known for the sound of dueling banjos, but a duel at the Capitol building in Arkansas has to garner more notoriety than a shoot out at the O.K. Corral in Arizona or anything associated to the sound of dueling banjos. I guess, back in the day, if a gentleman took offense, one of the two parties could be dead wrong.
Latonya garnered my full attention with the statement: “I can tell you about the most frequently talked about duel”. Intuitively, I knew it had to be Brooks and Baxter. I was wrong again – no cigar. Reportedly, the duel didn’t include pistols. Though I would never have guessed the forum for conflict resolution, the Speaker of the House Colonel John Wilson and Representative Major Joseph Anthony Arkansas chose to whittle out a resolution to their conflict by using knives. The act of savagery took place on December 4, 1837.
Actually, it really wasn’t a duel. Representative Anthony was viciously attacked. His response was an attempt to defend himself after being stabbed by the Speaker of the House over a disagreement concerning surplus tax on wolf pelts. Representative Anthony was holding his own until someone tossed a chair between the two in an attempt to stop the brawl. Representative Anthony tripped and fell over the chair.
Long story short, the Speaker of the House was expelled from office and subsequently tried for murder. Disturbingly, no action was taken against Colonel Wilson for three days until a family member of Representative Anthony complained. Colonel Wilson had a host of friends and supporters who showed up and took his side in the issue. At his murder trial, the jury rendered a verdict of “guilty of excusable homicide.”
I asked Latonya if I could see the room where the attack took place and she said she’d be happy to show me. The room was upstairs. As a side note before we went upstairs, Latonya shared that after the capitol moved to a new location, the University of Arkansas Medical School occupied the space. She added: “I can remove the manhole cover you’re standing on if you like and let you look down into the basement where cadavers once were kept. Wow! The Old State House in Arkansas has done double duty. I looked through the opening of the manhole into the basement and then we walked upstairs and to view the site where Representative Anthony was the victim of excusable homicide. Where else but Arkansas?
I was more than favorably impressed with Latonya’s skillset in providing a narrative of many of the displays we passed as we made our way upstairs. It was clear to me that she takes delight in sharing the stories of the history preserved across the years. In fact I said: “You really like your job don’t you?” She responded that she loved the privilege of working where she works. She crafts the story in a way that you get the sense she is providing a factual overview.
Before leaving the Old State House Museum, I asked permission from Latonya to include her picture with my morning blog today. She smiled and agreed to my request. If you’ve not toured the Old State House Museum, there are a lot of interesting stories associated to that locality. Make sure that you carve out the time to visit with Latonya. She will definitely captivate your attention with her professionalism and love for her job.
All My Best!
Don