178 years ago today, May 24, 1829, Charles Hawkins shot William A. McRea, as he walked on Whitehead Street, in the back with both barrels of a shotgun. McRea died two hours later. The two men had fought a duel in February over Hawkins finding McRea leaving his wife's bedroom via the window. Both men were wounded in the duel.
Hawkins was charged with murder but an impartial jury could not be found and the case was transferred to St. Augustine, where there was no one to testify against him. The court dismissed the case and Hawkins left for Texas, where he became the first commodore in the new navy of the country of Texas.
Charles E. Hawkins was one of those swashbucklers who brought color and adventure to the navies of the Western Hemisphere to rival any of those of the Old World. Born in New York in 1802, Hawkins left a life on land at age 16, when he joined the U.S. Navy as a midshipman. He served on board the fabled frigates Constitution, Constellation and Guerriere.
del.icio.us - Digg This
0 comments:
Post a Comment