Damn’d Good Shots: A Matter of Honor on the Streets of New York, 1783 presented by Todd Braisted

February 27, 2025, 7 pm.

Anyone familiar with the Movie Barry Lyndon knows well how the young gentleman falls into a world of turmoil and adventure thanks to a duel.  But how prevalent was the practice at the time of the American Revolution?  One need only refer to the Aaron Burr/Alexander Hamilton Affair in 1804 in Weehawken (then) Bergen County to know the practice was alive and well.  Both Washington and his British counterparts lost officers to this code of chivalry, although formally banned in the military.  This presentation will focus on a little known duel between two Loyalist officers that took place on the streets of New York City, just months before the British Evacuation.  We will examine the lead up and several eye-witness accounts of the action, and aftermath, of this matter of honor.

Todd Braisted is…