New Brunswick Historical Tidbits

An Affair Of Honor

By Mitch Biggar

The departure of the stagecoach every morning at eight o'clock from Fredericton to Saint John was a common sight. However one morning in 1836 a stage was being driven rapidly down Queen street at a very early hour and caught the attention of several persons. The stage being driven by Larry Stivers contained five people. Inside were two principals, two seconds, and a surgeon. The preceding day words were uttered in hot debate between Thomas Gilbert the member of the Assembly for Queens and Dr. Walker the member for Westmorland.

A spot three miles below the city was the place selected for a duel with pistols. After two exchanges of shots the seconds considered the honor of both men vindicated and they returned home unharmed.

This page was designed by Irene Doyle September 1999