Duelling: Too little gunpowder and use of the Kerry Safeguard.

                         Use of too little gunpowder.                            

and  “The Kerry Safeguard”

 

Dr. Cobb notes a case where a Mr Browne owed his life to the smallness of the charge of powder used.  “ A duel between Captain Nolan and Mr. Browne” says the doctor, "afforded me an opportunity of witnessing a memorable instance of the numerous cases on record where lives were saved by the stoppage of the pistol-balls that hit vital regions.

The aforementioned gentlemen quarrelled about land in County Roscommon. The meeting took place near Phibsborough in one of the so called Bishop’s Fields, into which Captain Nolan was carried, as he was feeble through a chronic rheumatism. I 

( Dr.Cobb) attended him professionally, and they fought at twelve yards distance.

After one harmless round, the Captain (notorious for his certain hitting in many previous combats), objected to the small charge of powder in the pistols, remarking  that they were mere squibs, and that although he would hit Mr Browne in the next round, the ball would not do much harm.

Accordingly, he did hit him but the ball after passing along his forearm, was stopped in the coat-sleeves of his elbow, which he had been firmly pressed to his hip-bone in order to steady his hand, a position known as the “Kerry safeguard”.

Had the charge held another pinch of powder the ball would have inevitably entered Mr. Brownes liver."

No date.

    (Courtesy of Duelling Days in the Army by William Douglas.)

                          David Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk