Duel in the Halls of Congress: The Graves-Cilley Affair
Update: 2025-07-07
Description
In this episode, we unravel the shocking true story of America’s only known instance of a sitting congressman killing another in a duel. In 1838, as partisan tensions raged in Washington, Rep. William Graves of Kentucky fatally shot Rep. Jonathan Cilley of Maine on the dueling grounds of Bladensburg, Maryland. Discover how political rivalries, press scandals, and the 19th-century code of honor spiraled into tragedy—and how this fatal encounter changed Congress forever.
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