Odd Wisconsin Archive
"I Struck Out Right and Left," Confesses Lawmaker
We’ve heard a great deal lately about the polarization of feeling in Washington, how Republicans and Democrats seem to have lost their civility. It's happened before, of course. “Congress has become little better than a den of semi-savages,” reported the N.Y. Tribune in 1860. A bloody melee broke out on February 8, 1858, that brought fame to Wisconsin congressman John F. Potter . The House was engaged that day in a heated debate over sectional issues. Northern representatives outnumbered those from the South and they pressed their parliamentary advantage, infuriating the few Southerners present. A fist fight between two members quickly turned into a general brawl, and during the fray Potter pulled the wig off an opponent’s head. At this, a cry went up in the gallery that Potter had "taken a scalp." His graphic account of this event is included in our online collection of Local History & Biography Articles. After things settled down, Potter was covered in blood and marked by Southerners as an enemy. In April of 1860, following another fight, he was challenged to a duel by a notoriously bellicose Virginia representative. Potter accepted the challenge and insisted that the duelists wield bowie knives, “at a distance of four feet.” His challenger, Rep. Roger Pryor of Virginia, beat a hasty retreat, and Potter received gifts of bowie knives from sympathizers all over the country. Watch for an anecdote about even worse violence by lawmakers -- under our own capitol dome -- later this week.
:: Posted in Bizarre Events on February 8, 2005
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