The Last Duel Mystery Cache
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Size: 
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The site of the last political duel fought in California. The cache is not at the posted coordinates.
This cache is near the site of the Showalter-Piercy duel, fought on May 25,1861. Daniel Showalter was a Southern secessionist; Charles Piercy believed in the Union. They were both members of the state Assembly, and their dispute escalated until Piercy demanded a duel to settle an insult made over the US Senate election. Marin County was the chosen site.
![Showalter](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZStKANgTdDM/UBgiZigq7wI/AAAAAAAAAss/FKLlk-UY4vQ/s170/Dan-Showalter-web.jpg")
On the day of the duel, Sheriff Doub arrested Showalter for attempting a duel while Piercy hid in the bushes until everything was clear. After Showalter was released with a warning, the duelists and their parties went to Charles Fairfax's house, then walked to a nearby grassy meadow, purposefully outside of Fairfax, and fought with rifles at 40 paces.
The Daily Alta newspaper reported that all were silent as the articles were read before the duel: "It was a scene which few who were present will forget." Showalter (pictured here) was tall "with red whiskers and heavy hair." Piercy had blue eyes, auburn hair, and looked younger than his 24 years of age. The sun sank to the west, but "did not annoy either party."
Both men missed. Showalter said later that he felt his adversary's bullet pass close to this face. Both men remained cool. Showalter demanded a second round. Piercy had to proceed unless he withdrew the challenge. This time, Piercy was killed. The Daily Alta reported that most of the people there had vowed vengeance upon Piercy after he broke the back of a secessionist vote.
When the news of the duel circulated, "there was a general feeling of gloom and sorrow." Piercy was to have been married in ten days and "the universal feeling was that his life had been sacrificed by his unflinching devotion to the Union." He was buried in San Francisco.
Showalter banded a group together to head for Texas but was captured along the way and sent to Fort Yuma. Eventually they convinced authorities that that their oaths of allegiance actually meant something and that they were simply peaceful miners bound for Sonora. They were released and Showalter made it to Texas to join the Confederate army. He eventually died in Mexico after a bar fight.
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The coordinates will take you to a yellow square that is perhaps as close as you can get to the duel location. At one time, the old Lansdale School was here, but today it is private housing. From there, you simply have to see where the first bullet might have ended up if it had traveled at a 343 degree bearing. You will find the cache near where it might have ended up.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Avargl bar zrgref njnl. Ybj naq orgjrra
Treasures
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