"I am mortally wounded . . . I think" Traditional Cache
FrancisScottKey: I am regretfully archiving this cache since there's been no response from nor action by the cache owner within the time frame requested in the last reviewer note.
Regards,
FrancisScottKey
Volunteer Cache Reviewer
"I am mortally wounded . . . I think"
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - When replacing the cache after logging, use the hint to make sure you are placing it where it belongs. The original nano container disappeared, so I replaced it. Now the replacement has disappeared but the original is mysteriously back. I have a feeling not placing it back where it belongs has something to do with it. ALSO, if you would be so kind, please note the color of the nano you found (black or silver). I would be very grateful. Thanks!
This cache is located in the town of Bladensburg at the roadside historic marker indicating the location of the famous 18th and 19th century dueling grounds, where the men of Washington came to defend their honor--often at the expense of their life. This is a magnetic nano cache located only a few feet from where the "Duel at Midnight" micro cache used to be located. It should be an easy C&D, but it is right along the sidewalk in an urbanized, high-muggle area so stealth is required! It is recommended you bring tweezers to assist in removing the log from the container.
During the 1700s and 1800s, hundreds of duels were fought at the old dueling grounds. Even after the practice was banned in the early 1800s they continued sporadically. But one duel above all others stands out.
The duel took place at midnight on March 22, 1820. One of the contestants was James Barron, former naval officer disgraced by a court martial and a six year banishment from the navy, and only recently re-admitted into the military.
Opposite him was American naval scion Stephen Decatur, hero of the Barbary Wars, hero of the War of 1812, and a member of the court martial that expelled Barron from the military. Decatur remained a staunch opponent to Barron's re-entry into the naval ranks, even after his reinstatement, and this ultimately led to Barron's challenge.
So it came to pass that at midnight on a chilly March night in 1820 these men and their coteries came to a field in Bladensburg bordering swamps hard against the Eastern Branch (what would later come to be known as the Anacostia River). The two men stood only a few feet apart, facing each other, an arrangement almost guaranteed to result in serious injury or death for both parties.
As their entourages watched, one man counted from one to three, during which both Decatur and Barron fired. Decatur's shot only wounded Barron, but Barron's shot severed several arteries in Decatur's pelvis. Decatur fell to the ground and uttered "Oh, Lord, I am a dead man."
Decatur was transported back to his home on Lafeyette Square in Washington DC, where he died the next day of his wounds. The great man's last words are the title for this cache. Barron ultimately recovered from his injuries.
This cache is being released in March 2013, just in time for the 193rd anniversary of the famous duel. Enjoy!
CONGRATULATIONS to NasteeKatt for FTF Honors!
WARNING: The hint describes the precise location of the cache, so use it with discretion.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
JNEAVAT: GUR RKNPG YBPNGVBA BS GUR PNPUR SBYYBJF:
Jnyx nebhaq gur yrsg fvqr bs gur crqrfgevna oevqtr. Ng gur frpbaq srapr cnary bs gur oevqtr, abgr gur qvntbany ornz. Gur pnpur vf n fznyy fvyire zntargvp pbagnvare nggnpurq gb gur qvntbany arkg gb jurer vg wbvaf gur gbc pbeare.
Treasures
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