Historical Marker · No. 19
Broderick-Terry Duel
Daly City, San Mateo County · California
Erected by Historic Landmarks Committee, Native Sons of the Golden West, 1917
Broderick was a U.S. senator opposed to the extension of slavery; Terry was the state's chief justice, pro-slavery, and resigned the bench the day before he shot him. The law reached this quarrel twice and lost twice. Police arrested both men on the field two days earlier, warrants in hand, and a judge dismissed the charges next morning, so they moved here and met again on the 13th. Terry was indicted and never tried. Markers of 1917, 1949 and 2023 line the trail; the 1917 one, which set out where each man stood, is gone.
What the plaque says
United States Senator David C. Broderick and Judge David S. Terry fought a duel on this ground in the early morning of Tuesday, September 13, 1859. Senator Broderick received a wound from which he died three days later The affair marked the end of dueling in California. Senator Broderick, facing west, occupied the position marked by the shaft farthest to the south, while Judge Terry facing east, stood in the position designated by the shaft in the foreground. Spectators occupied this eminence. Erected by Historic Landmarks Committee, Native Sons of the Golden West 1917. Broderick Terry Broderick-Terry Duel The famous duel that ended dueling in California was fought in a ravine east of here, near the shore of Lake Merced, in the early morning of September 13, 1859. The participants were U. S. Senator David C. Broderick and Chief Justice David S. Terry of the California Supreme Court. Senator Broderick was mortally wounded. The site is marked with a monument and granite shafts where the two men stood. State Registered Landmark No. 19 Tablet placed by California Centennials Commission Base furnished by county board of supervisors in co-operation with San Mateo County Historical Association Dedicated October 16, 1949 Broderick-Terry Duel United States Senator David C. Broderick and California Chief Justice David S. Terry fought a duel on this ground in the early morning of Tuesday September 13, 1859. Broderick's firearm discharged prematurely into the ground forcing him to stand while Terry shot and wounded him. He died three days later. The affair marked the end of dueling in California and was the last notable duel in the United States. The public was largely revolted by what they perceived as an assassination of the anti-slavery Senator Broderick by the pro-slavery Terry solidifying California's loyalty to the Union during the Civil War. Senator Broderick occupied the position marked by the pillar to the southeast, while Judge Terry stood at the position designated by the northwest pillar. Spectators occupied the hill to the north. Erected by the Historic Landmarks Commitee, Native Sons of the Golden West, February 22, 1917. Rededicated September 8, 2023. George A. Adams Grand President California Historical Landmark No. 19
Where it stands
37.70817, -122.48417 · Directions