Historical Period: Republic of Texas (1836-1845)
Historical Topic: Civil War & Reconstruction, Republic of Texas
Species: Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
County: Jackson
Public Access: The Dueling Oak is on private property near the Lavaca River in Jackson County.
On February 5, 1837, in a clearing near this giant live oak, just west of the Lavaca River, two noted military leaders―Brigadier Generals Felix Huston and Albert Sidney Johnston—faced one another, pistols in hand, preparing for what could be their final battle.
At stake was Huston’s honor. He felt slighted by Republic President Sam Houston’s decision to appoint Johnston—not him—as permanent commander-in-chief of the Texan Army.
Since no dueling pistols were available, the men used Huston’s 12-inch-barreled horse pistols, known to have hair triggers. Against the odds both men survived, but Johnston was severely wounded in the pelvis, suffering permanent nerve damage—an injury some claim contributed to his death years later. At the Battle of Shiloh, in 1862 he was shot in the leg and, unaware of his wound’s severity, bled to death. He died the highest-ranking officer killed in the Civil War.
Huston, on the other hand, was essentially left a general without an army to lead. He left Texas in 1840 after the Battle of Plum Creek, relocating to Louisiana where he died in 1857.
The oak remains much as it was on the day of the duel—stoically lording over this field of honor.