The Duelling Tree in City Park is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the 19th century duelists who died while settling affairs of honor. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)

Haunted NOLA: Duels for ‘pride and honor’ left behind hundreds of ghosts at Duelling Oaks in City Park

by Michael DeMocker | October 29, 2019

Hast thou been affronted? Did some rogue at the ball disparage the size of your holdings or seek a scandalous courtship with thine betrothed? Seeketh thou satisfaction for a scurrilous barb from some rapscallion fellow politician? Well, sir, ’tis incumbent upon thee to challenge the offending party of this heinous insult to an affair of honor, a duel with blades at dawn! Or with pistols if you prefer! Just make sure you two agree on the type of weapons (see: “bring knife to a gunfight, don’t”).

MORE: So you think your NOLA pad is haunted? Here’s some things you can get to check 

But where to hold this meeting of bloody arbitration? Might we suggest behind St. Louis Cathedral in St. Anthony’s Garden? For this was the go-to spot during a good part of the 18th century where the hot-headed swains or insulted Creole gents of New Orleans went to settle their differences. Full disclosure: If you should happen to fatally lose this affair of honor, you may continue to haunt the place of your defeat for time immemorial.

Before a law banned duels within the city limits, affairs of honor were held in St. Anthony’s Garden behind St. Louis Cathedral, where it is said the ghostly sounds of gunfire and other paranormal activity occurs today. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)

Duels to the death in the French Quarter

For a half-century beginning around 1740, countless duels of varying mortality were staged in the garden behind the grand cathedral. However, after decades of listening to the clang of colichemardes and crack of bullets, the priests and neighbors decided they’d had enough of the noise and dueling was outlawed within the city limits.

The corner of Royal Street and Pere Antoine Alley is a prime spot to experience the cold breezes, ghostly gunfire and fleeting shadows of supernatural duelists in St. Anthony’s Garden. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)

However, ghost hunters report that restless spirits of the duelists remain in the cathedral garden. On a quiet night, they say, you can feel cold breezes, hear ghostly gunfire and glimpse fleeting shadows when standing near the garden’s iron gates. One source says the corner of Royal Street and Pere Antoine Alley is a prime spot to witness these eerie events.

Pere Antoine Alley
Getting there
Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA

Duels move to Esplanade Avenue/City Park

After dueling was outlawed within the city limits, Ye Olde Thunderdome simply moved up Esplanade Avenue to a green space that is now City Park. The noble battles continued to be waged under two towering oak trees soon dubbed the Duelling Oaks. Yes, the name has an extra “L” which is vexing to a certain author’s (and editor’s) spellcheck. Hundreds of duels were waged under the oaks, so many that, looking back in 1892, the Times-Democrat wrote “Blood has been shed under the old cathedral aisles of nature. Between 1834 and 1844 scarcely a day passed without duels being fought at the Oaks. Why, it would not be strange if the very violets blossomed red of this soaked grass!”

A postcard shows two duelists battling beneath the Duelling Oaks in 1841. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)

The Duelling Oaks became so popular for duels that 10 were waged on a single Sunday in 1839, probably because back then the Saints weren’t playing. The duels in City Park sometimes attracted hundreds of spectators with nothing better to do (see previous statement on Saints). One duel was the result of a man placing his sister’s chair too close to another at a dinner party. Glove met face. Honor was demanded. The mover of the chair died under the Duelling Oaks for his heinous furniture misplacement.

One of the most famous duelists of his day was Senor Don Jose “Pepe” Llulla, a master of sword and pistol who legend says fought dozens of duels and was so adept at killing that rumor was he bought St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery on Louisa Street just to bury his vanquished foes.

St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery #2 once owned by master duelist “Pepe” Llulla who, it is rumored, bought the place to receive his many victims. Some ghost hunters contend the ghost of Llulla still roams the cemetery today. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)

Some ghost hunters have reported that a spirit armed with a sword or cane, possibly the ghost of Llulla himself, roams cemetery #2 to this day.

St. Vincent De Paul Cemetery #2 once owned by master duelist “Pepe” Llulla who it is rumored bought the place to receive his many victims. Some ghost hunters contend the ghost of Llulla still roams the cemetery today. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)

In 1855, police started breaking up the duels under the Duelling Oaks, though the conflicts secretly continued like some sort of 19th century fight club. But, by 1890, the Duelling Oaks were finally a peaceful place and angry gentlemen just sued each other instead. The two Duelling Oaks continued to face off for more than 50 years until one was finally defeated, knocked down by a hurricane in 1949, leaving the other oak tree victorious in what smart people call a “pathetic fallacy.”

The Duelling Oaks today

As with St. Anthony’s Garden and St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery, stories tell of the ghosts of duelists haunting the remaining 300-year-old Duelling Oak. The tree can be found to the left of the New Orleans Museum of Art, a peeling plaque describing the affairs of honor that took place there. (Note: Don’t confuse the Duelling Tree with the Suicide Oak on Victory Drive. Totally different scary tree.)

A cracked and faded sign by the remaining Duelling Tree tells of the duels which took place in years gone by. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)

Under the Duelling Oak, visitors have reported finding places of heavy melancholy where mortally wounded victims fell. They’ve felt invisible figures of vanquished combatants brush by. Others say that glowing orbs appear on photographs taken at the tree near dawn or dusk. The image of twisted faces can be seen in the bark of the ancient tree, although it could just be the product of an overactive imagination. Or not.

A face appears in the bark of the haunted Duelling Tree in City Park. Or maybe not. (Photo by Michael DeMocker)
Duelling Oak
Getting there
29591 Dreyfous Dr, New Orleans, LA 70119, USA
Hours
Mon-Sun Open 24 hours

References

  • Caskey, James. The Haunted History of New Orleans: Ghosts of the French Quarter. Subtext Publishing, Savannah, GA, 2013
  • City Park New Orleans website. Live Oaks of City Park. https://neworleanscitypark.com/live-oaks-of-city-park (accesed October 2019)
  • Dwyer, Jeff. Ghost Hunter’s Guide to New Orleans. Pelican Publishing: Gretna, LA, 2016
  • M.L. Bullock’s Haunted Case Files website.  (accessed October 2019)
  • Pope, John. En(d) garde!: The End of the Dueling Era in New Orleans’ City Park. The Times-Picayune, JUL 28, 2017.
  • The Advocate. Blake Pontchartrain: Where Exactly is the famous Dueling Oak?  (Accessed October 2019)
  • The Duelling Oaks website. (Accessed October 2019)
  • Stuart, Bonnye. Haunted New Orleans: Southern Spirits, Garden District Ghosts, And Vampire Venues. Globe Pequot: Guilford, CT, 2012

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Michael DeMocker

Michael DeMocker

Michael DeMocker has been a photojournalist in New Orleans for over twenty years. He’s been the National Press Photographer Association’s Regional Photographer of the Year three times and loves photographing all things New Orleans. He lives Uptown with his wife, son, and two dogs of varying intelligence.

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