When the popular musical Hamilton showcased the celebrated duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, it reminded twenty-first-century Americans that some honor-bound citizens once used negotiated, formal fights as a way to settle differences. During the Civil War, two prominent Kentuckians―one a Union colonel and the other a pro-Confederate civilian―continued this legacy by dueling. At a time when thousands of soldiers were slaughtering one another on battlefields, Colonel Leonidas Metcalfe and William T. Casto transformed the bank of the Ohio River into their own personal battleground. On May 8, 1862, these two men, both of whom were steeped in Southern honor culture, fought a formal duel with rifles at sixty yards. And, as in the fight between Hamilton and Burr, only one man walked away. Anatomy of a Duel: Secession, Civil War, and the Evolution of Kentucky Violence examines why white male Kentuckians engaged in the "honor culture" of duels and provides fascinating narratives that trace the lives of duelists. Stuart W. Sanders explores why, during a time when Americans were killing one another in open, brutal warfare, Casto and Metcalfe engaged in the process of negotiating and fighting a duel. In deconstructing the event, Sanders details why these distinguished Kentuckians found themselves on the dueling ground during the nation's bloodiest conflict, how society and the Civil War pushed them to fight, why duels continued to be fought in Kentucky even after this violent confrontation, and how Kentuckians applied violence after the Civil War. Anatomy of a Duel is a comprehensive and compelling look at how the secession crisis sparked the Casto-Metcalfe duel―a confrontation that impacted the evolution of violence in Kentucky. "Divided loyalties in the border state of Kentucky manifested in personal combat as much as in formal recruitment by rival armies. In this rich exploration of a duel between a pro-Confederate citizen and a Union colonel, Stuart Sanders reminds us that Kentucky's culture of honor, masculinity, and personal reputation shaped expectations of public behavior well into the Civil War."―Aaron Astor, author of Rebels on the Border: Civil War, Emancipation, and the Reconstruction of Kentucky and Missouri "Full of big personalities confronting allegiance, honor, vengeance, and justice during the Civil War, Anatomy of a Duel prompts us to reconsider Kentucky and its place in the politics and culture of the nineteenth century. Stuart Sanders's books draw readers into illuminating moments in Kentucky history with engaging characters and new insight into complex social and political worlds through a tightly focused lens. He delivers yet again."―Patrick A. Lewis, author of For Slavery and Union: Benjamin Buckner and Kentucky Loyalties in the Civil War "In this excellent work, Stuart Sanders offers a compelling account of the tragic consequences of the code duello against the backdrop of Kentucky's Civil War. Given the current epidemic of violence in the land, Anatomy of a Duel also makes an important contribution to the sociology of violence in America."―James M. Prichard, author of Embattled Capital: Frankfort, Kentucky in the Civil War "With Anatomy of a Duel , Stuart Sanders makes a much needed contribution to the growing body of scholarship on Southern honor and the significant role it played in that society throughout the Civil War. By providing this excellent microhistory, Sanders gives us not only a fascinating forensic look into this particular event, but also a more complete picture of the complexity of Civil War Kentucky."―Timothy R. Talbott, Civil War scholar and battlefield preservationist "Sanders's work is a captivating and thorough examination of the intersection of politics, violence, and issues of honor in Kentucky's Civil War era. Viewed through the people and events of one of the state's last formal duels, this study reveals not only the complex issues of Kentuckians' loyalties during the Civil War, but also the changing nature of violence in relation to men's sense of personal honor. As an exploration of the ideological issues of the war and the far-reaching effects of such acts of violence on the Bluegrass State, Sanders shows that the Metcalfe-Casto duel cast a long shadow on Kentucky's history."―Andrea S. Watkins-Sutherland, coauthor of Kentucky Rising: Democracy, Slavery, and Culture from the Early Republic to the Civil War "Captivatingly written, author Stuart W. Sanders, explores the many political, cultural, and social landscapes of Kentucky in his book Anatomy of a Duel: Secession, Civil War, and the Evolution of Kentucky Violence . . . . Anatomy of a Duel provides not only an interesting historical narrative, but also contributes to a sociological history of violence in America. Looking at the role of honor and masculinity in southern culture, Sanders takes the opportunity to delve deep into the topic and its overall impact on political eve