Robert Brank Vance
Robert Brank Vance | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 12th district | |
| In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | |
| Preceded by | Felix Walker |
| Succeeded by | Samuel P. Carson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1793 near Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | November 1827 (aged 33–34) Saluda, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Duel |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Robert B. Vance (nephew) Zebulon Baird Vance (nephew) |
| Occupation |
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Robert Brank Vance (1793 – November 1827) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina.
Early life
Robert Brank Vance was born in 1793 on Reems Creek, near Asheville, North Carolina,[1] to Priscilla (née Brank) and David Vance.[2] He was named after his uncle Robert Brank, who served with his maternal grandfather at the Battle of Kings Mountain.[3] His father served with the 2nd North Carolina Continental Regiment during the Revolutionary War and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.[2] Vance was the uncle of Robert B. Vance and Zebulon Baird Vance.[1] In his youth, he had an ailment to his left leg that stunted his growth.[3]
Vance was raised as a Presbyterian.[3] He attended common schools and Newton Academy in Asheville. He studied medicine at the medical school of Dr. Charles Harris in Cabarrus County.[1]
Career
In 1818, Vance practiced medicine in Asheville; serving as the area's first physician. He left his practice after three years when he won a lottery of US$5,000 and his father's inheritance.[3][4] He held different local offices.[1] He served as a Jackson Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing North Carolina, from March 4, 1823, to March 3, 1825 (Eighteenth Congress).[1] He won the 1823 election with a one vote majority.[3] He ran unsuccessfully for re-election in 1824 and in 1826.[1]
Duel and death
In the campaign trail of 1826, Vance accused his friend and competitor Samuel Price Carson of taking money from the public while campaigning in Asheville. Vance made another remark in Morganton about Carson's father's Tory allegiance during the Revolutionary War.[1][4] Silas McDowell quoted Vance:[3][4]
In the time of the Revolutionary War, my father, Colonel Vance, stood up to the fight, while my competitor's father, Colonel Carson, skulked, and took British protection.
Following the remark, Carson challenged Vance to a duel in a letter he wrote at Pleasant Gardens on September 12, 1827. He posted the letter from Tennessee to circumvent North Carolina laws against dueling. The duel was held in November 1827 at Old Buncombe Road, Saluda Gap in South Carolina, just over the border from North Carolina.[1][3][4] The seconds for Carson were both General Alney Burgin and Warren Davis. The second for Vance was General Franklin Patton.[3] Davy Crockett was said to be a witness to the duel, as a friend of Carson's.[3][4] Vance was shot in the side. He was carried to a nearby hotel and died there the following day. He was buried in the family burial ground on Reems Creek.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Vance, Robert Brank". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
- ^ a b Ashe, Samuel A., ed. (1907). Biographical History of North Carolina. Vol. VI. Charles L. Van Noppen. pp. 469–470. Retrieved 2025-08-02 – via Archive.org.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Arthur, John Preston (1914). Western North Carolina: A History. The Edward Buncombe Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, of Asheville, N.C. pp. 359–367. Retrieved 2025-08-02 – via Archive.org.
- ^ a b c d e Jones, Randell (2006). In the Footsteps of Davy Crockett. pp. 142–148. Retrieved 2025-08-02 – via Archive.org.
External links