# Which U.S. Presidents have killed a man? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490 "2009-02-12T05:17:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/1 "2009-02-12T05:17:27Z")
I know that Andrew Jackson is commonly cited as the only one ever to have killed someone else in a duel, but which other Presidents have killed other people intentionally, under any circumstance (such as in war, etc.)? And I mean personally killed, not ordered the death of. Also, although the phrasing of the title was not meant to be exclusive of women, have any Presidents actually killed a woman? It seems less likely, since most of the killings would have been in war (and mainly non-total wars). “So what is it like, killing a man?”—Esmeralda Villalobos, _Pulp Fiction_. 😛 Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/2 "2009-02-12T05:24:01Z")
Grover Cleveland: (The following is from Wikipedia) The most well-known incident of his term [as sheriff of Erie County] involved the execution of a murderer, Patrick Morrisey, on September 6, 1872. Cleveland, as sheriff, was responsible for either personally carrying out the execution, or paying a deputy $10 to perform the task. Cleveland had qualms about the hanging, but opted to carry out the duty himself. He hanged another murderer, John Gaffney, on February 14, 1873. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/3 "2009-02-12T05:24:43Z")
Two names spring straight to mind: George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant. I’m sure both of these stalwart soldiers killed many enemies in the course of their military careers. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/4 "2009-02-12T05:25:44Z")
[This isn’t definitive, but it should get you moving in the right direction.](http://www.cracked.com/article_15895_5-most-badass-presidents-all-time.html) ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/5 "2009-02-12T05:38:52Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > [This isn’t definitive, but it should get you moving in the right direction.](http://www.cracked.com/article_15895_5-most-badass-presidents-all-time.html) There is no way any president is more badass than Jackson, so I can’t trust the rest of that article. 😃 Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/6 "2009-02-12T06:13:21Z")
An old thread on this issue with links to other threads on the subject and the Straight Dope column on the subject: > **[How many US Presidents have killed someone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=406605)** > > For instance, George Washington more than likely killed a few folks during war time I assume, but I could be wrong. How many other Presidents have taken the life of someone else, who are those Presidents and what were the circumstances? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/7 "2009-02-12T06:16:18Z")
Bush I was a torpedo bomber pilot in WWII and took part in several actions. Hard to know if he actually killed anyone during that time though. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/8 "2009-02-12T09:32:07Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Bush I was a torpedo bomber pilot in WWII and took part in several actions. Hard to know if he actually killed anyone during that time though. [I’d say it’s pretty likely with 58 attack missions](http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq10-3.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/9 "2009-02-12T13:37:22Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > There is no way any president is more badass than Jackson, so I can’t trust the rest of that article. 😃 > > Valete, > Vox Imperatoris Yeah. I don’t know how he missed being #1 on the list. But he is the first one to come up on the link, so maybe they got their numbering wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/10 "2009-02-12T15:56:09Z")
Okay, so for my other question: has any president ever killed a woman? From what’s been posted so far, it seems unlikely. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/11 "2009-02-12T16:08:15Z")
I imagine Teddy Roosevelt killed plenty of Cubans in combat during the Spanish-American War, though I don’t know if any are documented. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/12 "2009-02-12T16:14:30Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I imagine Teddy Roosevelt killed plenty of Cubans in combat during the Spanish-American War, though I don’t know if any are documented. Yes, see the Cecil article linked above, indeed he appears to be the earliest President we know for certain killed someone. Truman, Kennedy, Bush and Ford all saw combat during their military service, but so far as some googling was able to uncover, I couldn’t find any mention of them specifically killing someone. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/13 "2009-02-12T17:31:16Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Truman, Kennedy, Bush and Ford all saw combat during their military service, but so far as some googling was able to uncover, I couldn’t find any mention of them specifically killing someone. Unles you are a sniper or a fighter pilot, generally you don’t keep track of “kills”. My Dad saw a lot of combat in WWII, but would never say he out and out killed a man. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/14 "2009-02-12T18:39:49Z")
Laura Bush killed a man when she was 17, she ran a stop sign and hit the guy’s car. Probably the only first lady to kill someone. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/15 "2009-02-12T19:20:57Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > Okay, so for my other question: has any president ever killed a woman? From what’s been posted so far, it seems unlikely. Franklin Pierce got rip roaring drunk and trampled an old lady to death while riding his horse. He was charged but the case was soon dropped for lack of evidence. He was President at the time, incidentally. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/16 "2009-02-12T19:24:45Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > Okay, so for my other question: has any president ever killed a woman? From what’s been posted so far, it seems unlikely. I hear JFK was a real ladykiller. I crack me up. > [@](#): > > Franklin Pierce got rip roaring drunk and trampled an old lady to death while riding his horse. He was charged but the case was soon dropped for lack of evidence. > > He was President at the time, incidentally. From what I’ve heard, Pierce was rip roaring drunk for more or less his entire incumbency, so maybe he ran over a couple more and didn’t notice. ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/4af34b/32.png) [@Umbriel2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel2)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/17 "2009-02-12T19:33:14Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Laura Bush killed a man when she was 17, she ran a stop sign and hit the guy’s car. > > Probably the only first lady to kill someone. That we _know_ of… 😉 Bush 41, as stated, flew a number of attack missions, and [shared credit for sinking a small cargo ship](http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq10-1.htm), so he likely killed enemy solders or sailors, but no definite confirmation. [Most other presidents with wartime military service](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Presidents_by_military_service) who actually saw combat have tended to be officers in command of units, and therefore less likely to have personally “pulled the trigger” on anyone (orders to kill having been ruled out by the OP). Ford commanded a shipboard AA battery (USS Monterey) Nixon was a supply officer Johnson flew as an observer on combat missions, but doesn’t seem to have dropped any bombs. Kennedy, as a PT boat commander, famously saw action, but probably never personally fired a weapon. Truman commanded an artillery battery in WWI Teddy Roosevelt was decorated for [leading a charge at San Juan Hill](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Juan_Hill) in the Spanish-American War, but its unclear whether he had any occasion to have fired a weapon while doing so. President [McKinley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McKinley#Early_life), saw combat as an enlisted man in the Civil War, and likely at least fired at the enemy. [President Hayes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutherford_B._Hayes#Military_service), who commanded McKinley, was wounded four times, but may or may not have directly attacked anyone himself. Presidents [Taylor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Taylor#Military_career) and [William Henry Harrison](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Harrison#Early_military_career) both fought against the Indian tribes of the “Northwest” (what we consider the Midwest today) early in their careers. So both might have had occasion to kill an enemy personally, though I’ve seen no specific references. Jackson, as noted previously, would just as soon kill ya as look at ya. [President Monroe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Monroe#Early_years) was wounded fighting under Washington’s command at the Battle of Trenton. I’d consider him another “possible killer”. [Washington, while he signed a confession while in French captivity to the effect that he’d executed a captured French officer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington#French_and_Indian_War_.28Seven_Years_War.29), most likely did not. He’s another “possible”, but seems likely to have mostly commanded rather than fought. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/18 "2009-02-12T19:39:03Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Yes, see the Cecil article linked above, indeed he appears to be the earliest President we know for certain killed someone. Jackson was president long before Roosevelt, and Cecil actually says it’s not known for certain that TR killed anybody. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/19 "2009-02-12T19:55:50Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Jackson was president long before Roosevelt, and Cecil actually says it’s not known for certain that TR killed anybody. Err…I meant most recent president, sorry. TR said he was certain he’d shot the man, which seems definitive enough for me. If we’re going to start needing multiple witnesses, the list is just going to get even shorter. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490/20 "2009-02-12T22:45:45Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I hear JFK was a real ladykiller. > > I crack me up. > > From what I’ve heard, Pierce was rip roaring drunk for more or less his entire incumbency, so maybe he ran over a couple more and didn’t notice. One time he drove home with a homeless guy stuck in the windshield of his horse. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-presidents-have-killed-a-man/485490.md?page=2)