Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-10-27

, citei no private interview, Az ] had none
twitl, him. Mr. Nv. Was t,sare any cir
cumstance which particularly attracted
your notice? A No. l ncversaw him till
ne was III the hands of the civil authority.
Mr. Aay. Do you reeoliect whether in
New Orleans and while Gen Wilkinson
was there intelligence frequently came
down the river stating the approach Of col
Burr and his party Mr. Wickham OBJ
Jected To the witness speaking OF mere re-
ports, as being nothing better than hear
say evidence. Mr. Wirs commended it was
admissible evidence and that i: was pro-
/ per to shew the state of the public mind "a
rising from those rumors which were ge-
morally circulated tojustify the strong mea-
sureS which were taken. The Chief JUS
fice said that neither hearsay nor rumors
could be regarded as legal evidence; but
II there be the slightest shade OF difference
! IN the testimony, that OF rumor, in such
! case as the present, was the most tole-
rabie. IA There were frequent reports
to that effect. Among other rumors, Mr.
John Clay Il respectable merchant of New
Orleans, came TO Gen Wilkinson's quar-
ters Oh the morning of the Sth or 9Ch of
December, and asked TO see the general
when shewn to him, lie observed in my
presence, feel it my duty, general, to in
| TORN you that l have received a letter rom
Kentucky informing me that Col Burr has
seized on the arsenal in Kentucky, q think
near the mouth of Kentucky river) and
has avaled himself of all the arms and
| ordnance stores there deposited. A few
minutes after Governor Claiborne came
IN, and said, general, / have received
correct information on which / can de-
pend, that a squadron of the British feet
is cruz ing OF the Balize. MIR Hay. Have
you ever been on service with gen. Will
klnson A Not i'll military character.
nr Hay. Have you ever in 4 civil? A
Yes. Mr. Hay. What was his general
reputation as to integrity A ] never
knew any thing as TO his integrity but what
was purity itself. So far as his conduct
came within my own knowledge, it al
ways appeared to me to be perfectly
correct Q How long have you known
, general Wilkinson? A 1t is IA little more
than FIVE years since l first knew him
have been in some service with him for
months together in the forest, while we
were engaged in Iunnmg the national boun-
Diary line. Mr. Hay. Have you ever dis
covered any thing which betrayed a want
OF patriotism i'll Gen Wilkinson A No
His patriotism was of the most ardent kind
such rs | wish TO possess myself, and could
4
hay. Did he ever write to You about rails
inga military corps. 4 Yes. But that was
predicated on the idea of rupture with
spain. MIR Ra4d0Lfih. Have you got the
letter! A | do not know. Ihave several
letters from Gen WILKINSON, which have
! on ME; but have not examined whether
TINS particular one is among them or not.
MIR RandoLhh. What is the date of the
letter! A 1905. q What induced Won to
suppose that there was probability of a
War with Spain at that time A From in
tervlews with the gene raj III the year 1903,
and subsequent correspondence with him
till 1905. The first was occasoned by the
doubt state of cur negotiations with
spain the second rom the detention of a
part OF the coded territory. From many
circumstances II was supposed Il iupture
was inevitahir. Mr. RanGoiEh. What was
the space OF the territory IN dispute? y
From the parallel OF latudc 8 degrees north
TO the Gulph of Florida, and from the Mis-.
sisslppi to the river PerClidO. Col Burr.
Did Gen Wilkinson offer YOU reward for
experimenting me? A / think four or five
thousand dollars were offered in behalf o.
the government. Q When was that offe +
made =! a Some time in December last
y Did You undertake TO effect it A I did
IS FAR as was pract cable and expedient
y Was that offer predicated on an order o
the government, or was 1t the fiat Of tht
general A | do not know. Q Did he sd
t!Sty you that he had authority for maxim,
gle offer ! A think hc did. Q When dix
you leave New Orleans A On tho morn
Ing OF the 9th or 10Th Of December Nj
: Baker. When was the offer made A JUS
, about that time. Col Burr Did you sen,
ain order TO the ChoctawS to take me! ]
| Carried myself the proclamation of go
vernon Williams to the Upper Choctaw:
and employed runners to carry proclama
I, lions, with instructions to intersect tb
i pains i'll every direction, and wrote TO III
agent i'll the Chlckasaw nation 20 the sam
: effect. Mr. Mir. What do You mean b
!; saying that you undertook to arrest c.
| burr IS TAR as was crhcdient? ] near
i that If should have found him at large,
J. sf"ild have taken him, but not out of tn
, hands of the civil authority. Q Wer
there not officers sent up to take him
:, Yes, and | was instructed to co-operat
d with them; but he being exactly wher
Gen Wilkinson wished him, in the hands
y the CIVIL authority, advised the officers
: return, and they separated,
Col Burr. We're you to seize me pr
vstely! A Yes ifpracticable. Col. Bur
:, Was / not reputed to be at the head of a
=. army by Gen. Wilkinson A Yes: and
>, others too. Col. Burr How then wei
4" these men otake me Col Burr Whe
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