Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-09-25
c1RcuMsrANrrAL RESTROOM.

cIRcUMsTANTI4L TESTIMONY
The Case Of Hamilton - The fol
lowing letter to the Editors of the Ma
tional Intelligencer, from a gentleman
in Virginia, of the most respectable
character and the striciest veracity: Ii
seems due to truth and justice to pub
lIsn 1t.
TO THE EDITORS,
Gentlemen: | was surprised to see
in your paper Of the last month, that
ii IN ilton, who murdered Doctor san
der,on, was said to BE- innocent! |
never knew of more ungratetul muir
der: and hanging, / thtnk, was too
good for Hamilton Please excuse
me while | mention some Of the cir
cuuistances:
! happened to be on my way home
from Tennessee, and came thro' Bar
rem county, Kentucky, the week of
Hamiilon's trial; ami it was the talk of
every one saw, Hamilton was a
horse jockey, that is, he drove horses
from kentucky to Orleans to sell; and
it was said, on the last trip, he lost his
money by gambling, and took sick at
Orleans: On bis way BONE, he met
with DR.. Sanderscn, on the road be-
tween New Orleans ard Natchez.-
Sanderson took him to Bis house, near
Natchez, nursed him, and got him
well, and did rot charge him any thing.
Sanderson intended to come to Nash
Vile shortly, to purchase slaves for bis
own use, and had collected about :. or
$4,000. Hamilton waited for his com,
pany, and when S, got to Nashville,
he intended 10 rest himself and horse,
and look out for negroes. But Ha-
milton persuaded him to 60 along with
BIN, as far as his fathers, in Barren
county, Kentucky, and rest himself
and horse, free OF cost--telling him that
h knew of negroes that might be cot
cheap, &c. Sanderson went with
HIM Shortly after, Ranllltcri Vent
on to Glasgow (the court house oil Bar
rsn eounty) and asked Major ------,
(whose name / forget if he could lend
him pistol That was sure fire; that he
was going Journey, &c. The said
Ma or lent him a pistol that was sure
fire. Hamilton went with it to his Ia
thcf'S who lived about - miles from
G sgoH. WhcU SandersOn wanted
to ioDk ont Tor negroes, Hamilton pre-
tended be knew where negroes could
be got cheap. and he would go and
show HIM the road He took Sander
son by road, which he said "as the
nearest way, and by house, the wo
man of which happened to be milking
her cows when they rode by. A short
distance from that, there had been a
hurricane, and almost all the timber
blown down, and. bushes grown up
into Ticket, and the road become "a
mere path. When Hamilton got TO a
place he liked, he rode behind, and
shot Sanderson in the back of his head
Sanderson fell, and the horse ran back
past the house where the woman milk
ed her COW lie struck Sanderson
on the temple with the butt end of the
pistol till he was dead, and the pistol
then broke off by the breech, which
h. then threw away in the thicket-
Went after the horse and brought him
back-hid Sanderson in "A sink hole
h,d his overalls, which were bloody,
behind a log, and thought all safe
had money plcnty-paid oil debts, &c
Some weeks afterwards, ne'ghbor OF
Oh Mr. Hamilton. seeing S. horse
there, asked If that was not the hon ST
that the gentleman from Natchez rode.
Ga I'll. said not was stray horse
That belonged TO man up the river
Bl the neighhor still thought that il
S'ndcrson's horse, and, to satisfy bis
mad, he went TO the man Up the ri