Litchfield enquirer., 1831-07-14
Nr. InanAM's srArkMEEr.


 turn from Washington.
 On Friday evening the I7th. about ten o. clock. rrweiyed a note from MT. Eaton: Oy fEa hands 0f Mr. Randolph, then ch'et c'erK i. fhe war Department, demanding aU avOw- sI or disavSwSl of a publication in newspa- ner. without any other OOnnexlOn with the naper being suggested, than that tt was sup pesed to he friendly to me. and was published in the city whore I resided. l could not doubt that such demand was prelude to a vanton and premsditated quarrel, and ai- though did not understand whether IL was the fact stated In the paper, NlZ. that my IaI" iIy had refused to associate with hIs, or 'ns anthor;tv to publish, which was called on to disavow: chose to avoid prolonged cores ponIIence, and gave him my answer m eacn alternative-you have probably seen the cor resnopdence, and need not be more part'cu- lar. On the same day that nay note was ue- lvered, l received chalIenGe' VIZ. aOOu' 8 o'clock by the hands of MT. Randolph, the chief clerk, ,now acting secretary Ofwa Hay ;rr comnanv tO dinner. and until late in the evening, I sent no answer that night the next morning. Sunday. the saNe Mr. Kan. dolph intruded himself into my room' ana threatened ncrsonal violence if l did not an swer thc note. informed him should take my time to do it, and showed him the door' On the following morning l replied to MT. Eaton's mots, and went out 1" take leave "' some of my, friends in the city, which occ"- n;ed me till after one o'clock. OA my re- turn to nay lodgings, learned that Mr' Ea- ton had been at the TNeaaury DePartMc"' u. the mOrnisg, inquring when l ~ou'a De a' the office, a9d that he also inquired TOT tue treaswrer's room and went into h' anu tt"' he had spent part of his time, since about ten
 L. nf departrnent, occupied hy the register and treasurer, and that he had been seen Tn com pany with those officers, and had been tor the greater part of the time stationed at gro cery store, about half a square from my lodg- ings during which he was occasionally v4sit- ed by Mr.. Randolph, ,and by Mr. Vankieeck' another clerk in the war department, wnO aP- pea,ed to act the part of vidcttes. From ihe information I received of the movements of Mr. Eaton and Mr. Randolph, expected ihe assault to be made by them, and PrePar- ed myself for that purpose. Col. N' Io", son had been invited to my lodgings "nd went with me unarmcd as wltness' anu 'o prevent a surprise. Three other youns men were in company, but directed 10 loho" at some distance behind, to prevent or resist an attack by superior numbers. My son, being the only person whose life had d right toex- pose in such cannct, was by my side, both of us well prepared for defence. expected tho attack in the passage of the treasury de- partnlent, as MT. Eaton had not long before entered that building, and after having taken SO tnuch pains to obtain meeting, it was scarcely to be expected that he would then a. void it, asd as my approach could easily have been observed. We passed in. however, un- n1olsstcd. I went into the second story to the room occupied, and finished what little business had to close before finally lett the office, which had been previously fixed for that day. learned while in my room, that MT. Eaton and Major Lewis, whose offices were in another building, more than quar- ter ofa mila distant went 9ut .Af the trGaSpsT dents house, where Major Lewis lived. l was also informed that they came out of one of the registers rooms-nothing further oc- cured worthy ofnotice till evening.
 . Soon after dark was informed by several persons calling in to see me, that MT. Eaton. Mr. Randolph, and MT. Overton, the latter n clerk in Majer Lewis' office, and near rela- tive of Judge Overton. of Tennessee, who was there on visit to the President, were seen, apparently armed, passing to and fro on the street, no: far from my dwelling, and sometimes passing my door. On one occa. sion, while thus passing, MT. Eaton stopped at the door and looked into the passage; and while standing there. prudently hesitating in his purpose, gentleman in one of the lower rooms, Mir. -,) who resided in the house, stepped into the passage in time 10 see Mr. Eaton standing at the door and retire from it.
 received many tenders of personal service for the night, one of which accepted, and the gentlsaaH slept tn the house. Sometime between 10 and II n highly respectable in. habitant of the city informed me that he met Mr. Eaton and six or seven other persons, walking near the Presidents gate, whence it was concluded they had retired for the night, in company with some others who had been privy to the scenes of the day, though per haps not actors in them-a part of their con- varsati0n was overheard, which may here- after be imparted. On the following day finished my visits, in order to leave the city on Wednesday morning, as had appointed, in answer te letter written by your commit tee week before. Sometime on Tuesday evening the same men, viz: Eaton and Ran dolph, tand it is believed Overton was al. SO with them) passed and repasssA my door frequently. looking impertnently syhto the windows and exhibiting other signs of the gasconade they had been practising. found high degree of excitement prev vailing in the city, and information was communicated tO me that some appearance of preparation had been, discovered to vay.lay me on the road to Baltimore therefore prepared for that event, but met with no molestation. It oc- cured to me in the evening that could not with prp?fiefy leave the city without bring. ing the subject distinctly before the notice of the President. and | addrassad hin, n laffar