Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-07-31

Il Is Shaw
Gen. scott's RecollectiOns OF Aaron
Burr.
General Scott proceeded to relate the
circumstances in which he next saw Aaron
Burr. He said that during the wal Of
1912, after he had recovered from his
wound received on the frontier, he lived
for a short time at Albany, where he was
much feted by the leading inhabitants,
and by mont more cordially than by Mar
tin Van Buren,. then a lawyer in large
practice. One morning n packet arrived
from Washington, which proved to con-
tain the young soldiers commission as
Brigadier-G General. Full Of joy at his
promotion, he mentioned the fact to Mr..
Van Buren,, whom he CHANGED to meet.
Mr.. Van Buren, congratulated him warmly,
and added
..But, General. we must celebrate this
happy event. Come TO my house this
evening; I'll invite a few friends, and
we'll take a glass of wine and a few oysters
together"
The new General accepted the invita-
ton. But, suddenly, a thought seemed
to occur to the cautious lawyer-cautious
for his friends as well as for himself-and
he appeared embarrassed.
General" said he, II forgot something
which l ought to have mentioned before
asking you to my house. Colonel Burr is
stopping with me for a few days. Have
you any objection to meet him ,"
To which General Scott replied
ANY gentleman, Mr.. Van Buren,, whom
you think proper to present me to, l shall
be happy to know
Colonel Burr, the reader is probably
aware, had recently returned from Europe,
where he had lived four years, and he was
almost universally regarded BY the public
as a traitor who had escaped the penalty
of treason only by the craft Of his lawyers.
Almost all his old friends had cut him,
and the administration, under President
Madison. who had just promoted General
Scott, was supposed to be particularly
hostile TO him. Hence, the hesitation Of
Mr.. Van Buren, about bringing together
the young soldier and the old.
The evening came. The company con-
sisted Of four persons, n Of whom was
the concise, polite and courtly Burr. Cen
eral Scott remembered him well. but fore
bore to make the most distant allusion to
the trial at Richmond.
why" said the General to me, ~ was
so careful not to say anything that could
excite painful recollections, that l actually
checked myself as l was about to pro-
nounce the word Virginia"
All at once, Colonel Burr, who was the
Generals partner at whist, fixed his pierre
ing eyes upon his face, and said, in a per-
feet n%onchalant tone:
General Scott, I have seen you before"
The General blushed, and stammered
out:
Have you Colonels And where was
it,"
Burr replied, in the most ordinary tone
of conversation, as he put down his card :
"At Richmond, in the Courtroom, at
my trial. You stood on the lock OF the
door above the crowd; l noticed you at
the time it was on the first day."
All of which was true. The room be-
ing densely crowded, the young man had
got up upon the massive lock, and, being
so remarkably tall. he had caught the
prisoners Eye. The General said that
Burr's careless lone completely relieved
him from his embarrassment, and they
had q long and pleasant talk about Rich
mond and the Richmond people, the trial
and its remarkable incidents Burr speak
ing precisely as though he had been a dis
interested spectator. The party sat late,
and had a very delightful evening. Col.
Burr made one remark on this occasion
which General Scott long had occasion to
remember. I forget the words employed,
but they were something like these:
There is a man in Tennessee" said
Burr, "to whom Jimmy Madison would
no, give a commission because he is Il
friend of mine but he is equal to any
service. l mean Andrew Jackson. II
they give him a commission things will go
better in the western country"
1 need not say that Jimmy Madison dad
give Andrew Jackson a commission, and
that things did go better in the western
country in consequence.
Speaking of Martin Van Buren,, for
whom General Scott had a great regard,
he alluded to the popular tradition that
the ex-President was the son Of Aaron
Burr. He gave q decided denial to this
scandal, and adduced convincing reasons
for rejecting it.
The other two occasions upon which
General Scott saw Aaron Burr were mere
chance meetings in the street. The Gen.
eral remarked Burr's habit Of glancing
sideways at an approaching acquaintance
to ascertain in time whether he meant to
cut him and If he did, Burr would pre-
rent the slight by looking away.
General SCOTS memory was full 70
OVERLOOKING Of interesting recollec,ions Of
the men and events of the past. II he
could have written these recollections as
well as he related them in conversation,
his autobiography would have been one
| Of the most interesting books, instead OF
being one of the dullest ever published.
In fact. I end that most persons, when
,hev write. leave out the things that peo-