The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-10-27

1 IlIIliSeII Iell before the fire OF AaFOl
Burr. At the first shot, Philip Ham
5lton received a mortal wound, an
he was borne from the gTOuD'
| across the river, and taken to a hOus
near the shore. He fingered thirty
SIX hours, during which the mos
pathetic scenes occurred about hi
bedside. A private letter, writer
at the time, shows US the mOthe
and the father at the side of thei
dying son.
IAN the physicians in town wer,
called for," writes this correspond
ent, "and the news spread like a con
Migration. At the theatre, I was in
formed of it about nine O'Clock Mon
day evening. I Immediately ran K
the house, near the State prison, from
whence was told that they dare no
remove him. Picture to yourself
my dear girl, the emotions which
must have assaiIed me on my aTriva
at his room, to which I was admitted
as his old college classmate. On 6
bed without curtains, lay poor Phil
pale and languid, his rolling distort-
ed eyeballs darting forth the flashes
of delfrum. On one side of him, on
the same bed, lay his agOnized faith
er; on the other, his distracted mother;
around him, numerous friends, weep
ing and fixed in sorrow. Blanched
with astOnishment and alright was
the COuntenance which, q few mo-
ments before, was illumined by the
smile Of meTriment. I could contin-
ue in the room but very short time.
Returning home, I quickened my
pace almost uncORsciOusly, hoping
to escape the image, as we'll as the re-
ality, of what had witnessed"
The young man died next morning,
between four and five o'clock. His
father, we are told, was with difficult
ty supported to the grave, and the
mother remained at home stricken
a senseles5 custom and q debauched
public opinion.
This duel, of the re ader knowns
proved to be but the prelude and re
hearsal of the one which, three years
later, deprived Mrs. Hamilton OF q
husband, and her seven children of a
father. The circumstances were
similar. The duel was
fought on the same ground for a simi-
word uttered by Ham
iltOn. The wound which the father
received was very similar to the one
W
father, like the son, did not fire at his
The father, too, was
borne across the river and taken to q
friends house near the shore, where
he fingered almost the same number
of hours as the son, and died sur
rounded by the same throng of weep
ing friends and relations. It was
doubtless a consolation to his wife, so
cruelty injured, to discover that she
had been in his thoughts the evening
before, when he had written solemn
to his children never to
forget what they owned to the chest
and most devoted of mothers" IN
his will, he left all that he possessed
to his "dear and excellent wife, and
then added these words:
"Should it happen that there is not
enough for the payment Of debts, I
antreat my dear children, if they, or
any of them, should ever he able, to
make up the deficiency. I, without
commit to their delicacy a
wish which is dictated by my own.
conscious that have too far
the interests of nv family
TO public avOcatiOnS, and on this ac-
count have the less claim to burden
my children, Yet trust in their mag
to appreciate rs they ought
this my request. In so unfavOrabIe
an event of things, the support of their
dear mother, with the most respectful
and tender attention, is a duty, all
the sacredness of which they will feel.
Probably her own patTimOnial re-
sources will preserve her from indig-
ance. But i'm all situations they are
to bear in mind that she has
been to them the best of mothers"
Thus can the eloquent tongue apOl-
DgiZe for the faults Of the weak heart;
and women, in their tender charity,
accept the eloquent words and for
yive the mighty wrong which lays
waste their lives. Why should he not
nave said to Burr: "NIy wife and
children have a prior claim upon my
ife. My life is theirs, and not my
OWN. Ny life is not mine TO risk"
He could not say these words, and
no man at that day could have said
hem, unless he had been exception
lily strong and good, which Hamil-
on was not.
Mrs. Hamilton remained for more
han fifty years n widow, and during
ali that period she was an object Of
and peculiar interest in
Ill the circles i'll which she moved.
It is pleasing TO know that her chill
lTen faithfully observed their fathers
She testified to the "un-
kindness and attention.
which she had received from her son,
James a. Hamilton. He even sup
piled her wants too abundantly. One
IF her letters to him has been publish
ed, in which she tells him that she
lid not need a check which he had
=, 4 /, !
her any more money unless she asked
iQr it:
GAS all good acts" she added, "are
recorded in the hsbitatiOn where
your father now is, I have no doubt
his one viii be proclaimed to him,
and have thus given him another
motive to implOTc continued blessings
upon you. Amen, my dear SON"
During the last years Of her life she
was much interested in the prOsperi-
" Of the Widows Society and Orphan
ASYLUM, for WHICH she received
great deal of money by personal ap-
plication.
"Mamma, said her son to her, one
lay, tEOu are a sturdy peggar."
f'AIy dear son. was her reply, ~
san not spare myself or others; my
Maker has pointed out this duty TO
me, and has given me the ability and
inclination to perform it."
For one of the orphans whom she
from poverty and ignorance
through ina Asylum, she obtained a
al the Military AcademE.
He graduated, rosetO the rank Of cap
tain in the army, and was killed at
Monterey, bTavcly leading his COM
pqpY into battle. As long as he lived
he gaze sometnipg sui IF his paF
every. year for the Asylum, and, max
ing his will the night before the bat
tie, left 1t all he had-abOut eighteen
dollars. Mrs. Hamilton liv-
cd to the great age of uinety-seven,
spending her last year at Washing