The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1873-06-27
A New Account of tho Burr,
Hamilton a fTnir.

Hamilton a nnir.
The Hartford Courdnt publishes the FOL.
lowing interesting extract from the advance
sheets OF an account Of the life of James
Williams, the old negro janitor Of Trinity
College ;
Professor jim was tile slave OF Colonel
Robart;a retired revolutionary officer living
in Yonkers, N. Y. Aaron Burr was fre.
quent visitor at Colonel Robarts honseand
a room was always ready for him, as he
might stop at any time on his way from AL
bany to New York and back again. The
establishment Of Burr seems to have made
a strong impression on Professor Jim's mind
and he describes with admiring tones the
enormous carriage drawn by six horses, and
the retinue of outriders and footmen which
always accompanied him. Burr himself,
Jim describes as short, rough and ugly
man, who swore and cursed constantly, but
who in ladies' society, was very polite and
exquisite.
| AT the time OF the duel between Burr and
Hamilton, Jim was at work in the fields ut
mail time, and his mother was sent on
horseback for the batch OF papers which
was due. She gave the letters, on her re.
turn, TO her master, and he had scarcely
read the FIRST one he had opened, when, all
hurry and excitement, he shouted, Get o
room ready quick, for that little devil is
comingp When afterward he learned that
Hamilton had been killed in the duel. the
excitement only increased.
A moments DEPRESSION here 10 the state
ments of history will be serviceable in nscer.
tanning how far Professor Jim remembers
the circumstances Of this occasion.
On Wednesday the eleventh Of
July, 1904, Burr and Hamilton met on the
heights Of WeehaWken, and the duel was
fought; on Thursday, the IL, Gen. Hamil-
ton died, and on Saturday, the Ia, he was
inferred with military horfors.
Burr writes to Joseph Alliston Esq, from
New York, July l3: General Hamilton
died yesterday. i propose leaving town for
few days, and mediate also journey for
come weeks, but whittier is not resolved.
Perhaps to Statesburgh. You will hear
from me in about eight days The next
letter with any date is from Philadelphia,
July 20.
} Parton, in his life OF Aaron Burr, says
that Immediately after the duel Burr went to
his home in New York (Richmond Hill.
and for eleven days stayed at or near this
7 place, writing under cover OF friends in
Philadelphia to his daughter and to his
son-in-law.
Jim's statement, as will be seen, becomes
an important one in the history Of Burrs
life inasmuch as the missing link in the
. broken chain of circumstances connected
with the history from just before the duel
) till some months after IS here supplied. The
\ interest attached to the events in the life
9 Of our aged janitor increases when we fnd
y ourselves able to veryiy his statements with
r the statements Of historians.
Now Jim says Burr went hrst TO his
: home in New York, near the old State
!, Prison, on West Broadway. The day
- between three and four in the afternoon, as
I we were putting up new yard fence, there
y !, appeared great cloud Of dust away down
= the road. Some one said that ii was some
3 one riding, for the day was so quiet IL could
! not be the wind. By and by man came
Z up and gave a note to master, that said be
y was coming. Pretty soon he came up him
= self in'his four-horse coach. His head was
:" bowed down, and he didn't saya word but
: then, his head was always bowed down. III
Il caught right hold OF my masters hand and
vi they went into the house, and we didn'
v see him again till the next evening.
n' The day that Hamilton was buried was {
u bad day for him, and he didn't eat any din
~ ner nor 20 out for bis walk along the river
So but he walked to and fro along the corridor
O. upstairs, with his hands behind him. WI
81 could bear the funeral guns sounding ul
Ut from New York. Burr had his servant il
se the room with him night and day, and h
'h- had case Of pistols and a sword in th
re room with him. He stayed with my maste
nd some time, and practiced good deal q
th, target-shooting down by the river bank, an
nd I myself have seen white birch tree wher
rn he had shot twelve balls into space n
lis larger than my hand.'"
q, -~~-~-->~~--s0~-->>~--~-~
n Hon. james Brooks, OF Arkansas, ha
ed brought suit in the Circuit Court of Pr
in laska county, against Gov. Baxter for tn
ds Office Of Governor.
cd | -
be The Now Orleans, Mobile and Texo
wa Railroad is 10 be sold at auction under