The Republican journal., 1874-08-06


Having resolved on the duel, Burr sent
Hamilton message demanding eXplana-
ton Of the remarks which the latter had
made. This took place on the 18th OF
June. 1t is not proposed to give these
Well-llnown facts in detail, but the writer
may mention that four letters We're ex-
changed between the principals, and nine
days elapsed before a challenge was sent.
| Hamilton had clear view Of the deter
mnation Of his correspondent He saw
| that hostile message was inevitable. and
! being in obedience to what arc falsely
called the laws OF honor, he accepted it
rs soon rs offered. He was conscientionslv
| opposed to the practice, with very good
reason indeed, since his son Phillip had
/ lallen in duel with Adam Eacker two
years previously; but he could not break
the iron rule Of military life He would
not send 4 challenge. but he would not
refuse one, lie hadtwenty years previously
| served As a second. and now he appeared
~ n principal.
| On the Fourth OF July, 1904, lust a week
before the duel. both parties attended the
dinner Of the Society Of the Cincinnati
Hamilton was in good spirits and sang
| The Drum. which then was popular
song. How little was il then dreamed that
he had accepted n challenge, Burr, on
the other hand. conycrsed very little. 1t
was said after t,lc duel that Burr had been
| nacticing with Il pistol. and also that he
| had discovered that silk was bullet-prool.
| Hence, as the report Went he had ordered
4 suit OF this matcrial for the very occasion,
and, according to the ridiculous notion. he
stood fire proof However, there was no
need of this or any oIher precaution. for
Hamilton had determined TO throw away
his fire; which. as is we'll known, was
done Indeed, II was said that his second
Nj, rrndrton. revisited the spot and
found llamillon> bullet lodged in tree.
The paper which Hamilton LETT as 4 tcsti-
monv against dueln@ shows that his CON
duct was in opposition TO his conscience.
He felt that he had no right to expose 4
lite which his family needed so deeply, and
acting rs he did in face OF this conclusion,
he was guilty of a dreadful wrong.
lIamitonS second was Nathan Pcndlc-
ton; Burr's second was William F. Van
Ness, BY special arrangement the meeting
was postponed until after the Circuit
Court. which was held on the 9th, in
which Hamilton had an important case.
When this had been disposed of. Mr.
Pendleton informed Van Ness that his
principal was ready. Sunday. the Sth
was passed by Hamilton in the bosom Of
his family What Il grievous wrong he
was about to intlict upon them, On
Monday he made his WILL leaving every
thing to his wife and commanding her TO
his children Tuesday was spent in
perlminarips to the meeting, which WAS
~ Ntf ha IlI \
and 4 boat were to be engaged. and
was one Of the leading practitioners of
letter TO Theodosia, giving explicit direc-
tons as to the disposition of his affairs
and also advice in reference to the educa-
ton of her little boy He also wrote a
careful and elaborate letter to her husband
in which other details are given, and he
concludes with y brief explanation II
have called out General Hamilton, and we
meet tomorrow Van Ness will give YOU
the particulars The preceding has been
written in view Of this. If it should lie
my lot to tall-yet | shall live in vou and
your som 1t may be observed rs 4 strik-
ing contrast not only that Burr did not
fall. but that he survived both his daughter
and her husband, as we'll as their son, and
died in miserable old age.
1t was arranged between the seconds
that Burr should be on Ine ground first.
and he must have left Richmond Hill
before 6 O'Clock Pendleton says that at
Z in the morning the Hamilton party
reached the spot (Which was W eehawken). =.
and the terryman was ordered to wait 1T
the bank Burr and Van Ness were busy
clearing the ground 50 rs to make an
opening. The principals saluted each
other in that formal manner which the
laws of honor demand The distance Qen
paccS) was measured. and then Van Ness
and Pendleton united in loading a brace
OF pistols They then drew for choice ot
positions, which Hamilton won, and the
combatants Immediately took their places.
BY previous agreement, the following had
been arranged n the method Of combat ;
The parties having been placed in proper
position. the second who gives the word
shall ask them if they are ready. and be
inc answered in the affirmative shall SAY
present. and after this the parties shall
present and fire when they please. The
word was given by Pcndleton, and both
parties presented and fired in succession.
Pendlct0n SAYS that Burr took deliberate
aim. Hamilton fired after Burr, but the
intervening time was 4 matter OF disa-
orecmcnt 1t conld not. however, have
been more than two or three seconds. for
he fell moltally wounded by the first fire.
Burr immediatiatcly advanced towards the
wounded man with an expression of re-
grct. and then, without speaking. turned
and left the field The spot on which
Hamilton fell was subsequently indicated
by monument placed there by the 81.
Andrews Society, OF which Hamilton WAS
4 member 1t stood in what was Thirty
first street in the old Wcchawkcn district
but the Improvement in that vicinity has
required its removal.
As Hamilton sank to the ground Pendle-
ton ran to his assistance. and Dr. llosack
who heard the firing. was also Immediate
" at hand The unfortunate man was
hardly able TO speak. They carried him
down to the boat, passing the Burr party
and to prevent identification Van Ness
covered his principal with his opened UNI
brela. Burr was roWcd us rapidly rs
possible to Richmond Hi. where he
gathered few necessary articles and then
lied to Philadelphia He nj once felt that
his crime had cNiled him from New York
and he did not revisit this city until after
the lapse OF eight years. Had he been
caught there within a week after the duel
he would without doubt have been hanged
by the populace. llamilton's boat was
directed towards the ferry -housc, at the
foot of Cedar street. 1t was no doubt
The Intention Of the party to convey
him to the family residence in that street
(No. 34D, but circumstances prevented.
That morning his departure in q boat
with Pcndleton and Dir. IIosacl1 had been
noticed, and the report became rapidly
known. Among Others whose fears and
suspicious had been excited by it, was his
friend " illiam Bayard. This man took
his place at the terry-housc Ca building
which still stands at the corner of Cedar
and Greenwich streets, which latter then
was the bcach), and watched the return
of his friend. At last he saw u skitf ap-
preaching, and soon deserted the surgeon
and the second, but nothing was to he
seen Of Hamilton. Bayard understood