The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-10-29
ANECDOTES OF AARON BURR.
Some "Reminiscences of Things Not Inclu-
ded in the Biographies.
New York Evening Post.1

ded In the Biographies.
New York Evening Post.l
There was one New Yorker of former
generation who possessed individuality
enough to be wildly remembered by the
present and that person was Aaron Burr
Other famous men of his day were as closely
identified with the city's history as he, but
their personal memory seems to have pretty
much faded from the minds of its citizens.
With Burr, however, the case is different,
and there are scores of gray-haired gentle
men in the city, and some old ladies' too who
remember him perfectly, and if properly APP
preached will entertain one for hours with
vivacious gossip and anecdote concerning |
him. Many of these anecdotes were. of
course, collected and published by Burr's bio
graphers, but some have escaped their notice. |
Among the latter are several related by an |
old gentleman occupying responsible posi-. |
ton in this city, and who was an intimate |
friend and connection of Colonel Burr, which |
| refute some assertions concerning him made
by historians, and, as tending.t to help the pub
| lie to juster estimate of his character, are
worthy of publication.
| give them very nearly in the words of
the narrator, permitting him to speak here
after, but avoiding double marks of quota
| ton:
| When first met Colonel Burr, he began,
he was an old man, and as you know under
cloud not bowed down and decrepit, as ex-
pected to see him, but ruddy and fair-faced,
with the brilliant eye and erect carriage of a
man in his prime. Our leave-taking on this
| occasion most impressed me. you must
come and see me oiten," said he. 81 am an
| old man; you are young. and my ex-
perience of the world and among men has
been such that may be of benefit to you"
That Washington disliked Burr is matter
of history; this was due partly to Hamlton's
influence, but chiefly, l think, to Burr's freely
spoken criticisms on his generalship. Burr,
thought Washington poor general, and con-
ceited youngster as he was, was quite out
spoken in his opinions He never sought to
| impress his peculiar views of the man upon
the young, however, as an Incident which l
can relate will chow. In our intercourse-as
cordial and unaffected as that between father
and son-he was speaking one day of the
battle of Monmouth which he characterized
as succession of mere skirmishes magnitied
by fulsome historians into battle, and which,
he said, might have been won for the patriot
arms on several occasions had Washington
and here checked himself and, after a mo-
ment, added "Let us stop here; l would on
no account destroy the veneration and ee-
TEEN that you have for the character of
Washington"
. Andrew Jackson. in his younger days, was
an ardent admirer of Burr, and was to have
been the latters most trusted lieutenant in
the proposed Mexican expedition. He also
stoutly defended him at the time of his trial
for treason in Richmond in 1907. Twenty
one years after, in 1928, their positions had
! changed. Jackson was the Democratic cam
ddate for president, and Burr was living OBJ
securely in New York, poor and under cloud.
They were not then on speaking terms
BUR- had letters and papers in his possession
> that would have nipped Jackson's presideD-
thai aspirations in the bud; he also held the
fate of more than half the political aspirants
: of the day at his disposal. and l often won
! | dered at his forbearance in not using this
power, the more as in many cases by SO doing
| he might have cleared himself But think
!, fidelity to friends was one of his most striking
! traits
Burr voted for jackson for president, an6
. his appearing at the polls / remember per
q fectly The polling places were then in Bow
:, ling Green, near the battery, and on th
occasion there were gathered very much sucf
a turbulent crowd as now disgrace our cleo
q tons. At length Colonel Burr, accompa
/, MED by friend, one of the Swartwouts.
!, think drove up, and it was soon whispered
. about that he was present. Every on'
seemed anxious to see him; the noisy demon
y stations of the crowd were hushed, and ,
lane was formed, through which he advanced
: to deposit his ballot; some of the citizen
y even lifted their hats in spontaneous tribut
:, to the man. There was a presence abou
;, Burr rarely met with, which made him
marked man in any company, and preserved
4 him from personal insult. Indeed, neve
knew an instance in which he was insultet
: personally, though he was SO often and 81
4 grossly assailed by persons at a distance.
rs Another thing not generally known, / be
lie lieve, is that Burr once projected compre
hensive work en- the men and events OF tn
Revolution; his more intimate friends, how
lever, knew this to have been one of the mos
n cherished plans of his later life. For it b.
= had collected many letters and papers o
- value which at the time of his flight t,
81 Europe were sent for safe keeping to his &C
! complished daughter, Theodosia, in Soutl
; Carolina. When she came to meet he
II father in 1872 they accompanied her on boar
IN the Inflated Patriot, and were lost with he
- in the ship-wreck of that vessel off the Hat
= teras coast.
D. Hence the project was abandoned, to tn
II incalculable loss of American literature, 70
g Burr had it in his power to give truthful
,e history of the great contest, and could hav
" fortified his position with the necessary pa
" pers and documents. / am certain that b
IL would have disproved many of the assertion
il of biased historians, and that juster estmat
10 than is common of some eminent character
is might have been gathered from his work, es
rs pecally of jefferson and Hamilton. Burr wa
is never himself after the loss of the Patriot;
r. was more affected by it than was general
'; supposed. I think he was heart-broker
ae Often he was urged TO reply to the calumnie
ID circulated concerning him, as duty he owe
,e to himself, to his family, and to posterity a
large. "Ahp he would say, "of what use ar
words7 All my papers were lost in the sam
Ishipwreck that bereft me of my daughter; l.
them do with the old man as they will"
Of C,lor,al Rnrr,s rolifeneax and corlrfl