Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1881-04-19
The Burr-Hamilton Duel.

On the 4th day of July, 1904, AleXan,
der Hamilton and Aaron Burr had me-
for the last time as public characters a
the dinner of the Cincinnati. The ar.
Tangements for the duel, which were OF
J the most secret character, had then been
| fully made, but not one guest at the din
! ner would have suspected their eXis-
! tencc. Eyewitness long afterward
recalled the impertubable face Of Burn
and the viyacity of Hamilton, who was
in the chair, and over the Walnuts and
| the wine sang the ballad of "ThC
| Drum" Eleven days iatcr the antag-
onists met at WeehaWken---the beauties
of which, as sung by Ilalcck and Rob
ert c. Sands, the local poets of the peri
od, have long been destroyed. The
rocks on which the adyersari1s stood
have been made into blocks Of Wcehaw-
ken granite and pave the streets Of the
metropolis. William L. Van Ness, who
eight years altcrward filed the Office
now flied by Judge Choate, was Bun's
second on thClmk day, and Judge Ma
thanicl Pendleton, the grandiatheg Of
Senator Pendletou, was llamiIton's sec
Ond. Matthew J.. Davis, "the spy at
Washington, " u journalist thought to be
closely connected with Burr, and the fa-
nous DR.. lIossack waited in dell below
the dueling ground near the waters
edge, where wonderlngly sat the boat
men who had (erried the parties over
AT twelve PAGES the rivals faced each
othcr-llamill0n placed so that he took
his last look at the city. Burr fired as
the lips Of Judge pcndleton closed on
the word "Prcscnt, > and Hamilton was
shot dead before he could bring his pis-
tol to Il level. II is doubtful whether he
meant to fire at all ON the first exchange
Of shots, for when Judge Pendleton had
inquired "Shall set the hair triggcrt'
his principal he'd mcaningly said "Not
this time The wound was soon pro-
nounced mortal by Drs Hossack and
Wright Post and certain consulting sur
gcOns Of cminenCc whom Gen. Key, the
French Consul, summoned from three
French lligatcs which had anchored in
the harhor In thirty hours after the
encounter Hamilton was dead Posi-
bly, his death agouics, which the surge
ons described us acute, were itensllled
By The remembrance that less thln three
years previously ms plucsU son, IIlnp,
aud also been Killed IN 4 duel By his
bedside stood his fifth child, John G.
Hamilton, who still lives ut the age Of
IS years. Among the other children by
the bedside were Angelica, who died
mmHrrlrd: Alexander, Jr., who left
no children; James Alexander, who
married Miss Mary Morris, and died at
Dohh's Ferry two or three years ago,
leaving four daughters and one son.
Alexander n distinguished lawyer;
William stephen, who died n bachelor
in California; Eliza, who became Mira.
Augustus Holly, md Philip, the young
est, who married the daughter Of Louis
McIanC and whose son, DR.. Allan Me-
Lane Hamilton. isa well-known phyi-
elan in this city The verdict of the
Coroncr's Jury, TINT Aaron Burr, Vice
President oC the United States, was
guilty of the murder Of Alexander
Hamilton, and that VIM. =. Van Ness
and Nathaniel Pendlclon were accessor-
rics.' Hes now among the musty lilies
Of the Court of General Sessions. - Nep
York lYoHd.