The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-01-19
The Burr.HamlltOn Duel.

IN the 4th day of July, 1904, Alex
snder Hamilton and Aaron Burr had
mct for the last time as public charac-
TORS at the dinner of the Cincinnati.
The arrangements for the duel, which
we're of the most secret character, had
then been fully made, but not one guest
al the dinner would have suspected their
existence. Eye-witpesses long afterward
recalled the imperturbable face of Burr
and the vivacity of Hamilton, who was
in the chair, and over the walnuts and
the wine sang the ballad OF "The
Drum" Eleven days later the antago-
nists met at Weehawken--the beauties
Of which, as sung by Halleck and Rob-
ert G. Sands, the local poets of the pc
rod, have long been destroyed. The
rocks on which the adversaries stood
have been made into blocks Of Weehaw-
ken granite and pave the streets Of the
metropolis. William P. Van Ness, who
eight years afterward filed the office
now filed by Judge Choate, was Burr's
second on that dark day, and Judge
Nathaniel Pendleton, the grandfather of
Senator Pendleton, was Hamilton's sec
ond Matthew L. Davis, "the spy at
Washington" q journalist thought to be
closely connected with Burr, and the
famous DR.. Hosack waited in dell be-
low the dueling ground near the waters
edge, where wonderingly sat the boat
men who had ferried the parties over.
At twelve PAGES the rivals faced each
other-Hamilton placed so that he took
his last look at the city. Burr fired as
the lips of Judge Pendleton closed on
the word Present" and Hamilton was
shot dead before he could bring
his pistol to level. 1t 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 trigger?' his prin-
cpal had meaningly said "Not this
time" The wound was soon pronounced
mortal by Drs. Hosack and Wright Post
and certain consulting surgeons of emf
hence whom Gen. Key, the French Con-
sui, summoned from three French frig-
ates which had anchored in the harbor.
In thirty hours after the encounter
Hamilton was dead. Possibly his death
agonies, which the surgeons described
as acute, were intensified by the re-
membance that less than three years
previously his eldest son, Philip, had
also been killed IN duel. By his bed
side stood his fifth child, John Church
Hamilton, who still lives at the age of
IS years. Among the other children by
the bedside were Angelica, who died I'M
married; Alexander, Jr., who left no
children; James Alexander, who mar
RED Miss Mary Morris, and died at
Dobb's Ferry two or three years ago,
leaving four daughters and one son.
Alexander, q distinguished lawyer;
William Stephan, who died bachelor
i'll California Eliza, who became Mrs.
Augustus Holly, and Philip, the young
est, WHO married the daughter of Louis
McLane, and whose son, DR.. Allan Nc
Lane Hamilton, is a well-known phys
ician in this city. The verdict Of the
Coroner's jury, that Aaron Burr, Vice
President of the United States, was
guilty of the murder of Alexander Ham,
ton, and that William P. Van Ness
and Nathaniel Pendleton were accessor-
les, lies now among the musty files OF
the Court Of General Sessions. -NeV
York World. .r