Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-05-11
Theodosia Burr-The Mystery of Her
Death at Sea in 1873.
BArrLE CREEK, Dec. 81, 1880.

Theodosia Burr-The Mystery of Her
Death at Sea in 1873.
BATTLE CnEEK, Dec. ~, 1880.
Last winter the Post and Tribune rep
rcsontativc was in Cass county on bust
ness and visited the county poor.house,
situated near Cassopolis, He discovered
evidence from the dcath-bed confession
of an old sailor that Theodosia Burr AIS
ton, only daughter Of Aaron Burr, and
wife Of Gov, Joseph Aston, of South
Carolina, was murdered by pirates while
returning to New York on visit to her
father The facts were printed in the
local papers, at the time, and were OK.
tensively copied by the press Of the East
ern and Southern States.
Your correspondent has since then
received many letters of inquiry regard
ing the sad fate of this brilliant woman,
and has had correspondence with parties
in the Fast who knew Of the Burr fam
lily; has carefully gathered all the facts
possible bearing on the case from all
quarters, and he has again visited the
Cass county poor-house to obtain more
detailed account of what was revealed
there The results are given herewith
Aaron Burr was descended from the
rigid old Puritans of New England. -
His mothers father was the celebrated
Jonathan Edwards, and his father was
the President of Princeton College. He
was born February 9th, 1856, and left
an orphan Mt an early age, his father aud
mother dying at about the same time -
He was placed under rigid tutors, who
did their duty, and being brilliant
scholar, was prepared to enter college al
the unusual age of eleven years He was
always fond Of adventures, and while
still youth joined the Federal army -
On the 10Th of January, 1882, he was
admitted to the bar, and in the following
July was married to Mrs Theodosir
Provost, French lady and widow with
two children, one of them eleven years
of age. This lady was full ten year,
his senior.
At Albany, n. Y. in the first year oil
their marriage, was born Col Burr's only
legitimate child, Il daughter, whom he
named Theodosia, after her mother. -
Her childhood was spent at the rural
home with her mother, while her father
was in New York practicing his profess
sion, in which his success was brilliant.
Her fathers frequent letters to her
and to her mother show the great inter-
est he constantly manifested in their vel
fare, and the means he took to further il.
In 1894, when Theodosia was only
about eleven years of age, her mother
died. Her care and education then fell
entirely to her father, and he was so OK.
cellent tutor and guardian that she at
the age of twelve was reading Horace
and Terence in the original Latin, spoke
French and German, and read Greek
with ease. In fact she was regarded al
prodigy in her ncighborhood She re-
warded her fathers solicitudc by becom-
ing the best educated woman Of her time
and country, as we'll As one Of the most
estimable. She continued 10 be mistress
of his home till 1901, when she was mar.
ried to Joseph Aston, Of South Carolina
Theodosia was then eighteen and ber
husband twenty-five years of age. They
removed to South Carolina, greatly +.
the grief Of her fond father, and in du,
time was born boy, her only child
whom she named after bis father
How much Aaron Burr thought Of biz
daughter may be CLEANED from the lcttcl
which he wrote her the night before hi
duel with Hamilton, when he did no
know whether he should ever see be-
again. This letter concluded with tbes,
touching words:
81 am greatly indebted to you, ny
dearest Theodosia, for very great por'
ton Of the happiness | have enjoyed il
this life. Yeu have completely salts
fed all that my heart and affections ba'
hoped or even wished, and | have n
doubt will attain all that my ambition
or vanity had fondly imagined lie
your son be proud that he had you 70
a mother. Adicu."
OF Aaron Burr's fight from justice
to escape the vengeance Of tbs law; o
his subsequent arrest for high treason
and his hasty leave Of the country, con
cealcd on ship.board, together with Oh
gross immortality Of bis life. nothing
need be said in this article which per
tains to the life o. bis daughter, Thcodo
sia, creature ~ different from her par
ent as the sunshine is from midnight
The love which she bore for her father
and her anxious soicitude for his welfare
after his fight to Europe, so WORKED
upon her mind that her health was af
fected. Burr became anxious Mt this
and planned voyage TO London for her
80 that they might meet again; but he
condition improving, she did not go
The anxious solicitudc which she felt fo
her father is evidenced 10 the frequen
correspondence which passed between
them during the many long months o
his absence. II was she who first tolt
him that ii would be safe TO return
This be did in 1912, rcsuming the prac
tice of law 10 New York.
Within six weeks after his return h'
received the sad news from Theodosii
that her little son--thc delight of father
mother and grandfather--was dead Tn
mothers health then languished. Sh
waited some months al her home in The