Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-27
quirements should be so far sunk be-

few detachments, we'll knowing that
1t would have no permanent effect up
on General Washington's strength.
The arrival of the French fleet
alarmed his fears, as we have seen,
and he resolved to spare no effort to
insure it's destruction. Having OBJ
tanned from Colonel Hamilton an ac-
curate account of the number and ar
mament Of the vessels, and also of
the numbers and description of the
land forces destined to cooperate
with them, he disappeared from the
American camp, upon the pretext of
making a journey to Philadelphia to
collect certain moneys alleged to be
due him, and of which he pretended
to be in great need. In about two
weeks he returned, and soon after
wards came the news Of the total
failure of the Rhode Island expedi-
ton; Sir Henry Clinton having OBJ
tanned information from some quarter
which enabled him to defeat it en-
tirely.
Colonel Hamilton was in total ig-
norance Of his confederate's cores
pondence with the enemy. The ex-
pertinent was too hazardous, and its
| results too uncertain, TO have COM
manded his assent under any circum-
| stances. Billings knew that upon this
point he was infiexible, and dared not
trust him with the slightest inti-
nation of his own secret operations.
He took the whole responsibility upon
| himself, trusting to his own matchless
| skill and impudence to escape detec-
ton or even suspicion. While. how
ever, Colonel Hamilton would have
been grievously offended and indignant
IL advised Of the part that Billings
| had acted, the results were such as he
regarded with great complacency.
agency in promoting the jealousies
| and heart-burnings which broke out
| between the American and French Of
ficers Immediately after the failure Of
the Rhode Island expedition. In this
matter. chance may have favored
him. Tt was natural that defeated
men should seek to shift the blame
| from themselves to their allies, and
| he may have done no more than re-
| frain from efforts to heal a breach
which gave to General Washington
the greatest concern. But II he was
passive at that time, he did not re-
/ ot,o on oft n-Ic 90
French influence, and detraction Of
everything French, grew into mania
that continued to afflict him during
the remainder Of his life. For the
association. Count D'Estaing, dis
gusted by his i'll success, and exasper-
ated by the quarrels between his Of
fcers and his allies, sailed for the
south. where, in conjunction with an
| American force, he made an assault
on Savannah, and suffered a bloody
repulse. Concluding from the failure
Of these two attempts that the west
ern hemisphere was not exactly the
| theater upon which he was best cal
culated to shine, he turned the prows
Of his ships toward the east, and nev-
er again honored us with his pres
ence.
After Colonel Burr's resignation.
the jealousy of Hamilton slumhered
for years. During a great part Of the
| time, Burr was an invalid. He never
re-entered the army; and as they sell
| 1om came in contact. there was moth
ing upon which a rivalry could feed.
That period of his life, therefore. does
not come properly within the scope Of
| this history, and must be briefly dis
| posed Of
After his withdrawal from the staff
of General Washington, Colonel Ham,
| ilton urgently solicited commission
in the line, which was for some time
refused His wishes were at last
complied with, and he again entered
the army and served throughout the
war, distinguished by courage and
eminent ability. At the siege of
Yorktown he added still more to his
brilliant reputation as a soldier, and
stained his character as a man by
claiming credit for humanity at the
expense Of both Washington and La
Fayette This claim, as IL afterwards
appeared in a typography Of Mr..
Hamilton" is worthy of preservation.
if for no other purpose than to show
to what a degree of baseness a man
undoubtedly possessed of many great
qualities could descend, and how
reckless he was of the reputation of
others when his own might be en-
hanced by detracting from their just
claims to public admiration.
| Previous to the assault" says the
biographer in question, the Marquis
| de la Fayette proposed to General
| Washington to put to death all the
British troops that should be found
within the redoubts, as a retaliation
for several acts of barbarity COM
mitted by the royal army. The steady
and nervous mind of Washington
which was never known TO yield to
the virtuous prejudice of compassion,
| gave MS assent 10 the Dloouy oIuei
but Mr. Hamilton, Uhe tenderness OF
whose feelings has led him into er-
ror,) after the redoubts were subdued
took the conquered under his protec-
ton, and proved to his enemies that
America knew how to fight but not
to murder"
With this veracious extract, we
close the record of Alexander Hamil-
ton. until we again find him the rival
and the unscrupulous traducer OF
| Aaron Burr.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"a The professor of botany paused
under an oak and the young girls ir