The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-06
By RALPH POOL

/ A1AAS 40 SAA~ o0OAy Va ~ AONSAJ
lady who vanished, and of al
lovely picture that appeared my
steriously in an humble cottage
on the North Carolina Banks.
The lady who vanished was
Theodosia Burr. She was the be-
loved daughter of Aaron Burr.
stormy petrol of early American
politics. Also, she was the cher
ished wife of David Aston,
Governor of the State of South
Carolina.
When our story begins, Aaron
Burr had returned from years of
exile in Europe. He had served
as a military aide of General
Washington in the Revolution.
The war over, he had risen to
top rank in the New York bar.
Was Vice President
Active in politics, as turbulent
in that day as ever in the later
history of the United States,
Burr had won election as Vice
President, serving during Thom-
as Jefferson's first term as
President.
| Burr's brilliant adversary had
been Alexander Hamilton. Their
differences had eliminated in a
duel in which Hamilton had been
killed. Because of Hamilton's
popularity, the duel had spelled
finis to Burr's political career.
Then Burr had become involv-
ed in a fantastic, mysterious
scheme to build an empire in the
Southwest, where Louisiana,
newly purchased from France,
bordered Spanish dominions in
Texas and Mexico. The scheme
had collapsed when authorities
had arrested Burr and others on
a treason charge.
Flight To Europe
Burr had been acquitted of
treason after a long trial in
Richmond, Va. Despite his ac-
quittal, many Americans regard
/ ed him as guilty of conspiring
against his country. His life was
threatened, and Burr fled to Eu-
rope.
Meanwhile, Theodosia had
married into the patrician Alston
family in South Carolina.
Through the long years of his
wanderings in Europe, Burr had
kept up a correspondence with
his daughter. When he returned
to New York, his first wish was
to see her.
No Time for Voyage
1t was early January, 1918,
and no time for a sea voyage
But roads were so bad and fa-
cilities for land travel so un-
certain that Theodosia decided to
risk an ocean trip to New York.
She embarked from Charles.
ton, S. c., in a stout little sailing
ship, the Patriot.
A few days later off Cape
Hatteras, the Patriot ran afoul
of a British blockading squad
ron. The War of 1872 was in
progress, and such an eventual
ity had been provided for. The
skipper of the Patriot carried q
letter explaining his peaceful
mission and asking safe conduct
through the enemy fleet. This
was granted, and the Patriot
sailed away to the north.
A great storm scattered the
fleet that night.
This was Theodosia's last
known contact with the outside
world.
Fails to Arrive
Burr had been advised of his
daughters plans. When she fail
ed to arrive to New York at the
expected time, he clung to the
hope that the Patriot had been
seized by an enemy privateer
and taken to a foreign port. He
haunted New York's docks,
questioned arriving sea captains,
sent urgent messages wherever
ships sailed. All to no avail.
Months heightened into years,
and finally he abandoned hope.
More years passed. America
fought a terrible Civil War.
Peace came, and normal way
of life returned. Folks had time
and a little money for vacations