HAMILTON and BURR DUEL Weehawken’s greatest fame no doubt lies in her dueling ground, and the fact that upon her soil Aaron Burr shed the blood of Alexander Hamilton. This beautiful but fatal spot in the early part of the 19th century, strangers coming to New York were sure to visit. This spot was only accessible from the waterside, and then could only be reached by an almost inaccessible flight of steps. The property in those days when dueling was in vogue, was owned by Captain Deas, who occupied a mansion on the hill directly over the bloody ground. He was very much opposed to these affairs of honor and it is said that whenever he learned that a duel was about to be fought he would hurry to the ground and rush in between combatants. On several occasions he is credited with having succeeded in settling the difficulty without a shot being fired. Of the many duels that were fought on this picturesque spot the most famous was that of Hamilton and Burr. In 1800 Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson each received Seventy Votes for President of the United States. The election was thrown into the House of Representatives and Jefferson was elected President and Burr Vice Pres. There was much criticism on the methods employed by Burr in securing his office and he became unpopular with his own party. Burr like many a politician since, became clamorous for a vindication and in order to secure it ran for Governor of New York. Morgan Lewis, Father-in-Law of Alexander Hamilton ran against him and defeated him. Hamilton had much to do with Burrs failure to secure vindication and incurred Burr’s enmity. Burr found a pretext for quarreling with Hamilton in a statement of a New York physician, Dr. Chas. D. Cooper, who had said, “I would detail a still more despicable opinion which General Hamilton has expressed of Mr. Burr”. As soon as Burr heard this he wrote a letter to Hamilton in which he demanded “A prompt and unqualified acknowledgement or denial of the use of any expression which would warrant the assertion of Doctor Cooper”. To this Hamilton replied next day, that he could not be held responsible for Dr. Coopers inferences. This was replied to by Burr with a long letter in which he said that political opposition could never absolve gentlemen from a rigid adherence to the laws of honor and rules of decorum, and that Hamilton’s letter had furnished him with new reasons for requiring a definite reply. Hamilton told Wm. P. Van Hess, Burrs friend who delivered the letter, that he considered it rude and offensive and unless it was recalled the only answer which it would be possible for him to make was that Mr. Burr should take steps as he might think proper. Hamilton wrote two conciliatory letters to Burr, but the latter had made up his mind to fight, and as he was a dead shot, no doubt to kill his hated rival, he finally challenged Hamilton and was accepted. July 11th 1804, was fixed for the date of the meeting. Hamilton made his will and wrote several reasons why he should not fight a duel. At heart he was opposed to the code of honor. On the morning of the Eleventh Burrs friends set out from his home #30-Partition Row (Now Fulton St. N.Y.C.) and was rowed over to Weehawken. It was half past six o’clock when they arrived on the ground and soon afterward Hamilton, his second, Judge Pendleton, and Doctor Hosback who was to act as surgeon arrived. The seconds and principals exchanged the usual salutations, and then the seconds proceeded with the preparations for the duel. Hamilton’s second won the choice of positions and the decision as to who should give the word fire. The pistols were loaded and given to the principals. Hamilton declined to have the hair trigger of his weapon set. The rules of the meeting were that the second who was to give the word to fire was to ask the parties if they were ready; being answered in the affirmative he was to say-Present; after that the parties were to present and fire when they pleased. If one fired before the other, the opposite second was to say “one, two, three, fire”, and his principal was to fire or lose his shot. Judge Pendleton asked if the combatants were ready. Both replying that they were, he gave the word Present and both fired in succession. Hamilton fell and his pistol went off involuntary. Burr was untouched and almost immediately he entered his boat and was rowed away to New York, for breakfast. Hamilton became unconscious and was carried to his boat in a dying condition. He revived while being rowed across the river, but he died at about two o’clock of the next afternoon. That Burr intended to kill Hamilton is borne out by his own statement. In speaking of the dual afterwards he said that he was sure of being able to kill Hamilton. On another occasion he said that if it had not been for a smoke or mist or something like that he would have shot him through the heart. The Grand Jury of Bergen County (of which we were a part at that time) indicted Burr for murder and he went away until public excitement died down. Three years later in 1807, the Supreme Court quashed the indictment. Thus ended one of the saddest tragedies in American history, and young America lost one of its biggest aids in its time of greatest need. Hamilton having been an aide to General Washington during the Revolution and after the establishment of the United States Government he became the first Secretary of the Treasury. It in interesting to note that according to a story told me by a member of the family of one of the care takers of Gracie King Estate in the early 90s, that Mr. King caused the Brown Stone Boulder on which rests the bust of Alexander Hamilton to be drawn up from under the hill to its present location, this work being done by two of his employees Mr. Dan Wallace and a Mr. Halie, who used a stone sled for the job.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 04:15:08 +0000
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