Memoirs Of Aaron Burr, Volume 1 - Matthew L. Davis (top android ebook reader txt) 📗
- Author: Matthew L. Davis
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Immediately After The Repulse Of The Americans At Quebec, His Friend
Ogden Returned To New-Jersey, But Spent Much Of His Time With The Army
In The City Of New-York. He Writes To Burr, Dated
New-York, 20Th March, 1776.
Some Weeks Have Elapsed Since I Saw Walker And Price. To-Day I Met
With Hopkins At This Place. My First Inquiry Was For Letters From You.
I Mean Not To Upbraid You. This Is The Third Time Of My Writing Since
I Left You. I Shall Continue It, With The Hope Of Giving You Some
Small Satisfaction. Miss Dayton Is Well, And Will Soon Be Mine. Barber
Is Appointed Major In The Third Jersey Battalion, Of Which Dayton Is
Colonel, And Walton White Lieutenant-Colonel. Hancock Was Particular
In His Inquiry After You, And Was Disappointed In Not Receiving A Line
From You. I Was Kindly Received On My Arrival At Philadelphia. The
Congress Have Since Appointed Me Lieutenant-Colonel In The First
Jersey Battalion, In The Room Of Lieutenant-Colonel Winds, Who Has The
Regiment In The Stead Of Lord Stirling, Who Is Advanced To A
Brigadier-General.
Colonel Allen, Who Hands You This, Is Much Of A Gentleman, And Worthy
Your Attention. Melcher Has Hobbled Himself. Inquire Of Colonel Allen.
General Thompson Commands. To-Morrow My Appointment Will Be Announced
In General Orders, Whereupon I Shall Join My Regiment, But Shall
Obtain Leave Of Absence For A Week Or Two. Elizabethtown Swarms With
Girls, Among Which Is Miss Noel. I Have Not Seen Miss Ricketts.
When I Was In Philadelphia, Colonel Reed Expressed A Desire Of Serving
Me. He Said There Was A Vacancy In General Washington'S Family, And
Doubted Not His Recommendation Would Procure It For Me. I Declined It,
Hoping To Get A More Active Office, But Desired He Would Procure It
For You. If Any Thing Offers At Quebec, Accept It, As It Will Not
Hinder Your Appointment Here. Washington Is Expected In New-York, When
I Shall Have A Better Chance Of Bringing It About. The Pay And Rank
Are Equal To A Full Major. I Shall Write You By Price. Miss Dayton Is
Particular In Her Inquiries After You.
Yours Sincerely,
Matt. Ogden.
Chapter VI (His Friend, Jonathan Bellamy, Writes) Pg 61In The Spring Of 1776, The Army Moved From Montreal To The Mouth Of
The Sorel. Major Burr Yet Remained With It. While At Montreal, He
Became Disgusted With General Arnold, On Account Of His Meanness And
Other Bad Qualities. On The March Through The Wilderness, He Was Far
From Being Satisfied With The General. Burr Thought He Provided Too
Carefully For Himself; And That He Did Not Sufficiently Share The
Fatigues And Privations Of The March In Common With The Troops.
Immediately After Arriving At The Sorel, He Informed The General Of
His Desire To Visit His Friends, And To Ascertain What Was Doing, As
He Wished More Active Employment. General Arnold Objected Somewhat
Petulantly. Burr Remarked Courteously, But Firmly, "Sir, I Have A Boat
In Readiness. I Have Employed Four Discharged Soldiers To Row Me, And
I Start To-Morrow Morning At Six O'Clock." He Then Designated The
Point At Which He Should Embark. Arnold Forbade His Departure,
Whereupon Burr Reiterated His Determination.
The Next Morning, At The Specified Hour, He Repaired To His Boat, And
Shortly After Discovered The General Approaching. "Why, Major Burr,"
Says He, "You Are Not Going?"--"I Am, Sir," Replied The Major. "But
You Know, Sir, It Is Contrary To My Wish And Against My Orders."--"I
Know, Sir, That You Have The _Power_ Of Stopping Me, But Nothing Short
Of Force Shall Do It." The General Then Changed His Tone And Manner,
And Endeavoured To Dissuade; But, After A Few Minutes' Conversation,
Burr Wished Him Great Success, Then Embarked, And Took His Departure
Without Interruption.
On The Sorel An Incident Occurred Which Gave Some Alarm To The
Voyagers. Burr Had Taken Into His Boat, As A Kind Of Companion, A
Young Merchant. On The Borders Of The River They Suddenly Discovered A
Large Brick House, With Wings, Having Loopholes To Fire Through, And
In View, At The Door, Stood An Indian Warrior, In Full Costume. The
Oarsmen Were For Attempting To Retreat. Burr Said It Was Too Late, As
They Were Within The Reach Of The Indians' Rifles. The Passenger Was
About To Stop The Men From Rowing, When Burr Threatened To Shoot Him
If He Interfered. The Inquiry Was Then Made--"What Are We To Do?" The
Major Replied, "Row For The Shore And Land; I Will Go Up To The House,
And We Shall Soon Learn What They Are." By This Time Several Other
Indians Had Made Their Appearance. On Reaching The Shore, Burr Took
His Sword And Proceeded To Meet The Red Men. An Explanation Ensued,
And It Was Ascertained That They Were Friendly. The Stores Were Landed
From The Boat, And A Merrimaking Followed.
Chapter VI (His Friend, Jonathan Bellamy, Writes) Pg 62Major Burr Continued His Route To Albany. On His Arrival, And While
There, He Was Notified Verbally That It Would Be Agreeable To The
Commander-In-Chief (General Washington) That He Should Visit New-York.
He Forthwith Proceeded Down The River, And Arrived In The City About
The 20Th Of May, 1776. He Immediately Reported Himself To The
Commander-In-Chief, Who Invited Him To Join His Family At Headquarters
Until He Received A Satisfactory Appointment. The Quarters Of General
Washington Were At That Time In The House Subsequently Owned By
Colonel Burr, And Known As Richmond Hill. This Invitation Was
Accepted, And Major Burr Occasionally Rode Out With The General, But
Very Soon Became Restless And Dissatisfied. He Wrote To John Hancock,
Then President Of Congress, And Who Had Been An Intimate Friend Of His
Father, That He Was Disgusted, And Inclined To Retire From The
Service. Governor Hancock Objected, And Asked Him Whether He Would
Accept The Appointment Of Aid-De-Camp To Major-General Putnam, Then In
Command In The City Of New-York. Burr Consented, And Removed From The
Headquarters Of The Commander-In-Chief To Those Of Major-General
Putnam. About This Period Burr Received A Letter From His Friend, Now
Lieutenant-Colonel M. Ogden, Who Had Proceeded To The North With His
Regiment. He Writes,
Chapter VI (His Friend, Jonathan Bellamy, Writes) Pg 63Fort George, 5Th June, 1776.
Dear Burr,
I This Evening Experienced The Greatest Disappointment I Have Met With
Since My Memory. I Yesterday Saw Mr. Price; He Informed Me That You
Were On Your Way, In Company With The Commissioners, Who, I Was This
Day Informed, Were Coming By The Way Of Skeenesborough. I Altered My
Course, And Went That Way, Till I Met Them On The Road. They Informed
Me You Were Coming By Lake George. I Then Turned About, Very Much
Afraid You Would Pass Me Before I Came Into The Lake Road. But What
Necessity For Enumerating All These Circumstances? I Have Missed You.
D--N The Luck. I Never So Much Desired, Nor Had Occasion So Much For
An Interview. I Have Not Received A Single Line From You Since I Left
Canada. Perhaps You Have Not Written, Or Perhaps They Have Miscarried.
If They Have Miscarried, Withered Be The Hand That Held Them Back.
Tell Me You Omitted Through Carelessness, Neglect, Hurry Of Business,
Or Any Thing, Rather Than Want Of Friendship.
_General Washington Desired Me To Inform You That He Will Provide For
You, And That He Expects You Will Come To Him Immediately, And Stay In
His Family._ I Should Have Acquainted You Of This By Letter, Had I Not
Expected To Have Seen You. You Will Now Want Your Horse. I Have Sold
Him, And Spent The Money, And Expect I Shall Not Be Able To Refund It
Until My Return.
I Am, If I Ever Was,
Yours Sincerely,
Matthias Ogden.
Chapter VI (His Friend, Jonathan Bellamy, Writes) Pg 64Before The Preceding Letter Was Received By Major Burr, He Felt Piqued
At What He Supposed The Coldness And Neglect Of His Friend Ogden, And,
Under The Influence Of Such Feelings, Wrote The Following:--
New-York, New-York, 18Th Jane, 1776,
Dear Ogden,
A Correspondence, Which I Flattered Myself In Former Times Was
Mutually Agreeable, Has Of Late Somehow Strangely Found An End. You
May Remember, When You Left Canada, I Engaged To Answer Your First
Letter Immediately, And To Continue Writing From That Time, By Every
Opportunity, As Usual. I Concluded Your Letters Must Have Miscarried,
And Wrote You A Line By Mr. Avery. I Had No Direct Intelligence From
You, Till A Verbal Message By Mr. Duggan, The Beginning Of May. A Few
Days After, I Received A Letter From _Colonel Ogden_ By _Colonel
Allen_. I Should Have Answered It, But Had Determined To Visit My
Native Colony, And Expected, By Personal Interview, To Answer Purposes
Which I Scarce Hoped The Cold Medium Of Ink And Paper Could Effect.
That I Unfortunately Missed You On My Way Hither, I Need Not Relate.
At Albany I First Heard You Had Passed Me. I Was Upon The Point Of
Following You; But The Character Of Troublesome Fool Struck Me In So
Disagreeable A Light, That, In Spite Of Myself, I Continued My
Journey.
There Is In Man A Certain Love Of Novelty; A Fondness
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