Complete Works. Hamilton AlexanderЧитать онлайн книгу.
you had rather I should die innocent than live guilty.
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Heaven can preserve me, and I humbly hope will; but in the contrary event I charge you to remember that you are a Christian. God's will be done!
The will of a merciful God must be good. Once more,
Adieu, my darling, darling wife.
A. H.
Tuesday Evening, 10 o'Cl.
Mrs. Hamilton.
Early the next morning he was shot.
The story of the meeting has been so often repeated that it seems unnecessary to again publish the familiar details, yet even to-day there is much misconception. I shall, however, present the well-attested facts, to which I purpose to add others in my possession. The available and established data concerning the duel seem to be those which follow.
On Friday, July 6, 1804, Mr. Pendleton informed Mr. Van Ness that General Hamilton would be ready at any time after the eighth. On Monday the particulars were arranged; on Wednesday the parties met on the Jersey shore at seven o'clock in the morning.
The details of the actual meeting were printed by the New York Evening Post of July 12,1 and the account is that furnished by the seconds. It may be stated in this connection that the conclusions of these gentlemen were not harmonious, as may be seen by a comparison of the newspaper account with Mr. Pendleton's notes, which are now for the first time published. The language of the published statement essentially agrees with that in "Paper 2" in the Pendleton memoranda; but there is an abrupt hiatus after the words "The fire of Colonel --." It would appear as if Van Ness, after agreeing to the statement, had changed his mind the day after the duel.
Col. Burr arrived first on the ground, as had been previously agreed: When Gen. Hamilton arrived the parties exchanged salutations, and the seconds proceeded to make their arrangements. They measured the distance, ten full paces, and cast lots for the choice of position, as also to determine by whom the word should be given; both of which fell to the second of Gen. Hamilton. They then proceeded to load the pistols in each other's presence, after which the parties took their stations.1 The gentleman who was to give the word then explained to the parties the rules which were to govern them in firing, which were as follows:
The parties being placed at their stations the second who gives the word shall ask them whether they are ready; being answered in the affirmative, he shall say 'Present!' after which the parties shall present and fire when they please. . . . If one fires before the other, the opposite second shall say one, two, three, fire. . . and he shall then fire or lose his fire." He then asked if they were prepared; being answered in the affirmative, he gave the word present, as had been agreed upon, and both parties presented and fired in succession -- the intervening time is not expressed, as the seconds do not precisely agree on that point.
The fire of Colonel Burr took effect, and General Hamilton almost instantly fell. Col. Burr then advanced toward General Hamilton, with a manner and gesture that appeared to General Hamilton's friend to be expressive of regret, but without speaking, turned about and withdrew, being urged from the field by his friend, as has been subsequently stated, with a view to prevent his being recognized by the surgeon and bargemen, who were then approaching. No further communication took place between the principals, and the barge that carried Col. Burr immediately returned to the city. We conceive it proper to add that the conduct of the parties in this interview was perfectly proper as suited the occasion.
William Coleman, of the Evening Post, gives his version as follows:
It was nearly seven in the morning when the boat which carried General Hamilton, his friend Mr. Pendleton, and the Surgeon mutually agreed on, Doctor Hosack, reached that part of the Jersey shore called the Weahawk. There they found Mr. Burr and his friend Mr. Van Ness, who, as I am told, had been employed since their arrival, with coats off, in clearing away the bushes, limbs of trees, etc., so as to make a fair opening. The parties in a few moments were at their allotted situations. When Mr. Pendleton gave the word, Mr. Burr raised his arm slowly, deliberately took his aim, and fired. His ball entered General Hamilton's right side. As soon as the bullet struck him, he raised himself involuntarily on his toes, turned a little to the left (at which moment his pistol went off), and fell upon his face. Mr. Pendleton immediately called out for Dr. Hosack, who, in running to the spot, had to pass Mr. Van Ness and Col. Burr; but Van Ness had the cool precaution to cover his principal with an umbrella, so that Dr. Hosack should not be able to swear that he saw him on the field.
What passed after this the reader will have in the following letter from Dr. Hosack himself:
Dr. David Hosack to William Coleman
August 17th, 1804.
DEAR SIR: To comply with your request is a painful task; but I will repress my feelings while I endeavor to furnish you with an enumeration of such particulars relative to the melancholy end of our beloved friend Hamilton, as dwell most forcibly on my recollection.
When called to him, upon his receiving the fatal wound, I found him half sitting on the ground, supported in the arms of Mr. Pendleton. His countenance of death I shall never forget. He had at that instant just strength to say, "This is a mortal wound, Doctor;" when he sunk away, and became to all appearance lifeless. I immediately stripped up his clothes, and soon, alas! ascertained that the direction of the ball must have been through some vital part.
His pulse was not to be felt; his respiration was entirely suspended; and upon laying my hand on his heart, and perceiving no motion there, I considered him as irrecoverably gone. I, however, observed to Mr. Pendleton, that the only chance for his reviving was immediately to get him upon the water. He therefore lifted him up, and carried him out of the wood, to the margin of the bank, where the bargemen aided us in conveying him into the boat, which immediately put off. During all this time I could not discover the least symptom of returning life. I now rubbed his face, lips and temples, with spirits of hartshorne, applied it to his neck and breast, and to the wrists and palms of his hands, and endeavored to pour some into his mouth. When we had got, as I should judge, about 50 yards from the shore, some imperfect efforts to breathe were for the first time manifest; in a few minutes he sighed and became sensible to the impression of the hartshorne, or the fresh air of the water: He breathed; his eyes, hardly opened, wandered, without fixing on any objects; to our great joy he at length spoke: "My vision is indistinct," were his first words.
His pulse became more perceptible; his respiration more regular; his sight returned.
I then examined the wound to know if there was any dangerous discharge of blood; upon slightly pressing his side it gave him pain; on which I desisted. Soon after recovering his sight, he happened to cast his eye upon the case of pistols, and observing the one that he had had in his hand lying on the outside, he said, "Take care of that pistol; it is undischarged, and still cocked; it may go off and do harm; Pendleton knows, (attempting to turn his head towards him) that I did not intend to fire at him." "Yes," said Mr. Pendleton, understanding his wish, "I have already made Dr. Hosack acquainted with your determination as to that." He then closed his eyes and remained calm, without any disposition to speak; nor did he say much afterwards, excepting in reply to my questions as to his feelings. He asked me once or twice, how I found his pulse; and he informed me that his lower extremities had lost all feeling; manifesting to me that he entertained no hopes that he should long survive. I changed the posture of his limbs, but to no purpose; they had totally lost their sensibility. Perceiving that we approached the shore, he said, "Let Mrs. Hamilton be immediately sent for -- let the event be gradually broken to her; but give her hopes." Looking up we saw his friend Mr. Bayard standing on the wharf in great agitation. He had been told by his servant that Gen. Hamilton, Mr. Pendleton and myself had crossed the river in a boat together, and too well he conjectured the fatal errand, and foreboded the dreadful result. Perceiving, as we came nearer, that Mr. Pendleton & Myself only sat up in the stern sheets, he clasped his hands together in the most violent apprehensions;