Memoirs Of Aaron Burr, Volume 1, Matthew L. Davis [book club suggestions .txt] 📗

The Veneration Of The United Colonies For Their Late General,

Richard Montgomery, And The Deep Sense They Entertained Of The Many

Signal And Important Services Of That Gallant Officer, Who, After A

Series Of Successes, Amid The Most Discouraging Difficulties, Fell, At

Length, In A Gallant Attack Upon Quebec, The Capital Of Canada, And To

Transmit To Future Ages, As Examples Truly Worthy Of Imitation, His

Patriotism, Conduct, Boldness Of Enterprise, Insuperable Perseverance,

And Contempt Of Danger And Death, A Monument Be Procured From Paris,

Or Other Part Of France, With An Inscription Sacred To His Memory, And

Expressive Of His Amiable Character And Heroic Achievements; And That

The Continental Treasurer Be Directed To Advance A Sum, Not Exceeding

Three Hundred Pounds Sterling, To Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Who Is

Desired To See This Resolution Properly Executed, For Defraying The

Expenses Thereof."

 

 

This Resolve Was Carried Into Execution At Paris By That Ingenious

Artist, M. Caffieres, Sculptor To Louis Xvi., King Of France, Under

The Direction Of Dr. Benjamin Franklin. The Monument Is Of White

Marble, Of The Most Beautiful Simplicity And Inexpressible Elegance,

With Emblematical Devices, And The Following Truly Classical

Inscription, Worthy Of The Modest But Great Mind Of Franklin.

 

 

To The Glory Of

 

 

Richard Montgomery,

 

 

Major-General Of The Armies Of The

 

 

United States Of America,

 

 

Slain At The Siege Of Quebec,

 

 

The Thirty-First Of December, 1775,

 

 

Aged 38 Years.

 

 

This Monument Was Erected In Front Of St. Paul'S Church, In The City

Of New-York, In The Spring Of 1789.

 

 

General Arnold Temporarily Became Commander-In-Chief Of The American

Army Near Quebec, And Was Accordingly Removed To Headquarters. Young

Burr Was Now Called Upon To Perform The Duties Of Brigade Major.

Arnold'S Plan Was, By A Close Blockade, To Starve Out The Enemy; But,

From The Weakness Of His Force, He Soon Discovered That This Was

Impracticable; And He Knew That, On The Opening Of The Spring, He

Could Not Retain His Present Position, But Must Retreat. He Therefore

Resolved To Send In A Flag Of Truce, And Demand A Surrender.

Chapter VI Pg 54

He

Informed Captain Burr That He Was About To Send Him With A

Communication To General Carlton, The British Commander. Captain Burr

Required That He Should Be Made Acquainted With Its Contents. Arnold

Objected; Whereupon Burr Remarked That, If The General Wished It, He

Would Resign; But That He Could Not Consent To Be The Bearer Of The

Communication Without Possessing A Knowledge Of Its Character. At

Length, It Was Exhibited To Him. It Was Demanding A Surrender Of The

Fortress, But In Terms That Captain Burr Considered Unbecoming An

American Officer, And He So Stated To The General; Adding, That The

Bearer Of Such A Message, If He Were Permitted To Deliver It, Would Be

Treated By The British With Contumely And Contempt; And Therefore

Declined The Mission. Another Officer Was Selected, And Met The Fate

Burr Anticipated. Shortly After (April 1St, 1776), General Wooster

Arrived From Montreal And Took The Command. He Was Succeeded By

General Thomas About The 1St Of May; And, On The 5Th Of May, It Was

Determined In Council To Raise The Blockade Of Quebec, And That The

Sick And Wounded Should Be Immediately Removed, With The Artillery And

Stores, By Boats, To Three Rivers, Preparatory To A Retreat.

 

 

Burr'S Perseverance And Zeal During The March Through The Wilderness

With Arnold, His Subsequent Boldness In Joining Montgomery, And His

Intrepidity At The Assault On Quebec, Had Acquired For Him Great

Reputation In The Army, And Had Drawn Towards Him The Attention Of

Some Of The Most Distinguished Whigs In The United Provinces. From

Every Quarter He Received Highly Complimentary Letters. From A Few Of

Them Extracts Are Made. Colonel Antill, A Resident Of Montreal, Who

Had Joined The American Army, Thus Addresses Him, Five Days After The

Fall Of Montgomery:--

Chapter VI Pg 55

"La La Chine, 5Th January, 1776.

              

 

"Dear Burr,

 

 

"I Have Desired Mr. Price To Deliver You My Pistols, Which You Will

Keep Until I See You. They Are Relics From My Father'S Family, And

Therefore I Cannot Give Them To You. The General (Wooster) Has Thought

Proper To Send Me To The Congress, Where I Shall Have An Opportunity

Of Speaking Of You As You Deserve.

 

 

"Yours,

 

 

"Edward Antill."

Chapter VI Pg 56

On The 4Th Of January, General Wooster Writes From Montreal To General

Arnold:--

 

 

"Give My Love To Burr, And Desire Him To Remain With Colonel Clinton

For The Present. [1] Not Only Him, But All Those Brave Officers Who

Have So Nobly Distinguished Themselves. I Shall Ever Remember With

Gratitude And The Highest Degree Of Approbation, And Shall Not Fail To

Represent Them Accordingly.

 

 

"David Wooster."

Chapter VI (From A College-Chum Of Great Merit, He Received A Letter) Pg 57

 

 

 

"Philadelphia, January 24Th, 1776.

 

 

"Dear Burr,

 

 

"I Am Informed A Gentleman Is Just Setting Off For Quebec, And Snatch

The Opportunity Of At Once Condoling With You For The Loss Of Your

Brave General, And Congratulating You On The Credit You Have Gained In

That Action. 'Tis Said You Behaved Well--You Behaved Gallantly. I

Never Doubted But You Would Distinguish Yourself, And Your Praise Is

Now In Every Man'S Mouth. It Has Been My Theme Of Late. I Will Not Say

I Was Perfectly Disinterested In The Encomiums I Bestowed. You Were A

Son Of Nassau Hall, And Reflected Honour On The Place Of _My_

Education. You Were My Classmate And Friend, And Reflected Honour On

Me. I Make No Doubt But Your Promotion Will Be Taken Care Of. The

Gentlemen Of The Congress Speak Highly Of You.

 

 

"Your Affectionate,

 

 

"William Bradford, Jun."

Chapter VI (Judge Tappan Reeve Writes) Pg 58

 

 

 

"Stockbridge, January 27Th, 1776.

 

 

"Dear Burr,

 

 

"Amid The Lamentations Of A Country For The Loss Of A Brave,

Enterprising General, Your Escape From Such Imminent Danger, To Which

You Have Been Exposed, Has Afforded Us The Greatest Satisfaction. The

News Of The Unfortunate Attack Upon Quebec Arrived Among Us On The

13Th Of This Month. I Concealed It From Your Sister Until The 18Th,

When She Found It Out; But, In Less Than Half An Hour, I Received

Letters From Albany, Acquainting Me That You Were In Safety, And Had

Gained Great Honour By Your Intrepid Conduct. It Gave Us A Kind Of

Happiness That I Should Be Very Loath Ever Again To Enjoy; For It

Never Can Be The Case Until You Have Again Been Exposed To The Like

Danger, And Have Again Escaped It, Which I Hope May Never Happen. To

Know That You Were In Safety Gave Great Pleasure. It Was Heightened By

Hearing That Your Conduct Was Brave. Could You Have Been Crowned With

Success, It Would Have Been Complete.

 

 

"It Was Happy For Us That We Did Not Know That You Were An

Aid-De-Camp, Until We Heard Of Your Welfare; For We Heard That

Montgomery And His Aid-De-Camps Were Killed, Without Knowing Who His

Aid-De-Camps Were.

 

 

"Your Sister Enjoys A Middling State Of Health. She Has Many Anxious

Hours Upon Your Account; But She Tells Me That, As She Believes You

May Serve Your Country In The Business In Which You Are Now Employed,

She Is Contented That You Should Remain In The Army. It Must Be An

Exalted Public Spirit That Could Produce Such An Effect Upon A Sister

As Affectionate As Yours.

 

 

"Adieu.

 

 

"T. Reeve."

Chapter VI (His Friend, Jonathan Bellamy, Writes) Pg 59

 

 

 

"My Very Dear Friend,

 

 

"Be You Yet Alive? I Have Been Infinitely Distressed For You; But I

Hope It Is Now As Safe With You As Glorious. Doctor Jim Cogswell Has

Left The Army. A Few Days Ago I Received A Letter From Him. 'I Doubt

Not,' He Says, 'You Have Most Sensible Pleasure In The Applauses

Bestowed On Our Friend Burr; When I Hear Of His Gallant Behaviour, I

Feel Exquisite Delight.'

 

 

"Curse On This Vile Distance Between Us. I Am Restless To Tell You

Every Thing; But Uncertainty Whether You Would Ever Hear It Bids Me Be

Silent, Till, In Some Future Happy Meeting, I May Hold You To My

Bosom, And Impart To You Every Emotion Of My Heart.

 

 

"Yours Sincerely,

 

 

"Jona. Bellamy."