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

Chapter VI (His Friend, Jonathan Bellamy, Writes) Pg 60

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 61

In 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 62

Major 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 63

Fort 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 64

Before 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