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

Chapter VIII Pg 87

As Early As The 10Th Of August, Burr, In A Letter To His Uncle

Edwards, [1] Expressed Apprehensions That The Retreat Of The American

Army From Long Island Might Be Cut Off And Then That The British

"Would Have Their Own Fun." From That Period Until The Retreat Was

Effected, On The Night Of The 27Th, He Continued To Entertain The Same

Opinion As To The Necessity Of Retreating. So, Also, In Relation To

The City Of New-York. He Thought No Attempt Should Be Made To Hold It.

Subsequent Events Proved His Good Sense And Foresight, As Well As His

Military Genius. The City Was Abandoned On The 15Th Of September. Ten

Days After He Writes To His Aunt Edwards, In Reply To A Desponding

Letter He Had Received From Her, His Views Of The Recent Movements Of

The American Army.

Chapter VIII Pg 88

To Mrs. Edwards.

 

 

Kingsbridge, 26Th September, 1776.

 

 

My Dear Aunt,

 

 

I Fear, Madam, You Give Yourself Needless Anxiety About The Situation

Of Public Affairs. It Has Been Always Held A Maxim That Our Island And

Seaport Towns Were At The Discretion Of The Tyrant Of Great Britain.

Reasons For The Retreat From Long Island Are Well Known. The

Evacuation Of New-York Was A _Necessary Consequence_. The Manner Of

Conducting These Made Present Advantages But Trifling To The Enemy.

The Loss To Us Is Of Still Less Importance; And, Indeed, Some Happy

Consequences Resulting From The Manoeuvres Appear To Me Worthy Of

Notice.

 

 

We Have Hitherto Opposed Them With Less Than Half Their Number, And

Exposed To All Their Advantages Of Shipping. Our Force Is Now More

United, Theirs More Divided. Our Present Situation Renders Their Navy

Of Less Service To Them, And Less Formidable To Us;--A Circumstance Of

Vast Importance, And To Which I Attribute All That Has Heretofore

Appeared In Their Favour. Add To These, Besides Confirming Our

Internal Union, The Effect That Every Appearance Of Success On The

Part Of The Enemy Has Upon Our Leading Men. It Arouses Them From The

Lethargy Which Began To Prevail; Convinces Them That Their Measures

Are Unequal To Their Grand Designs; That The Present Is The Important

Moment, And That Every Nerve Must Now Be Exerted.

 

 

This Is Not Altogether Fanciful. It Has Been Actually The Case. More

Effectual Measures Than Were Ever Before Thought Of Are Now Taking For

Levying A New Army. A Committee Of Congress Are On The Spot With Us To

Know All Our Wants, And Report Them Properly, That They May Be

Speedily Provided For. I Do Not Intend By This, My Dear Aunt, To

Deceive You Into An Opinion That Every Thing Is Already Entirely

Secure; That We Are Now Actually Relieved From Every Degree Of Danger;

But To Remove Your Apprehensions Concerning The Important Events Which

Depend On Our Military Exertions. I Hope, Madam, You Will Continue,

With Your Usual Philosophy And Resolution, Prepared For The Uncertain

Events Of War, Not Anticipating Improbable Calamities.

 

 

Various Have Been The Reports Concerning The Barbarities Committed By

The Hessians, Most Of Them Incredible And False. They Are Fonder Of

Plunder Than Blood, And Are More The Engines Than The Authors Of

Cruelty. But Their Behaviour Has Been In Some Instances Savage, And

Might Excuse A Fear, If Reckoned Among Usual Calamities; But These

Should Be Viewed On A Larger Scale Than That Of Common Complaisance.

It Should Be Remembered We Are Engaged In A Civil War, And Effecting

The Most Important Revolution That Ever Took Place. How Little Of The

Horrors Of Either Have We Known! Fire Or The Sword Have Scarce Left A

Trace Among Us. We May Be Truly Called A Favoured People.

 

 

I Have Been Not So Engaged As Common For A Short Time Past, And Have

Liberty Of Remaining, For Three Or Four Days, About Two Miles From

Camp, From Whence I Now Write You, A Little More At Leisure; But I Am

Now Within Drumcall.

 

 

Your Nephew,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter VIII Pg 89

After The Abandonment Of Manhattan Island By The American Army, And

Some Fighting In Westchester, General Washington Crossed The North

River With A Part Of The Troops, And Retreated Through New-Jersey. The

Movements Of Lord Cornwallis Left No Doubt That The Object Of The

British General Was Philadelphia. He Advanced Rapidly From Brunswick

Upon Princeton, Hoping, By Forced Marches, To Get In The Rear Of The

Americans. On The 8Th Of December, 1776, Washington Crossed The

Delaware, Secured The Boats, And Broke Down The Bridges. Great

Apprehension And Alarm For The Safety Of Philadelphia Now Existed.

Judge Marshall, In His Life Of Washington, Says,

 

 

"In Consequence Of This State Of Things, The General Advised That

Lines Of Defence Should Be Drawn From The Schuylkill, About The

Heights Of Springatsbury, Eastward To The Delaware, And General Putnam

Was Ordered To Superintend Them." Major Burr Was Now Actively Engaged

As The Aid-De-Camp Of General Putnam, Whose Esteem And Unbounded

Confidence He Continued To Enjoy.

Chapter VIII Pg 90

He Writes Colonel Ogden,

 

 

 

 

 

Princeton, 7Th March, 1777.

 

 

Dear Matt.,

 

 

I This Evening Received Your Letter Of Yesterday'S Date, By Stockton.

I Knew Not How To Direct To You, Nor Where To Send For The Horse, Or

Should Have Done It Sooner. I Do Not Perfectly Recollect The One You

Mention, But Should Be Glad Of Any On Your Recommendation. Both Boots

And A Saddle I Want Much, And Shall Be Obliged To You To Procure Them

For Me;--Good Leather Would Suit Me As Well As Boots Ready Made. I

Have Not Had A Pair Worth Sixpence Since Those I Had At Elizabethtown.

 

 

As To "Expectations Of Promotion," I Have Not The Least, Either In The

Line Or The Staff. You Need Not Express Any Surprise At It, As I Have

Never Made Any Application, And, As You Know Me, You Know I Never

Shall. I Should Have Been Fond Of A Berth In A Regiment, As We

Proposed When I Last Saw You. But, As I Am At Present Happy In The

Esteem And Entire Confidence Of My Good Old General, I Shall Be Piqued

At No Neglect, Unless Particularly Pointed, Or Where Silence Would Be

Want Of Spirit. 'Tis True, Indeed, My Former Equals, And Even

Inferiors In Rank, Have Left Me. Assurances From Those In Power I Have

Had Unasked, And In Abundance; But Of These I Shall Never Remind Them.

We Are Not To Judge Of Our Own Merit, And I Am Content To Contribute

My Mite In Any Station.

 

 

I Shall Probably Be At Morris Within Ten Days, On Public Business.

Write Me Whether I May Expect You There. With Sincere Love To Mrs.

Ogden,

 

 

Yours,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter VIII Pg 91

In The Spring Of 1777, A New Army Was To Be Raised. For Political

Reasons It Was Deemed Expedient To Select, Where It Could Be Done With

Propriety, For The Colonels Of Regiments, Gentlemen Supposed To Have

An Influence. Among Those Who Were Thus Selected Was Colonel Malcolm,

Formerly A Merchant In The City Of New-York. He Was Highly

Respectable, And Universally Esteemed, But Was Not A Military Man. In

June, 1777, Burr Was Appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Of His Regiment; But

He Did Not Receive Official Notice Of The Fact Until The 26Th Of July.

 

 

On The 14Th Of July, 1777, General Putnam'S Headquarters Being Then At

Peekskill, He Issued The Following Order:--

Chapter VIII Pg 92

_By The Honourable Major-General Putnam, To Major Aaron Burr,

Aid-De-Camp_.

 

 

Sir,

 

 

Pursuant To Orders Received From His Excellency General Washington,

You Are Forthwith To Repair To Norwalk, Fairfield, And The Places

Adjacent On The Sound, Transmit Me Without Delay The Intelligence You

Shall From Time To Time Receive Of The Movements Of The Enemy, Or Any

Of Their Fleets. Request Of The Committees, Or Select-Men Of The

Different Towns, That They Will Be Very Punctual In Reporting To The

Commanding Officer At This Post Whatever May In Any Respect Relate To

The Movements Of The Army, As Both Their Safety And The Welfare Of The

Country May Be Promoted By Their Diligence In This Particular.