1804. Sir:— I send for your perusal a letter signed Charles D. Cooper, which, though apparently published some time ago, has but very Digitized by Microsoft® On the Jersey Shore 75 recently come to my knowledge. Mr. Van Ness, who does me the favour to deliver this, will point out to you that clause of the letter to which I particularly request your attention. You must perceive, sir, the necessity of a prompt and un- qualified acknowledgment or denial of the use of any expression which would warrant the assertion of Dr. Cooper. I have the honor to be Your obedient servant, A. Burr. Gen. Hamilton. To this peremptory communication General Hamil- ton replied at some length on June 20th, saying in sub- stance that he considered the charge too vague to ad- mit of either denial or acknowledgment. " I have become convinced," he wrote, " that I could not, without manifest impropriety, make the avowal or disavowal which you seem to think necessary." There follows a somewhat pedantic examination of the grammatical distinction between the terms "despicable" and " more despicable " used in Dr. Cooper's letter, and concludes in the following words : I deem it inadmissible on principle, to consent to be interro- gated as to the justness of the inferences which may be drawn by others from whatever I have said of a political opponent in the course of a fifteen years' competition. I stand ready to avow or disavow promptly and explicitly any precise or definite opinion which I may be charged with having declared of any gentleman. More than this cannot fitly be ex- pected of me. I trust, on more reflection, that you will see the matter in the same light with me. If not I can only regret the circumstance and must abide the consequences. The publication of Dr. Cooper was never seen by me till after the receipt of your letter. Digitized by Microsoft® 76 The Hudson River BuiT found neither " sincerity nor deHcacy " in Ham- ilton's letter. He particularly objected to the charge being treated "as a matter of syntax," and again in- sisted upon a definite avowal or denial of Dr. Cooper's statements. It was not until the receipt of this letter that Hamilton saw his friend, Mr. Pendleton, and placed the correspondence before him. He told Pen- dleton that he considered the letter from Burr rude and offensive, and that he had expressed that opinion to Van Ness. The latter gentleman was a strong partisan, a warm personal friend of Burr's and a bitter political enemy of Hamilton's. His antipathies were pronounced, and his language would be considered in this day of greater restraint as intemperate. There can be no doubt that his inclination, if not his efforts, was adverse to a peaceful solution of the difficulty. The correspondence culminated, as might naturally be expected, in a challenge delivered by Mr. Van Ness in behalf of his principal in the affair. From the Life of Aaron Burr, by Samuel Lorenze Knapp, published in 1835, we may quote a brief ac- count. The particulars of what then took place will appear from the following statement, as agreed upon and corrected by the seconds of the parties: Colonel Burr arrived first on the ground, as had been pre- viously agreed. When General Hamilton arrived, the parties exchanged salutations and the seconds proceeded to make their arrangements. They measured the distance, ten full paces, and Digitized by Microsoft® On the Jersey Shore n cast lots for the choice of positions, as also to determine by whom the word should be given, both of which fell upon the second of General Hamilton (Mr. Pendleton). 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, shall present and fire when they please. If one fire before the other the opposite second shall say, one, two, three, fire or lose his fire. He then asked if they were prepared. Being answered in the afifirmative he gave the word present, as had been agreed on, and both parties presented and fired in succession. The intervening time is not expressed, as the sec- onds do not precisely agree on that point. The fire of Colonel Burr took effect and General Hamilton almost instantly fell. Colonel Burr then advanced towards General Hamilton with a manner and gesture that appeared to General Hamilton's friends 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 recognised by the surgeon and bargemen who were then approaching. No further communication took place between the