Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Please Mr. Postman
Before their scheduled duel, Burr and Hamilton sent each other a number of letters to try and patch things up. This first letter, sent to Hamilton from Burr, is a reaction to the straw that broke Burr’s back. For a long time, Hamilton and Burr had a personal grudge. It was all due to politics, of course, but one supposed insult sent Burr looking for the duel. By the way, don’t worry, Phineas will deal with a lot of their political falling out and all that. Sorry, I just am excited to get back to the letters. Anyway, Hamilton made a bad remark about Burr at a private dinner party. This insult was written down in a letter from Dr. Charles D. Cooper to Philip Schuyler. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the letter was then published in The Albany Register on April 24, 1804. So, only a couple of months before the duel. This first letter, pictured above, was mailed with the offending newspaper article on June 18, 1804. The letter is in the handwriting of Burr’s second, Van Ness.
The letter reads:
Sir:
I send for your perusal a letter signed Ch. D. Cooper which, though apparently published some time ago, has but very recently come to my knowledge. Mr. Van Ness, who does me the favor 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 unqualified acknowledgement or denial of the use of any expressions which could warrant the assertions of Dr. Cooper.
I have the honor to be,
Your Obt. Servt.
A. BURR
General Hamilton
Special thanks to the New York State Historical Association for making this letter available to The Superhero Historians.
