| Show the duel between hamilton and burr P few ow of tho the present generation have stood upon the spot which was formerly one of the places that strangers were sure to visit on coming comin in 41 to the city and which the events of this day rendered forever memorable two miles and a half balf above tho the city of hoboken the hights of weehawken Wee hawken rise in the picturesque ictus esque form so familiar to new arkers York cre to an elevation of feet above the hudson these lights are rocky rock very cry steep steel and and covered with small trees and tangled bushes under the bi bight ti its at a point half a mile from w where ere they begin there is twenty f feet ft t above the water a grassy le lodge 1 0 or eleven shelf about six feet wide and eleven paces long this was the fatal spot except that it is slightly incur bared with underbrush it is at this hour precisely what it was on tile 11 th of july 1804 there is an old cedar tree at the side a little out of range which must have looked then very much as it does now the large rocks which p partly artly hem bem in the place are of course unchanged except that they arc are decorated with tho he t initials initial a of former visitors one large rock breast high narrows the hollow in which hamilton stood to four feet or less inaccessible to foot passengers along the river except at low tide with no path down it from the rocky heights above no residence within sight on that side of tho the river unless at a great distance it is even now a singularly secluded scene but fifty years ago when no prophet had yet pr dieter dieted hoboken that romantic clire waa was a it nearly near ay unbroken solitude A third of a mile below the dueling ground there stood a little tavern the oc cas ional resort of excursionists I 1 where too dueling parties not breakfast ad A before 0 proceeding ro to the ground an and d were where they sometimes returned to invigorate their restored friendship friends bip with the landlords wine A short distance above the tho ground lived a fine hearted old captain P who if ho he got scent of a duel would rush to the place throw himself between the combatants and never give over persua persuading din and threatening till he had established a peace or a truce between them he was the owner of the tile ground 1 and ind spoke with authority he never ceased to think that if on this fatal morning lie had bad observed the approach of the boats ho he could have prevented the subsequent catastrophe w but for the very purpose of preventing suspicion I 1 it had bad been arranged that colonel burrs boat should arrive some time before tile other about half past six burr and van vau new landed and leaving their boat a few yards dowa the river ascended over the rocks to the appointed place it was a warm bri bright bt july coming the sun I 1 looks ONs down directly after rising upon the Wee weehawken hawken hights and it was for that reason that the two men removed their coats before the arrival of the other party there they stood carelessly breaking away the branches of the dand looking 00 i out upon as fair as various various as a animated i abed as beautiful a scene as mortal eyes in this lovely world ever beheld the haze crowned city the bright broad flashing tranquil river the long reace of waters water s twelve miles cr or more down to the narrows the vessels at anchor in the harbor misty blue staten island swelling up in in superb contour con tour from the lower bay tho the verdant flowery hights bights aroun around d the opposite shore of the river then dark with forest or bright with sloping lawn and to complete the picture that remarkably picturesque promontory called castle point that bends out far into the stream a mile below weehawken Wee hawken and adds a peculiar beauty to the foreground all these combine to form a view one glance at which ought to have sent shame and horror to the duelists heart that so 89 much as the thought of closing a human beings eyes forever on BO so much loveliness had ever lived a moment in his bosom hamiltons boat was seen to approach A few ining minutes tes before seven it I 1 t touched the rocks and hamilton and his second ascended the principals and seconds exchanged the usual salutations and the seconds proceeded immediately to make the usual full preparations reparations they measured ten full paces aces then cast lots for the choice 0 of position and to decide who should give the word the lot in both cases fell to general hamiltons second who chose the upper end of the ledge for hi his s principal a I 1 which at that hour of the T day 1134 could not have been the best for the reason that the morning sun and the flashing of the river would both interfere with the sight the pistols were then loaded and the principals placed hamilton looking over the river toward the hights bights under which they stood As pendleton gage gave hamilton a milton the pistol ho he asked will lyou you have tho the hair spring 1 b set not this time was the quiet re reply I 1 Y pendleton Tend pendleton leton thin explained to both principles the rules which had been agreed upon with regard to the fir ieng after the word arese prese present nt thed they gerdto acre to fire as coon soon as they pleas pleased the seconds then withdrew to the usual distance are you ready was asked by pendleton both answered in the affirmative A moments pause a tise ensued the word anva given burr raised his pistol toai took aim aim and fired hamilton sprang upon his toes with a it convulsive sive movement reeled a little toward the hights bights at which moment he lie involuntarily discharged his pistol and then fell forward headlong upon his face and remained motionless ti on the ground ilia his ball rustled among the branches seven feet above be the tile head licad of his hii antagonist and four feet wide of him burr heard it looked up and saw where it had sevc severed bcd a twig looking ap at hamilton lie beheld him fall failing 1 l and sprang toward him with an expression of ot pain on his face but at rt the report of the pistols dr IIo sack mr air davis and the b boatman atu hurried anxiously up tho the rocks to tho the scene of the duel and van ness with presence of mind seized burr shielded liim him from observing servin g with an ail umbrella and urged hi him in down th the steep esteep to the boat JAMES PARTON |
