William P. Van Ness’s Narrative of Later Events of June 25, 1804
William P. Van Ness’s Narrative of Later Events
of June 25, 18041
In about an hour he2 called at my house. I informed him, that I had shewn to Col Burr the letter3 he had given me from Genl Hamilton that in his opinion it amounted to nothing more than the verbal reply I had already reported—that it left the business precisely w[h]ere it then was—that Mr Burr had very explicitly stated the injuries he had received, and the reparation he demanded, and that he did not think it proper to be asked now for further explanation. Toward the conclusion of our conversation I informed him that Col: Burr required a General disavowal of any intention on the part of Genl Hamilton in his various conversations to convey impressions derogatory to the honor of Mr Burr. Mr. Pxxx replied that he believed Genl Hamilton would have no objection to make such declaration and left me for the purpose of consulting him requesting me to call in the course of the afternoon for an answer. I called on him accordingly about 6. O clock. He then observed that Genl Hamilton declined making such a disavowal as I had stated in our last conversation, that he Mr xxx did not then perceive the whole force and extent of it—and presented me with the following paper No 94 which I transmitted in the evening to Mr. Burr.
“Van Ness’s Narrative,” AD, New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, New York; ADf, New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, New York.
1. In the draft of his narrative Van Ness wrote: “At½ past 2 oclock Mr Pendleton called at my house. I told him that I had perused the letter [H to Burr, June 22, 1804] which he had given me a short time before and shewn it also to Col: Burr—That it appeared to Col Burr to be nothing more than the verbal reply which I had already reported to him—That it left the business precisely w[h]ere it was then—That I did not think it proper or necessary to ask now for further explanation from us—That Mr Burr had very explicitly stated the injuries he had received and the satisfaction he required. He then presented me with a paper [“Nathaniel Pendleton’s First Account of Alexander Hamilton’s Conversation at John Tayler’s House,” June 25, 1804] to which I objected as being confined to a particular occasion, that we required a Genl disavowal of any intention on the part of Mr Hamilton in his various conversations to convey impressions derogatory to the honor of Mr Burr. Mr Pendleton replied that he believed Genl Hamilton would have no objection to say that much and left me for the purpose of consulting Genl. H—and wished me to call on him in the course of the afternoon for an answer.”
2. Nathaniel Pendleton.