James Madison Papers
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To James Madison from William Eaton, 27 October 1806

From William Eaton

Brimfield Oct. 27th. 1806.

Sir,

Danielson, named in the foregoing extract, is my son in law and ward;1 has lately returned from Marietta. Belknap, a native of this County, is merely a resident there. Blennahasset an expatriated Irish Gentleman, settled on an island in the vicinity of Marietta, of which he is proprietor. There is a man, by name, Ephraim Kibby, living in the neighbourhood of Cincinnati, late a Capn. of rangers (or spies, in Gen. Waynes army) who can give information of the arrangement and extent of Mr. Burr’s project. Kibby is now a brigade Major to some Brigadier General of Militia. I have the honor to be very respectfully, Sir, your very Obedient serv.

William Eaton

[Enclosure]

Extract of a letter from Morris B. Belknap of Marietta to Timo. E. Danielson of Brimfield, dated Oct. 11th. 1806.

“The measures adopted by Colo. Burr’s agents, as they are supposed to be, have excited universal alarm. The publications of the querist,2 some of which you must have seen if you have received the papers I directed to you, the building of 15 or 20 boats on the Muskingum calculated to navigate the waters of this Western Country, have excited great alarm among the democrats. A fever is raging among them denominated by Federalists the Burr fever. This is no idle whim, nor tea-table talk. So fully in the belief of an insurrection that will actually take place shortly in this country, the people of Wood County, in Va, have formed themselves into a volunteer company, and have subscribed to articles binding themselves to be ready at a moment’s warning should any coercive means be taken to effect a revolution. Mr. Alston, of South Carolina, lady & suit passed through this last week— stopped at the island—revisited this—and have now gone for Kentucky. He is son in law to Mr. Burr—a man of immense possessions. From my intimacy with Blennahasset I had the honor to be introduced to him and lady. He appears like a man of excellent understanding and high spirits—nothing superfluous in his manners nor equipage. Notwithstanding the gentlemanlike conduct he displayed while in Marietta, there was a loud talk of his being mobbed by the rabble, Capt. E. Hill at their head. These same mad rabble swear in their wrath they will tar and feather Burr should he make his appearance in Marietta. But I think the steady part of community would soon put a stop to such proceedings. I would not fail however to mention the circumstance of Colo. Burr’s putting up at a house in Wilmington near Cincinnati, about which a rabble collected in the evening with drums and fife, beat the rogue’s march, and made much disturbance. The Host, enraged, was going to call on authority to still them. But the Colo begged him not to trouble himself; for he was extremely fond of martial music; that it could not interrupt him should they play all night. They next day called and begged the Colos pardon.”

RC and enclosure (DLC: Burr Conspiracy Collection).

1Timothy E. Danielson was Eaton’s stepson (History of Washington County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches [n.p., 1881], 142).

2For the “Querist” essays, see James Taylor to JM, 13 Oct. 1806, and n. 5.

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