From Alexander Hamilton to Aaron Burr, 10 October 1803
To Aaron Burr1
Grange [New York] October 10th. 1803
Dear Sir
I distinctly recollect (as was once before verbally explained between us) that just before you made a payment of Two thousand Dollars on your Bond,2 Winships Mortgage3 was returned to you, as the mean by which the money was to be procured. I think it was sent to you by Le Guen himself.
It is to be presumed, that Winship has had since some intimation from the possessor of his mortgage, and that his information will assist your memory in retracing the circumstances of the negotiation. The mortgage is certainly not now in my possession—nor has a cent been received by me on account of it.
Respectfully Yr. obedient servt
A Hamilton
Greenwich4
I observe in your warrant of Attorney a new error. You add the Shillings & pence to the penalty whereas they belong to the condition. The penalty is simply ⟨–⟩.
Col Burr
ALS, Princeton University Library.
1. For background to this letter, see H to Ezra L’Hommedieu, April 4, 1799; Louis Le Guen to H, May 1, May, December 27, 1800, September 30, 1803; “Receipt to Louis Le Guen,” January 15, 1801; “Description of Account with Louis Le Guen,” June 8, 1802.
2. Burr paid Le Guen two thousand dollars on July 23, 1801. See Le Guen to H, September 30, 1803, note 4. See also Burr’s statement of his account with Le Guen, January 1, 1805 (AD, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California; copy, dated November 20, 1812, in Le Guen’s handwriting, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California).
3. Daniel, Ebenezer, John, Samuel, and Thomas Winship were New York City butchers.
4. Burr’s country estate, Richmond Hill, was in the section of lower Manhattan known as Greenwich.