The Hamilton-Burr Duel

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton

Jefferson and Hamilton had been political enemies ever since they were in George Washington’s Cabinet. But in a letter to Otis, Hamilton compares the characters of Jefferson and Burr, to Jefferson’s benefit. Hamilton writes that “Mr. Jefferson, though too revolutionary in his notions, is yet a lover of liberty and will be desirous of something like orderly Government. – Mr. Burr loves nothing but himself – Thinks of nothing but his own aggrandizement.”

Alexander Hamilton to Harrison Otis, December 23, 1800

The election of 1800 was one of the bitterest and most hotly contested presidential races in US history. Hamilton’s attacks on Burr were influential in securing the presidency for Thomas Jefferson. Even though Hamilton disagreed with Jefferson’s politics, he wrote, “In a choice of Evils, let them take the least – Jefferson is in my view less dangerous than Burr.”

First Statement of the Regulations for the Duel

On the day that Hamilton and Burr were at Fraunces Tavern, Hamilton’s second, Nathaniel Pendleton, sent Burr’s second, William Van Ness, a draft of instructions for the duel. The rules specified how many people could accompany each man, how they would get to the dueling grounds, and how the fight would be conducted: “If either should be wounded before he has fired, and means to fire, he shall, if he can stand unsupported, be entitled to his shot, and not otherwise.”

A Newspaper Account of the Duel

Reports of the duel dominated the news for weeks. The Columbian Centinel of July 25, 1804, reprinted a widely circulated account by Nathaniel Pendleton and William Van Ness, who witnessed the duel: “Col. Burr arrived first on the grounds as had been previously agreed; when General Hamilton arrived the parties exchange salutations and the seconds proceeded to make their arrangements. They measured the distance, ten full paces, and cast lots for the choice of position ... They then proceeded to load the pistols in each others presence, after which the parties took their stations … The fire of Col. Burr took effect, and General Hamilton almost instantly fell.”

View of the Spot Where Hamilton Fell

This 1830 view of the dueling grounds in Weehawken, New Jersey, shows a memorial to Hamilton with Manhattan in the background. After being shot by Burr, Hamilton was rowed back across the river to Manhattan by friends. According to a report in the Columbian Centinel, “After he was wounded, and laid in the boat, the first words he uttered after recovering the power of speech, were ‘Pendleton knows I did not mean to fire at Col. Burr the first time.’”

Bayard House Where Hamilton Died

Doctor David Hosack and Bishop Benjamin Moore of Trinity Church took care of Hamilton at the Bayard house as he was dying. This nineteenth-century view of the Bayard house shows how it would have looked in Hamilton’s time. The original house and surrounding farmland have been replaced by the modern city.

Angelica Schuyler Church to Philip Schuyler, July 11, 1804

Hamilton’s sister-in-law Angelica wrote this letter to her brother Philip shortly after arriving at the Bayard house. Her messy handwriting shows her distress as she informs her brother: “General Hamilton was this morning wounded by that wretch Burr but we have every reason to hope that he will recover.”

The Richmond Hill Estate

Before it was owned by Burr, the Richmond Hill house had served as Washington’s headquarters in 1776. Later, it became the residence of Vice President John Adams. When Burr found out that a grand jury in New Jersey and the coroner's jury in New York City were considering murder charges against him, he made arrangements to sell his home and flee. He sold the estate to John Jacob Astor, a New York real estate magnate.

A Letter in Cypher by Aaron Burr

In the weeks after Hamilton’s death, Burr was vilified in the press. In this letter to his son-in-law Joseph Alston, Burr discusses the impending decision of the grand jury, which, he writes, “will determine my Movements.” The remainder of the letter is written in a code known only to Burr and Alston. While we cannot decipher what Burr wrote, we do know that he fled New York City and eventually ended up at the home of Pierce Butler in South Carolina.

On Saturday, July 14, 1804, Hamilton’s funeral was held at Trinity Church. The funeral was paid for by the New York Common Council and was one of the grandest and most solemn funerals in the city’s history. Crowds of people filled the streets to pay their respects to Hamilton.

Harrison Otis’s Eulogy on Alexander Hamilton

In Boston, Harrison Otis was asked to deliver a eulogy for Hamilton. His speech summarized Hamilton’s career and touched upon the grief of the nation: “The universal sorrow manifested in every part of the Union upon the melancholy exit of this great man, is an unequivocal testimonial of the public opinion of his worth. The place of his residence is overspread with a gloom, which bespeaks the presence of a public calamity, and the prejudices of party are absorbed in the overflowing tide of national grief.”

Order of March for Hamilton's Funeral

On Tuesday, July 17, Hamilton’s newspaper, the New-York Evening Post, featured an article describing his funeral. It includes a graphic of Hamilton’s coffin and describes the procession as it made its way through lower Manhattan to Trinity Church.