BURR.
BURR.
'<^{yZ^
college to Princeton, N. J. He published T)ie
Newark Grammar, whicli was used for a num-
ber of years at Princeton, and The Supreme
Deity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a small volume
{new edition, 1 791 ), and several sermons. He died
of overwork at Princeton, N. J., Sept. 24, 1757.
BURR, Aaron, vice-president of the United States, was born at Newark, N. J., Feb. G, 1756; son of Aaron and Esther (Edwards) Burr. His father came of a distinguished stock and was president of the College of Ncm- Jersey. His mother was a daughter of Jonathan Edwards. Both of his parents died wliile he was still an infant, and from them lie inherited a consid- erable estate, of which his uncle acted as guar- dian during his minor- ity. He was gradu- ated from the College of New Jersey in 1772, and he was about to commence the study of law when the revolu- tionary war broke out. In July, 1775, he rode to Cambridge, Mass., and enlisted as a pri- vate in the Continental army, and for the next five years he was a successful soldier. He ac- companied Benedict Arnold to Canada, and in the storming of Quebec displayed so much dash and brilliancy that he was made a major and given a place in General Washington's military family. Owing to disagreements with Washing- ton, however, he was soon transferred to the staff of General Putnam, whom he assisted in the defence of New York. In 1777 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel, and distinguished himself at Hackensack and at Monmovith. For a portion of the winter of 1778-"79 he was in command at West Point, and in January of the latter year he was put in charge of Westchester county, at that time the most exposed district in New York state. Although but twenty -three years of age, he displayed in this difficult position such skill and valor that he won the admiration both of his soldiers and of the people of the state. But in March, 1779, ill-health forced him to withdraw from the army and he sent in his resignation to W^ashington, who in accepting it remarked that
- ' he not only regretted the loss of a good officer,
but the cause which rendered his resignation neces.sary."' Three years later he was admitted to the bar at Albany, N. Y., and his success as a lawyer was as brilliant and rapid as his suc- cess as a soldier. At this time he married a Mrs. Prevost, vrho is described as a verj^ charm-
ing and highly cultivated woman, the widow of
an English officer. She was ten years older than
Burr, and had two sous, but neither of these
facts detracted from the felicity of the marriage,
in the first year of which Burr's only child,
Theodosia, was born. The following ten years
witnessed the climacteric of his happiness and
prosperity. He was at the head of his profession,
a leader in political life, happy in his domestic
relations at Richmond Hill, his beautiful man-
sion, the scene of a luxuriovis hospitality, which
had for its guests, besides the distinguished per-
sonages of the republic, Louis Philippe, Volney
and Talleyrand. In 1788 he was appointed
attorney-general of the state. In 1791, when he
was elected United States senator by a Federal
legislature, having in the meantime served as a
Republican representative to the assembly, he
had but one rival as a lawyer in New York,
Alexander Hamilton. He was a skilful and
adroit political manager, who understood how to
hold and use the balance of power in his own
party (the Republican) by keeping in the favor
of both the Schuyler and Clinton factions, with-
out swearing entire allegiance to either, and at
the same time to maintain friendly relations with
his opponents, the Federalists. In 1794 Mrs.
Burr died, and thenceforth Aaron Burr centred
the whole affection of his passionate nature
upon his daughter, then eleven years old.
He personally superintended her education, and
made her his companion, a devotion which was
repaid in full measure in later years. In the
presidential election of 1800 he secured the vote
of New York state to the Republicans, and there-
fore the national election — Jefferson and him-
self both receiving seventy -three votes, Adams
sixty-five and Pinckney sixty-four — being at this
time " the chosen head of northern Democracy,
idol of the ward of New York city, and aspirant
to the highest offices he could reach by means
legal or beyond law." After an exciting contest
in the house of rei^resentatives, in which the
Federalists attempted to elect Burr to the presi-
dency, and in which Burr himself has been ac-
cused of intriguing with them to elect himself,
Jefferson was made President and Burr became
vice-president. For his alleged treachery. Burr
was deserted by his party. In 1804 he was the
candidate of the Federalists for governor of New
York, and Avould probably have been elected but
for the oi^position of Alexander Hamilton, who
had also been instrumental in keeping him out
of the presidency. This opposition, aggravated by
certain uncomplimentary epithets, which Hamil-
ton is alleged to have applied to Burr, gave rise to
quarrel between them, which culminated in a duel
at Weehawken-on-the -Hudson, July 7, 1804, Burr
being the challenging part}'- Hamilton was
