Burr was engaged in traveling about the country. His letters were dated in various places. Sometimes he wrote to his relatives from Savannah, sometimes from Hampton, St. Simon's, and again from Frederica; then his letters were dated at Gaston's Bluff, Fayetteville, Petersburgh, Richmond; Lexington, Kentucky, and at Nashville.
During all these wanderings, Colonel Burr was engaged in public business in one sense, but very private business in another.
There had long been a talk of separating the South American provinces from the government of Spain. Burr entered into the spirit of it, and while traveling about the Western country, he was preparing for the revolutionizing of Mexico, and for forming a settlement on what was called the Bastrop lands.
Opportunely for Burr's purpose, there was at that time serious talk of a war with Spain, and such a war would have been popular with the Western people.
General Wilkinson joined the project at first, and his troops were to be employed in the affair. General Andrew Jackson also agreed to accompany him with his whole division, if assured that Burr contemplated nothing hostile against the United States. Col. Charles Williamson, brother of Lord Balgray, went to England on the business, and, from the encouragement which he received, it was hoped and believed that a British naval squadron would have been furnished in aid of the expedition.
At this juncture Mr. Pitt died; and General Wilkinson having heard of this, became alarmed, and resolved on abandonment of the enterprise at the sacrifice of his associates.
The headquarters of Burr's operators, where his plans were talked over and matured, was Blennerhassett Island, so called for its proprietor and inhabitant, Herman Blennerhassett.
The island is in Virginia, on the Ohio River, near to Marietta.
Mr. Blennerhassett was from Ireland, was possessed of a fine estate, and lived in elegant style. His splendid house was furnished with princely elegance, and was the resort of the most intelligent and beautiful ladies in that part of the country.
It was in the summer of 1806, that a gentleman of erect carriage, but of moderate stature, arrived at Marietta, and engaged a boatman to row him over to Blennerhassett Island.
On arriving at the shore, the stranger stepped from the boat to the beach, and at the same moment a party of ladies and gentlemen came out from a covert of beautiful underwood and wild vines, and saluted him.
"Colonel, I hope you've had a pleasant voyage. We have been watching you for the past ten minutes, and congratulate you on having escaped the dangers of the seas," cried the silvery voice of a nymph of
