Volume III Part 42 (1/2)

[886] For instance, at Nashville, Burr was burnt in effigy in the public square. (Parton: _Jackson_, I, 322.) At Cincinnati an amusing panic occurred: three merchant scows loaded with dry goods were believed to be a part of Burr's flotilla of war vessels about to attack the town. The militia was called out, citizens organized for defense, the adjacent country was appealed to for aid. (See McCaleb, 248-49.)

[887] Wilkinson to Jefferson, Nov. 12, 1806, Wilkinson: _Memoirs_, II, Appendix C.

[888] Iturrigaray to Cevallos, March 12, 1807, as quoted in McCaleb, 169; and see Shepherd in _Am. Hist. Rev._ IX, 533 _et seq._

The thrifty General furnished Burling with a pa.s.sport through the posts he must pa.s.s. (”Letters in Relation,” as quoted in McCaleb, 166.)

Credentials to the Spanish official were also given Burling by one of Wilkinson's friends, Stephen Minor of Natchez, the man who had first set on foot the rumor of Burr's secession intentions. He was also in the pay of Spain. (_Ib._ 166-67.)

The Spaniards aided Burling on his journey in every way possible.

(Herrera to Cordero, Dec. 1, 1806, as quoted in _ib._ 167-68.)

[889] Iturrigaray to Cevallos, March 12, 1807, as quoted in McCaleb, 168-69.

[890] _Ib._ 171.

[891] Wilkinson to Jefferson, March 12, 1807, ”Letters in Relation,”

MSS. Lib. Cong.

[892] Wilkinson to Cus.h.i.+ng, Nov. 7, 1806, Wilkinson: _Memoirs_, II, Appendix XCIX.

[893] Wilkinson to Freeman, Wilkinson: _Memoirs_, II, Appendix XCIX.

[894] Wilkinson to Claiborne, Nov. 12, 1806, _ib._ 328.

[895] Wilkinson to Claiborne, Dec. 6 and 7, 1806, as quoted in McCaleb, 205-06.

[896] _Ib._ 209-10.

[897] Wilkinson to Clark, Dec. 10, 1806, Clark: _Proofs_, 150; also McCaleb, 212; and see Wilkinson to Claiborne, Dec. 15, 1806, as quoted in McCaleb, 213-14.

[898] Swartwout was treated in a manner peculiarly outrageous. Before his arrest Wilkinson had borrowed his gold watch, and afterward refused to return it. When the soldiers seized Swartwout they ”hurried” him across the river, lodged him ”for several days & nights in a poor inhospitable shed--& deprived of the necessaries of life.”

Finally, when ordered to march with his guard--and being refused any information as to where he was to be taken--the prisoner declared that he was to be murdered and leapt into the river, crying, ”I had as well die here as in the woods,” whereupon ”the L^t drew up his file of six men & ordered them to shoot him. The soldiers directed their guns at him & snapt them, but owing to the great rain, 3 of the guns flashed in the pan, & the other's would not take fire. The men pursued & took him. But for the wetness of the powder this unfortunate young man must have be[en] murdered in very deed.”

Swartwout was not permitted to take his clothing with him on the s.h.i.+p that carried him to Baltimore; and the officer in charge of him was under orders from Wilkinson to put his prisoner in chains during the voyage. (Plumer, Feb. 21, 1807, ”Register,” Plumer MSS. Lib. Cong.)

[899] Wilkinson's return reported in the _Orleans Gazette_, Dec. 18, 1806, as quoted in McCaleb, 217. It does not appear what return was made in the matter of the application for a writ of habeas corpus in favor of Swartwout.

[900] Wilkinson to Jefferson, printed in _National Intelligencer_, Jan.

23, 1807, as quoted in McCaleb, 218.

[901] This was one cause of Jefferson's hatred of Livingston. For the celebrated litigation between these men and the effect of it on Marshall and Jefferson, see vol. IV, chap. II, of this work.

[902] McCaleb, 219-21.

[903] Hildreth, V, 613.

[904] Plumer's resume of a letter from Adair to Clay. (Feb. 20, 1807, ”Register,” Plumer MSS. Lib. Cong.)

For this outrage Adair, within a year, brought suit against Wilkinson for false imprisonment. This was bitterly fought for ten years, but finally Adair secured judgment for $2500, ”against which Wilkinson was indemnified by Congress.” (Hildreth, V, 627.)