THE AARON BURR
CONSPIRACY IN THE OHIO
VALLEY.
MISS LESLIE HENSHAW, CINCINNATI.
What the movement known as the Burr
Conspiracy really
was, will probably never be accurately
known. It might have
been one of three things; first, a
filibustering expedition directed
against Spain; second, a plan to
revolutionize the West and
join this section with Louisiana to form
a new republic; third, a
scheme to join the Western States and
Louisiana with Spanish
America to form an empire. To Burr's
contemporaries whose
attitude was influenced and intensified
by the press of the day,
it was a "Napoleonic" scheme
to separate the Western States
from the East, join them with Louisiana
and Spanish America
to form an empire with Burr as the
Emperor and Wilkinson as
second in command. Before this time,
individuals and groups
of individuals had turned with longing
eyes towards Mexico
but this affair marks the close of the
period of wavering and by
bringing patriotism to a head,
solidified the attitude of the
West in favor of centralization, so that
from then on, we have
the United States of America with no
danger of any defection
on the part of the West, a gradual
decline of the old sectionalism
with the new sectionalism from the
standpoint of the North
and South taking its place. The Ohio
Valley was the leading
section in the West at this time,
therefore the "Burr Conspiracy"
may be treated from that standpoint
alone.
After the Hamilton-Burr duel and during
the completion of
Burr's term as Vice-President in
Washington, a great intimacy
had developed between Burr and General
James Wilkinson
and variety was added to their boarding
house existence by dis-
cussing routes in the far Southwest and
examining and drawing
maps of that district. Before Burr's
departure for the West,
he had been concerned with Wilkinson,
John Smith of Ohio,
John Brown and General John Adair of
Kentucky in an effort
(121)
122
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
to procure a charter for cutting a canal
at the Falls on the
Indiana side of the Ohio river, on which
charter a bank was
engrafted. He had also discussed with
Matthew Lyon, a rep-
resentative from Kentucky, the
possibility of regaining his
political fortunes by being returned to
Congress from a Western
state in the ensuing election. These
facts had an important
bearing on the situation that later
developed in the West,
although the canal project and the
election idea dropped out
almost immediately, the discussion
concerning the Southwest
materializing into what is known as the
"Burr Conspiracy."
In the course of the planning and
developing of the "Con-
spiracy," Aaron Burr made two trips
through the western coun-
try, the first in the spring of 1805,
the second in the fall of
1806. Before he left for the West, he
wrote to his daughter to
address him until further orders,
Cincinnati, Ohio, care of John
Smith, indicating an intimacy with him
which might have been
either real or assumed. April
twenty-ninth, 1805, he arrived
at Pittsburgh; from there, he wrote to
his daughter to address
him Frankfort, Kentucky, care of John
Brown who had been
concerned in the Spanish Conspiracy
earlier. He continued
down the river stopping at Marietta and
Blennerhassett Island
where he conversed with Mrs.
Blennerhassett. Afterwards he
wrote Mr. Blennerhassett regretting his
absence and alluding
to his talents as deserving a higher
sphere than that in which
they were employed. In this he courted
disaster for he paved
the way for putting his plans or the
hint of them, in the hands
of an egotistical "bungler."
He arrived at Cincinnati, May
eleventh, staying with Senator John Smith,
whose occupation in
this city was that of a merchant and
army contractor. Here
he met Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey,
either to discuss the
canal plan or as a fellow conspirator in
the Spanish project.
The Western Spy of May fifteenth, gives the following notice
of his arrival: "On Friday last,
Aaron Burr, esquire, late
Vice-President of the United States,
arrived in this town where
he remained two or three days and then
descended the Ohio on
his way to New Orleans. 'It is
reported,' says the Washington
Federalist, 'that Colonel Burr is to be
appointed Governor of
Louisiana in the room of W. C. C.
Claiborne.'" This last sen-
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 123
tence adds a fourth possible reason for
Burr's western journey
aside from the canal project, the
probabilities of a Congressional
election from a western state and the
"Conspiracy" itself. The
following week, the same paper comments:
"We have for some
time understood that a company has been
formed in the Eastern
States for the purpose of opening a
Canal around the Falls of the
Ohio and erecting a Waterworks at that
place. Colonel Burr it
has been said, was concerned in that
Company and we presume
his visit to this country is principally
confined to that object."
Evidently the western public knew little
of Burr's real purpose
but was interested enough in his
presence in their midst to offer
conjectures as to the cause of his being
there.
Burr then descended the Ohio as far as
Louisville and
from there went overland to Frankfort,
staying at the home of
John Brown; from there he went to
Lexington, arriving May 22,1
and to Nashville spending the time from
May twenty-ninth to
June third with Andrew Jackson. It was
announced from
Kentucky that he was not to be governor
of Louisiana and was
not interested in a canal at the Falls
but was traveling for
amusement and information.2 Thus
a new reason for his pres-
ence in the West is added to the galaxy
already offered.
It was apparently planned that he was to
meet Wilkinson,
for the general followed Burr down the
Ohio, stopping at
Cincinnati May twenty-second, leaving
the twenty-third.3 He
continued on to Louisville and from
there wrote John Adair,
May twenty-eighth, 1805: "I was to
have introduced my friend
Burr to you but in this I failed by
accident. He understands
your merits and reckons on you. Prepare
to meet me and I
will tell you all. We must have a peek
into the unknown world
beyond us."4 This letter
of introduction was written to a man
who had already been concerned with
Wilkinson and Burr in the
canal charter, before Burr had journeyed
to the West.
Burr descended the Cumberland River to
the Ohio and met
Wilkinson at Fort Massac leaving there
the tenth of June,
bearing a letter of introduction from
Wilkinson to Daniel Clark
of New Orleans as follows: "This
will be delivered to you by
Colonel Burr whose worth you know well
how to estimate
* * *. To him, I refer you for many things improper to
124
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
letter and which he will not say to any
other."5 Thus at this
early date, something existed between
the two men which was
"improper to letter." Further
significance is added to this sit-
uation by the fact that Burr carried
with this another letter
of introduction to Casa Calvo,
commissioner for Spain in the
Louisiana boundary question. It is dated
Washington the
eighteenth of March, 1805, and
introduces "my eminent friend,
Colonel Burr, a man of a million
qualities" and is signed J. W.
He also wrote a letter marked
confidential at Fort Massac,
June 9, 1805, asking Casa Calvo to
"serve this gentleman"
(Burr); "He is my friend * * *. Your great family in-
fluence will promote the views of Colonel
Burr and the great
interest of your country will be served
in following his advice
* * *. Do as I advise you and you will
soon send to the devil
that boastful idiot W. C. C.
Claiborne." A postscript is added to
the following effect: "Burn this
and tell my son and Armesto6
that I am always the same, your
unalterable friend."7 Wilkinson
then went on to St. Louis, arriving July
first,8 where Burr
met him later after his return from the
South. Burr, continuing
southward, stopped at Natchez, June
seventeenth, where he
was entertained by Governor Williams of
Mississippi territory.
He arrived in New Orleans the
twenty-first of June, remaining
there until July tenth. Here he was
entertained by Governor
Claiborne and Daniel Clark. He then went
back to Natchez
and on to Nashville, spending the week
from August sixth to
August thirteenth with Andrew Jackson.
He spent August
twentieth to thirty-first at Frankfort
with John Brown and at
Lexington; he arrived at Louisville
September second, then
went to St. Louis meeting Wilkinson
there September twelfth.
On his way east, he stopped at
Vincennes, September twenty-
third, then at Cincinnati arriving
October first, then to Chillicothe
and Marietta from the seventh to the
tenth, arriving at Pittsburgh
the twentieth.
December thirty-first, 1805,
Blennerhassett wrote to Burr:
"I shall be honored in being
associated with you in any contem-
plated enterprise you would permit me to
participate in;"9 to
which Burr answered from Washington,
April fifteenth, 1806:
"Independent of considerations
personal to myself, I learn with
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 125
utmost pleasure that you are to be
restored to the social and
active world."10 Thus by
flattery were Blennerhassett's services
gained, allowing him to feel that the
Burr plan had the sanction
of the government and needed only a
declaration of war with
Spain to put it in motion.
In preparation for Burr's second journey
to the West, a
number of letters were written to
General Wilkinson. General
Dayton in the cipher, used by Burr and
Wilkinson in the past,
wrote July twenty-fourth, 1806: "It
is now ascertained that you
are to be displaced in the next session.
Jefferson will affect to
yield reluctantly but yield he will;
prepare yourself therefore
for it, you know the rest. You are not a
man to despair or
even despond, especially when such
projects offer in another
quarter. Are you ready? Are your
numerous associates ready?
Wealth and Glory! Louisiana and Mexico!
I shall have time
to receive a letter from you before I
set out for Ohio. Address
to me here and another to me in
Cincinnati. Receive and treat
my nephew affectionately as you would
receive your friend.-
Dayton."11 This was carried by his nephew, Peter Ogden
of
New Jersey to Wilkinson. July
twenty-ninth, 1806, Burr wrote
a letter of introduction to Wilkinson
for Samuel Swartwout of
New York who was to carry it and also
the famous cipher letter
which, according to Wilkinson's
testimony later, contained his
plans for the expedition down the Ohio
and Mississippi, a
duplicate of which was sent in Dr. Erick
Bollman's care by the
sea route to New Orleans.
On his second journey to the West, Burr
arrived at Pitts-
burgh, August twenty-second, 1806. The
Pittsburgh Common-
wealth of August twenty-seventh says that he was traveling
incognito and was perfectly taciturn and
that during his stay
many conjectures were afloat.l2 He
stopped at the home of
Colonel George Morgan near Cannonsburg,
Pennsylvania. Mor-
gan was a former Revolutionary soldier
and had drawn up a
contract October third 1788, with
Gardoqui, the Spanish rep-
resentative in the United States, for a
grant of land at New
Madrid on the Mississippi river opposite
the mouth of the
Ohio with privileges of free trade down
the river. This had
not pleased Wilkinson who had just obtained
a renewal of his
126 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
license for navigation of the
Mississippi from Miro, the Spanish
commander at New Orleans and Morgan's
charter had been
revoked.13
Burr evidently expected Morgan on
account of his earlier
career, to listen to his plans with
eagerness but Morgan had
developed in the meantime an ardent and
unexpected patriotism.
According to his testimony, Burr, while
alone with the Colonel,
asked him if he knew of a Spaniard at
Vincennes by the name of
Vigo, by way of introducing a hint of
his scheme and sounding
his listener. Morgan replied that he had
reason to believe that
this Vigo was deeply involved in the
Conspiracy of 1788 and
called it a nefarious scheme aiming at a
division of the States.
He considered Burr's mention of the
Spaniard of such impor-
tance to the welfare of the country that
he wrote a letter to
Jefferson informing him of the
conversation.14
Burr descended the river as far as
Blennerhassett Island.
Immediately following this, there
appeared in the Ohio Gazette
of Marietta a series of articles signed
"The Querist," discussing
the probability of a separation of the
Western States from the
East and the desirability of such a
separation. These articles
were attributed to Blennerhassett,
following out the suggestion
of Burr. Blennerhassett, according to
testimony presented in
the Burr trial, showed the first and
second numbers of "The
Querist" before their publication
to Alexander Henderson of
Wood County, of which county
Blennerhassett Island was a
part, and told him in confidence that
Burr planned a separation
of the Union, that New Orleans was to be
seized and the
Western country revolutionized.15
Burr proceeded onward to Cincinnati,
arriving September
fourth, 1806, and again staying at the
home of John Smith.
As early as September eighteenth of the
previous year The West-
ern Spy had published a series of queries from The New York
Herald, insinuating that it would not be long before the West
would be revolutionized, the government
separated and Mexico
reduced with the aid of Great Britain,
under the leadership of
Burr. On October twenty-first 1806, The
Spy begins a series
of articles by "Regulus" in
answer to "The Querist." John
Smith was very active in discussing the
"Querist" articles and
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 127
boasted that he knew more of Burr's
plans than any man in
Ohio save one.l6 That one
thus referred to, might have been
Dudley Woodbridge of Marietta, business
partner of Blenner-
hassett with whom Burr had various
commercial dealings.
From Cincinnati, Burr went to Lexington,
arriving Sep-
tember eleventh17 and then to
Nashville arriving September
twenty-seventh. On the fourth of
October, Jackson issued a
proclamation to the militia of
Tennessee, calling for volunteers
for an expedition against the Spaniards.
From there, Burr
returned to Lexington, staying at the
home of Mr. John Jordan,
concluding with Colonel Charles Lynch
the purchase of the
Bastrop lands in the Red River country.
Here he was met by
his daughter Theodosia whom
Blennerhassett had brought down
from his island home. From Lexington,
Burr wrote to William
Henry Harrison, October twenty-fourth,
1806, sending a news-
paper containing the Jackson
proclamation, suggesting similar
action on his part: "All reflecting
men consider a war with
Spain inevitable; in such an event I
think you would not be at
ease as an idle spectator. If it should
be my lot to be employed
where there is reason to expect, it
would be my highest grati-
fication to be associated with
you."18
During October and November,
"fellow conspirators" were
making preparations for the expedition
down the river; Colonel
Barker was building boats in the
Muskingum under contract
with Dudley Woodbridge; Comfort Tyler in
Pittsburgh was col-
lecting recruits and provisions; Davis
Floyd at Jeffersonville was
gathering recruits to settle the Washita
lands on the banks of
the Red River. At this point, the tide
begins to turn against
Burr and from now on, he is a man marked
for failure. A
movement in Kentucky to defeat the
project was rapidly gaining
ground. The Western World, a
"yellow journal" of Frankfort,
printed by Joseph Street, had been
publishing a series of muck
raking articles on
"Conspiracy," written by Humphrey Marshall,
which had been copied by other Western
newspapers and had
agitated that part of the country
against Burr. Joseph Hamil-
ton Daviess, an attorney at Frankfort,
rose in the Federal
Court of Kentucky, November fifth and
made affidavit that he
had information that Aaron Burr had set
on foot and was
128
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
preparing for a military enterprise to
descend the Ohio and
Mississippi to make war on the subjects
of the King of Spain and
that his agents had purchased large
stores of provisions. He
asked the court to compel the personal
appearance of Burr.
He stated that he recognized the fact
that Burr might import
arms and engage men but these would be
no offense against the
law but it was the design, the intent
which constituted his mis-
demeanor. Judge Harry Innis who had been
involved with
John Brown in the Spanish conspiracy of
178819 and had aroused
the everlasting enmity of Humphrey
Marshall, writer of the
articles on "Conspiracy" in The
Western World, declined to
give an opinion without time for
consideration. November
eighth, he stated that he had found no
legal evidence to authorize
the arrest of Burr. He said that he did
not doubt the truth
of the affidavit and thought the facts
might even be true but it
was not legal evidence. Daviess then
moved for a warrant to
summon the grand jury before whom he
would prefer an
indictment against Colonel Burr which
was granted. At this
point, Burr entered, accompanied by his
counsel, Henry Clay,
and stated that he had made it his
business to present himself
for investigation. November twelfth
after the jury had been
discharged, Burr again addressed the
court, requesting to know
the cause of the discharge of the grand
jury and Daviess was
compelled to state that it was because
of the absence of his
chief witness, Davis Floyd, who was in
attendance as a member
of the Legislature of Indiana territory.
Burr rose again and
made it understood that he had used
every exertion in his
power to compel the attendance of
witnesses.20 Burr was the
"man of the hour" on account
of his open and frank conduct
in this trial but although acquitted for
lack of evidence, his
project suffered nevertheless from the
mere fact that too much
attention was drawn to it. At this time,
Burr wrote to Blen-
nerhassett, "It is probable that
villains enough may be found
to encounter all perjuries which may
gratify malice * * *
You perceive that this will embarrass me
in my project of the
Washita settlement."21
The fact that Henry Clay was attorney
for the defense of
Burr is certainly of some interest at
this point. The agitation
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 129
worked up by The Western World had
cast suspicion on some
of the most prominent men of Kentucky as
concerned in the
conspiracy to annex Kentucky to Spain.
Many of the men
on whom the shadow fell were Clay's
personal friends and when
an indictment for the same offense was
made against Colonel
Burr, Clay, considering Burr a
"persecuted patriot" and realizing
the benefit of his reputation as a young
lawyer in having so dis-
tinguished a client as the former
Vice-President of the United
States, was ready to defend him in
court. He was assured by
Burr that his plans meant no harm to the
United States. That
his opinion changed later is shown by
the fact that in a court
room in New York City in 1815, he
publicly refused to shake
hands with his former client.22
Opposition to Burr was developing from
another quarter.
John Graham, Secretary of Orleans
Territory, was requested
by Madison to pass through the western
country on his way to
New Orleans to follow Burr on account of
information that a
project was on foot to sever the Union
and invade the terri-
tories of Spain. This move was the
direct result of dark hints
from Wilkinson to Jefferson, after
Swartwout's arrival at Wil-
kinson's military camp at Nachitoches on
the Texas frontier
October eighth and the delivery of the
letter of introduction
written by Burr at Philadelphia and the
sealed packet containing
the cipher letter of July twenty-ninth.
Graham, in pursuit of
Burr, stopped at Marietta where
Blennerhassett called on him
and told him of the Bastrop lands
purchase; he contended that
the object of the Burr enterprise was
legal and that the gov-
ernment had no right to interfere.
Graham considering Blen-
nerhassett a deluded man, told him that
he was the agent of the
government to look into the enterprise
and take steps to repress
it if necessary and that he believed
that Burr intended to
attack the territory of the United
States and that of Spain.23
While Blennerhassett was in Lexington,
Alexander Hender-
son, a Federal leader in Wood County
where Blennerhassett was
prominent as a large property holder and
a Democrat, organized
opposition and called a mass meeting of
citizens where reso-
lutions were passed October sixth
condemning the "hostile"
movements. Mrs. Blennerhassett alarmed
by this situation, sent
Vol. XXIV-9.
130 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
Peter Taylor her gardener, in search of
her husband. Taylor
went to Smith's store in Cincinnati and
not finding Blenner-
hassett there, was sent to Lexington
with a letter from Smith
to Burr. This was dated October
twenty-third 1806, and states
that "we have in this quarter
various reports prejudicial to your
character. It is believed by many that
your design is to dis-
member the Union; although I do not
believe you have any such
design, yet I must confess from the
mystery and rapidity of
your movements that I have fears, let
your object be what it may,
that the tranquillity of the country
will be interrupted unless it be
candidly disclosed, which I solicit, and
to which I presume you
will have no objection."24 To this Burr replied: "If there
exists any design to separate the
Western from the Eastern
States, I am totally ignorant of it. I
never harbored nor ex-
pressed any such intention to any one,
nor did any person ever
intimate such design to me. Indeed, I
have no conception of
any mode in which such a measure could
be promoted, except
by operating on the minds of the people
and demonstrating it to
be to their interest. I have never
written or published a line on
this subject nor ever expressed any
other sentiments than those
you have heard from me in public
companies at Washington and
elsewhere and in which I think you
concurred. I have no
political views whatever,- those which I
entertained some
months ago have been abandoned. Having
bought of Colonel
Lynch 400,000 acres of land on the
Washita, I propose to send
thither this fall a number of settlers *
* *. Mr. J. Breck-
enridge, Adair and Fowler have
separately told me that it was the
strong desire of the administration that
American settlers should
go to that quarter and that I could not
do a thing more grateful to
the government. I have some other views
which are personal
merely and which I shall have no
objection to state to your per-
sonally but which I do not deem it
necessary to publish. If these
projects could any way affect the
interests of the United States,
it would be beneficially. Yet I
acknowledge that no public con-
siderations have led me to this
speculation but merely the interest
and comfort of myself and friends. P. S.
It may be unneces-
sary to caution but I never write for
publication."25 This letter
so indefinite in expression would arouse
suspicion from that
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 131
fact alone and contains in it the
essence of Burr's method
"operating on the minds of the
people and demonstrating it to
be to their interest."
In November, Smith went on a supposed
business trip to
Cynthiana, Lexington and Frankfort where
he met Burr while
he was on trial but left the next
morning after being told he
might be summoned as a witness. November
twenty-first, Burr
was in Cincinnati again26 but
this time he did not stay with
Smith but stopped at a tavern. November
twenty-seventh, he
wrote Harrison from Louisville: "I
have no wish or design to
attempt a separation of the Union, I
have no connection with
any foreign power or government; I never
mediated the intro-
duction of any foreign power or
influence into the United States,
or any part of its territories27
but on the contrary, I should repel
with indignation any proposition or
measure having that tend-
ency; in fine, I have no project or
views hostile to the interests or
tranquillity or union of the United
States or prejudicial to its
government. * * * It is true that I am
engaged in ex-
tensive speculations and that with me
are associated some of
your intimate and dearest friends. The
objects are such as
every man of honor and every good
citizen must approve.
They have been communicated to several
of the principal officers
of the government, particularly to one
high in the confidence of
the administration. Indeed, from the
nature of them, it cannot
be otherwise, and I have no doubt of
having received your active
support, if a personal communication
with you could be had.
Accident and indispensable occupation
have prevented me from
writing you for that purpose."28
Early in December, the expedition itself
was started. Com-
fort Tyler's party left Beaver,
Pennsylvania, December first,
passing Marietta December ninth and
continued down the river
to Blennerhassett Island. November
twenty-sixth, Henry Dear-
born, Secretary of War, had written to
Edward Tiffin, the
Governor of Ohio, informing him of the
hostile plan and asking
him to send a detachment of Ohio militia
to Marietta to seize
the boats that the Burr party expected
to use.29 Tiffin acting on
this advice and with the support of the
Ohio Legislature, issued
an order to arrest the flotilla on the
Muskingum, and accordingly
132
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
General Buell seized the boats December
ninth. Blennerhassett,
alarmed by this situation, joined the
Tyler party and left the
island in the middle of the night of
December tenth. The same
day Tiffin wrote to Major General Gano
of Cincinnati, enclosing
the President's proclamation of November
twenty-seventh on the
Burr "treason" and appointed
Judge Matthew Nimmo, General
James Findlay and Gano as a commission
to organize the militia
of that district, guard the river and
examine all boats passing
down.30 This reached
Cincinnati December thirteenth, 31 and as
a result the militia were ordered out.
Gano wrote to Tiffin
December fifteenth, informing him of a
lack of provisions and
ammunitions but that despite this, a
detachment had been sent
up the river to Columbia to stop and
examine all boats.32 This
detachment was ordered by Gano to pursue
any boats which
might slip by and not to shed blood
unless fired upon.33 Similar
activity was evinced by the Kentucky
militia but despite all pre-
cautions of the Cincinnati and Newport
guards, the expedition
passed in the night of December
fourteenth without being no-
ticed. Only one thousand dollars had
been appropriated by
the state for the equipment of the
militia with provisions and
arms, so Gano went to John Smith, showed
him the President's
Proclamation and told him of the lack of
funds. Smith prom-
ised to pay one half of the expenses, if
Gano, Findlay and
Nimmo would pay the other half. Later,
when arms could not
be secured, Smith offered ten thousand
dollars to insure their
delivery.34 This attitude developed
immediately upon being
shown the Jefferson Proclamation. At
Louisville, the militia
there detained Blennerhassett and party
but were forced to
let them go because nothing of
suspicious character was found
aboard the boats. December sixteenth the
Blennerhassett-Tyler
party was joined by the Floyd party at
Jeffersonville and pro-
ceeded onward. Burr coming down the
Cumberland from Nash-
ville met them at the mouth of that
river late in December.
Word was sent ahead to Fort Massac
announcing their coming.
Daniel Bissell, commanding the fort,
sent Sergeant Jacob Dun-
baugh up to call on Burr and render
assistance if necessary.
Bissell reported January fifth 1807, to
General Jackson who had
received orders from the Secretary of
War too late to stop
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 133
the expedition at Fort Massac, that
there were about ten boats
and sixty men and nothing on board that
would even suffer a
conjecture that they were more than men
bound to market.35
Dunbaugh obtained leave of absence with
Bissell's permission and
one mile below Fort Massac joined the
Burr party. January
first, they stopped at New Madrid and
there men were sent for-
ward to recruit more men at twelve
dollars and a half a month
and one hundred acres of land to go to
the Washita country.36
Whatever had been the original plan for
the expedition, too
much public notice had forced it to
resolve itself into a small
party of land settlers bound for new
Territory. January fourth,
Burr arrived at Chickasaw Bluffs (now
Memphis).
As has been said before, Swartwout
arrived at Nachitoches
October eighth with the letter of Burr's
to Wilkinson and the
sealed packet, the contents of which he
claims to have been
ignorant of. Acording to Swartwout, when
he left Philadelphia
he carried a letter which he himself had
put into cipher and
copied at Burr's request and at
Pittsburgh had received a sealed
paper from Peter Ogden with a message
from the Colonel to
destroy the cipher letter and deliver
the sealed paper in lieu of
it.37 The interpretation of the cipher
letter of July twenty-
ninth which Wilkinson claims was in the
sealed packet delivered
by Swartwout, was not sent to Jefferson
by the general until
December sixth. This interpretation
forms a part of an affidavit
charging Swartwout and Ogden with
treason and was not re-
ceived by Jefferson until January
twenty-third.38 Following is
the interpretation in part: "I,
Aaron Burr, have obtained funds
and have actually commenced the
enterprise. Detachments from
different points, and under different
pretences, will rendezvous on
the Ohio 1st November; everything
internal and external favors
views; protection from England is
secured; T. is going to
Jamaica to arrange with the admiral on
that station; it will meet
in Mississippi-England-navy of United
States are ready to
join, and final orders are given to my
friends and followers;
will be a host of choice spirits;
Wilkinson shall be second to Burr
only; Wilkinson shall dictate rank and
promotion of his officers;
Burr will proceed westward 1st August,
never to return; with
him go his daughter; the husband will
follow in October with a
134 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
corps of worthies * * *. Burr's plan of
operation is to move
down rapidly from the falls on 15th
November with first five
hundred or one thousand men in light
boats now constructing for
that purpose, to be at Natchez between
the 5th and 15th of
December, there to meet Wilkinson; there
to determine whether
it will be expedient, in the first
instance, to seize on or pass
by Baton Rouge."39
To return to the Burr party, January
fourth and fifth,
the flotilla was at Chickasaw Bluffs.
Jacob Jackson in command
there was engaged to enter the
expedition with the under-
standing that it was a secret
preparation of the government
in the event of war with Spain and he
was given one hundred
and fifty dollars in bank notes and a
draft for five hundred
dollars on John Smith, to raise a
company of men to join them.40
In the meantime, the militia of
Mississippi Territory had been
sent by Cowles Meade, the Acting
Governor, to the mouth
of Cole's Creek to intercept the
expedition. Burr, reaching the
Territory January tenth went ahead to
Bayou Pierre, where it
is claimed he received news of the
President's Proclamation
and arranged with Poindexter and Shields
of the Governor's
staff to meet the Governor. He agreed to
go to Washington,
the capital of Mississippi Territory,
for trial where he was
acquitted because the acts of which he
was accused were com-
mitted outside the Territory. The boats
were searched for arms
and although none were found, the
Blennerhassett Journal states
that a party was sent out the night
before to obviate effectually
the success of the design. Cowles Meade
wrote to Dearborn,
at this time, informing him of a letter
from Burr, avowing the
innocence of his views and the fallacy
of certain rumors against
his patriotism; his object was
agriculture, his boats the vehicles
of emigration.41 After the
trial Burr fled but was captured
as a fugitive from justice by Lieutenant
Gaines of Fort Stoddert
and carried to Richmond, Virginia for
trial. All the chief men
concerned with Burr, Adair, Floyd,
Tyler, Blennerhassett, Day-
ton and Smith were arrested in New
Orleans and sent to
Richmond also.
Not only did Graham follow the Burr
party in behalf of
the United States government but also a
Spaniard, Jose Vidal,
followed on the heels of the expedition
for Spain. He left
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 135
Cadiz August first, 1806 and arrived in
Philadelphia in October,
"just at the time Colonel Burr and
his associates were con-
juring up the plan on the Kingdom of
Mexico."42 He was sent
by Casa Yrujo, Spanish minister to the
United States, to
follow Burr and left Pittsburgh the
first day of December;
thirty-six days later he arrived at
Natchez, where he received
orders to go to the frontier and into
the "interior provinces,"
and report on conditions there and warn
them of Burr's inten-
tions and plans. According to this
Vidal, a friend of Wilkinson,
a commander of the Spanish garrison on
the United States
frontier before this time and later the
vice-consul at New
Orleans, he followed Burr day and night
and never was out
of sight of the expedition.43 He
traveled in his own boat and
took his children with him to avoid
suspicion. In his report to
Yrujo, he expresses the opinion that
"the expedition referred to,
resolves itself into nothing.44
Burr's first journey through the West
shows several inter-
esting phases. He had planned to visit
Smith at Cincinnati and
Brown at Frankfort before he left the
East and expected to
meet Wilkinson with whom he had already
had dealings "im-
proper to letter". He satisfied the
curiosity of the people by
saying that he was traveling for
information and amusement,
when he found that there was interest
enough in his very pres-
ence in the country to arouse
conjectures as to the cause of his
being there. He allowed himself to be
publicly entertained by
such prominent men as the governors of
Orleans and Mississippi
Territory and General Andrew Jackson, so
as to add to his
prestige in the Western Country.
Suspicion was already afloat
before he arrived in the West on his
second journey and after
feeling the pulse of the people by
"The Querist" articles and
finding that there was not so much
enthusiasm as there might
be for a separation of the West from the
East, he purchased
the Bastrop lands so as to be able to
use the settlement of them
as his purpose and await an opportunity
there to carry out his
original intention. His chances were
spoiled by a combination
of the "Western World"
agitation and the activity of Graham
in behalf of the administration and the
less important move on
the part of Henderson of Wood County to
set the people against
him. But the country was worked up to a
fever pitch by it, the
136
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
militia was called out and Burr's
"army" was to be set upon
and defeated. That Burr was a great
student of human nature
is shown by the fact that he succeeded
in interesting so many
prominent men in the scheme; he always
"knew his man"; he
gained Harrison's, Jackson's and even
the less important Jacob
Jackson's approval by appealing to their
patriotism, for to them
his scheme was a military one sanctioned
by the government
for an expedition against the
Spaniards. Blennerhassett he
gained by flattery, for he was to
increase his social prestige by
association with so many prominent men
in an enterprise that
would bring him back into the active
world. He probably ap-
pealed to Smith's pocketbook for this
man was a large land-
holder in Spanish territory. He made a
psychological mistake
by trying to feel his way with Colonel
Morgan but realized it
before he disclosed anything. He made no
direct statements but
allowed the other men to jump at
conclusions, and invariably
insinuated that he was backed by
prominent men. When brought
to trial, he always appeared willing and
anxious for investigation
but it is certainly a subject for
comment that all the men con-
cerned with him were either traveling
with him on the actual
expedition down the Mississippi or were
moving toward New
Orleans as separate individuals.
NOTES.
1. Kentucky Gazette (Lexington), May 28,
1805.
2. Kentucky Gazette, May 28, 1805.
3. Western Spy, May 29, 1805.
4. Clark "Proofs of the Corruption
of General James Wilkinson,"
Note 78, Page 158.
5. Clark's "Proofs", Page 119,
dated Massac., June 9, 1805.
6. Secretary to Caso Calva.
7. Translation from the Archives of the
Indies, Seville, The Audencia
of Santo Domingo, Louisiana and Florida,
1800-1837, Section 1,
Shelf 10, Legajo 87. (Information
supplied by I. J. Cox.)
8. Western Spy, September 4, 1805.
9. Safford. "Blennerhassett
Papers", Pages 118 and 119.
10. Safford "Blennerhassett
Papers", Page 119.
11. American State Papers,
Miscellaneous, volume I, Page 559; Clark's
"Proofs," note 80, Page 159.
12. American State Papers, miscellaneous
I 502.
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy in the Ohio
Valley. 137
13. Winsor "The Colonies and the
Republic West of the Alleghanies,
1763-1798," Page 366.
14. American State Papers, miscellaneous
I 503.
15. American State Papers, miscell. I
525.
16. Harper's Speech defending Smith in
Congress, April 6, 1808 from
Benton's Abridgment of Debates, volume
III, Senate Proceedings.
17. Kentucky Gazette, September 11,
1806.
18. Clark's "Proofs," Note 1,
Pages 16 and 17.
19. Green, "Spanish
Conspiracy."
20. Western Spy, November 25, and
December 2, 1806, copied from The
Western World.
21. Blennerhassett Papers, 15, 154.
22. Prentice, "Life of Henry
Clay," Pages 31.
23. Testimony of John Graham in the Burr trial-American State
Papers-miscell. I 528, 529.
24. Adam's Speech in Debate on Smith
case in the Senate April 8, 1808,
Benton vol. III.
25. From Adam's Speech in the Senate.
26. Western Spy, November 25, 1806.
27. He had been in correspondence with
the Spanish and English repre-
sentatives in the United States the
previous year.
28. Clark's Proofs, note I, Page 17.
29. Gano Papers (a manuscript collection
in the possession of the His-
torical and Philosophical Society of
Ohio), volume III, Page 5.
30. Gano Papers, III 5.
31. Western Spy, January 6, 1807; Gano
III 27.
32. Gano III 7.
33. Gano III 11.
34. Gano III 27. Deposition of John Gano
for Smith Trial in the
Senate.
35. American State Papers, miscell. I
474.
36. American State Papers, miscell. I
508, Testimony of Thomas
Hartley.
37. Gano III 45, Deposition of Samuel
Swartwout.
38. American State Papers, miscell. I
472.
39. American State Papers, miscell. I
472; also in Clark's Proofs, Note
81, Pages 160 and 161.
40. American State Papers, miscell. I
611.
41. Third Annual Report of the Director
of the Department of
Archives and History of State of
Mississippi 1903-04, Page 52.
42. Archives of Indies, 87, I, 10, Vidal
to Godoy, Prime Minister of
Spain, Philadelphia, August 8, 1807.
43. Archives of Indies, 87, I, 10 Vidal
to Antonio Samper, Phila-
delphia, August 8, 1807.
44. Archives of Indies, 87, I, 10, Vidal
to Yrujo, Philadelphia, July
1, 1807.