“I hereby appoint Samuel Sinclair, Publisher Tribune, Charles Storrs, merchant now of 73 Worth Street, New York City and Richard C. Manning now residing in Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn or any two of them who may survive me and accept the trusts, executors of this my last will and testament.
“In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this ninth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
“Horace Greeley.”
Will of Alexander Hamilton
“In the name of God, Amen. I, Alexander Hamilton, of the City of New-York, Counsellor at Law, do make this my last Will and Testament as follows:
“First. I appoint John B. Church, Nicholas Fish, and Nathaniel Pendleton, of the city aforesaid, Esquires, to be Executors and Trustees of this my Will; and I devise to them, their heirs and assigns, as joint tenants and not as tenants in common, all my estate real and personal whatsoever, and wheresoever, upon trust at their discretion to sell and dispose of the same, at such time and times, in such manner, and upon such terms, as they, the survivors and survivor, shall think fit; and out of the proceeds to pay all the debts which I shall owe at the time of my decease; in whole, if the fund be sufficient; proportionably, if it shall be insufficient; and the residue, if any there shall be, to pay and deliver to my excellent and dear wife Elizabeth Hamilton.
“Though, if it should please God to spare my life, I may look for a considerable surplus out of my present property; yet, if He should speedily call me to the eternal world, a forced sale, as is usual, may possibly render it insufficient to satisfy my debts. I pray God that something may remain for the maintenance and education of my dear wife and children. But should it on the contrary happen, that there is not enough for the payment of my debts, I entreat my dear children, if they, or any of them, should ever be able, to make up the deficiency. I, without hesitation, commit to their delicacy a wish which is dictated by my own.—Though conscious that I have too far sacrificed the interests of my family to public avocations, and on this account have the less claim to burthen my children, yet I trust in their magnanimity to appreciate as they ought, this my request. In so unfavourable an event of things, the support of their dear mother, with the most respectful and tender attention, is a duty, all the sacredness of which they will feel. Probably her own patrimonial resources will preserve her from indigence. But in all situations they are charged to bear in mind, that she has been to them the most devoted and best of mothers.”
Alexander Hamilton was, perhaps, the most finished character in the history of the United States, and the value of his services to this country cannot be overestimated: after the lapse of more than a hundred years, his greatness and usefulness are still revered, and his untimely death lamented.
On June 18, 1804, Aaron Burr addressed to Hamilton, a communication calling attention to a letter published by Charles B. Cooper, wherein he said, “I could detail to you a still more despicable opinion which General Hamilton has expressed of Mr. Burr,” together with a further statement that Burr was “a dangerous man and one who ought not to be trusted with the reins of government:” the lengthy and dignified answer of Hamilton was not satisfactory to Burr, and again on June 21st, he wrote, “Political opposition can never absolve gentlemen from a rigid adherence to the laws of honour and rules of decorum.” Further unsatisfactory correspondence followed, with the result that the two met at seven o’clock A.M., July 11th, 1804, at Weehawken, New Jersey, opposite New York, and fought a duel; Hamilton fell at Burr’s first shot, mortally wounded, dying the next day at two o’clock: on the day before the duel, Hamilton wrote Nathaniel Pendleton, who accompanied him to the field, a letter containing his motives for accepting the challenge, and his reflections on the situation, which is in part as follows:
“On my expected interview with Col. Burr, I think it proper to make some remarks explanatory of my conduct, motives, and views.