The Conversation at Weehawken

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On July 11, 1804, the Secretary of the Treasury met the Vice President on the dueling ground. Sound crazy? A little. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had been political rivals for years. Burr took one comment which Hamilton may have never made personally and demanded an apology. When Hamilton's eventual apology was too little too late, Burr challenged him to a duel or conversation as dueling was illegal.

Here's what we know. Both men left their Manhattan homes early that morning and were rowed across the Hudson to Weehawken, NJ. At the end of the day, the Founding Father and Treasury Secretary was dead. How this occurred is disputed.

-Hamilton's camp said that he never intended to shoot at Burr. After being shot, Hamilton claimed that his gun was still loaded and cocked.
-Burr's camp said that Hamilton shot above Burr's head. Burr was either shaken that he was shot at or a terrible aim. He fired and subsequently killed Hamilton.

So which is it? The historical record suggests that Burr is actually correct. Hamilton's gun was fired and appears to have hit branches far above Burr's head. Burr returned fire and hit Hamilton in the ribs which caused the bullet to ricochet off numerous vital organs. A hit a few inches lower would have caused only a slight wound.

Whether the Vice President was shooting to kill or not remains a mystery. Burr fled New York and lived with his daughter in South Carolina for a while before murder charges were thrown out at which time he returned to Washington and finished out his term as Vice President.