Complete Works. Hamilton Alexander
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of it with the exception of one paragraph, of, I think, about four or five lines, which if I mistake not was on the Subject of public schools, which was stricken out. It was afterwards returned to Mr. Hamilton who made the desired Alteration, and was afterwards delivered by General Washington, and published in that form, and has ever since been Known as "General Washington's Farewell Address." Shortly after the publication of the address, my husband and myself were walking in Broadway, when an old soldier accosted him, with a request of him to purchase General Washington's Farewell address, which he did and turning to me Said "That man does not know he has asked me to purchase my own work."
The whole circumstances are at this moment, so perfectly in my remembrance, that I can call to mind his bringing General Washington's letter to me which returned the "address" and remarking on the only alteration which he (General Washington) had requested to be made.
New York, Aug. 7th, 1840.
ElizTH Hamilton.
Witness
as
J. A. Washington )
J. A. Macdonald. )
General Schuyler left a large amount of property and, some years after his death, his other sons and daughters generously deeded much of their shares to their widowed sister, because of Hamilton's impoverishment. Some of this was in Saratoga County, some near Utica, some near Owego, and small portions were in the cities of New York and Albany. It was Mrs. Hamilton's custom, when interested in any particular charity, to sell piece by piece, and devote the proceeds to the particular object, so that when she died she was in straitened circumstances, and had, for some time, been entirely dependent upon her children and the back pay awarded Hamilton by the government. "Her grief over the two children she had lost," said a contemporary writer, "took the form of protection of those who were poor and unfriended, as well as orphaned. To Mrs. Hamilton is directly owing the first orphan asylum of New York. On its fiftieth anniversary a memorial service was held in the Church of the Epiphany (in Washington, where she then was for the winter), and the work and its greatly extended good were gone over. The seed had become a tree with mighty branches. Mrs. Hamilton was feeble and could not sit through the whole service, but came only for a part; always to the communion service. This Sunday she came in toward the close. Our minds and hearts were filled with the good work of this gentle lady when she entered—a very small, upright little figure in deep black, never altered from the time her dark hair was framed in by the widow's cap, until now the hair was as white as the cap.
"As she moved slowly forward, supported by her daughter, Mrs. Holly, one common feeling made the congregation rise and remain standing until she was seated in her pew at the front."
Her great effort seems to have been to the end that the letters left by her husband should be published, and his life written by some competent person. Unfortunately, one of her clergymen was chosen to do the latter, and as it was not a judicious selection, the result was unsuccessful. She first wrote to Bushrod Washington, a nephew of the President, whose reply is appended, but nothing seems to have come of all this. It was not until many years later that her son John C. Hamilton wrote a life of his father collecting and publishing many of his letters in a series of seven volumes.
Bushrod Washingtor to Elizabeth Hamilton
Mt. Vernon, Dec. 14, 1819.
My dear Madam: Your favor of the 5th of Nov' was received by Mr. Herbert, whilst I was in Philadelphia and was not placed in the bundle of letters which he delivered me upon my return. He had accidently put it by itself, and found it a day or two ago, when he delivered it to me. This must be my apology for the delay of this answer.
It affords me great pleasure to know Mr. Hopkinson has undertaken to write the life of Genl. Hamilton, not only because his fine talents will enable him to do justice to the work, but because he admired, in common with every American patriot, the virtues, and the distinguished talents of that Great man.
The Contract which I made with Mr. Wayne, the publisher of the life of Gen'l Washington was, to assign the copyrights of the work to him, and to receive from him one dollar per volume, for every volume subscribed for, or sold during the period of the copyright. This dollar per volume was equally divided between C. Justice Marshall, the author & myself. There were 7000 copies subscribed for, and Mr, Marshall and myself received from Mr. Wayne the amount calculating it at a dollar each volume. I think that, as to all sales that were made over that number, we made a compromise with Mr. Wayne & received from him $?000. I should expect that a contract of this nature would be as favorable to you as you could expect to make.
I do not know whether I have ever yet acknowledged my obligation to you for the seeds you were so good as to send me; if I have not, permit me now to do it, and to assure you that my silence did not proceed from unthankfulness for the favor. The corn met my approbation so fully that I shall plant the whole of my crop, at one farm, next year, of that kind—It comes very early, & the ear is of good size.
Present my best regards & wishes to my favourite Eliza and believe me, good friend, that nothing could afford me a higher gratification than to pass a day or two with you and her at the Grange—I have not heard of or from William' since he went into the wilderness.
The family of my niece and Mr. Woodlawn are all well,— Frances not yet married, but all in good time. She is a charming girl, as is her sister Agnes, now nearly grown up. Mrs. Washington's health is much the same as when you were here; she yet continues to retire from company at home and abroad.
I am with sentiments of esteem, respect and regard. My dear Madam,
Yr. friend and faithful humb. serv.
Bushrod Washington.
In 1849 Hamilton MSS. were purchased by the government. From the time of her husband's death almost to her own in 1854 Mrs. Hamilton was constantly engaged in writing to the leading Federalists all over the country and making inquiries to enable her to ascertain all the facts she could. Besides corresponding she made long journeys to carry out her quest with more or less success. She wrote to her daughter Mrs. Holly, in Philadelphia, in 1832:
"I have my fears I shall not obtain my object. Most of the contemporaries of your father have also passed away. I have since you left this, seen Mr. S. Kane, he is doing all he can, as is Mr. Clymer."
Shortly before her death a friend wrote as follows: "The widow of Alexander Hamilton has reached the great age of ninety-five and retains in an astonishing degree her faculties and converses with much of that ease and brilliancy which lent so peculiar a charm to her younger days. And then, after passing the compliments and congratulations of the day, insists upon her visitors taking a merry glass from General Washington's punch bowl, which, with other portions of his table set, remains in her possession." At this time she showed a great deal of physical vigor, walking from her own house in H Street to visit her old friend. Judge Cranch, three miles away, on Capitol Hill, in the city of Washington. Her last illness was a comparatively short one, and until a few days before her death her mind was perfectly dear.
Mrs. Hamilton could never forget the behavior of Monroe when he, with Muhlenberg and Venables, accused Hamilton of financial irregularities at the time of the Reynolds incident. Many years afterward, when they were both aged people, Monroe visited her and an interview occurred which was witnessed by a nephew, who was then a lad of fifteen. "I had," he says, "been sent to call upon my Aunt Hamilton one afternoon. I found her in her garden and was there with her talking, when her maid servant came from the house with a card. It was the card of James Monroe. She read the name, and stood holding the card, much perturbed. Her voice sank, and she spoke very low, as she always did when she was angry. 'What has that man come to see me for?' escaped from her. 'Why, Aunt Hamilton,' said I, 'don't you know, it's Mr. Monroe, and he's been President, and he is visiting here now in the neighborhood, and has been very much made of, and invited everywhere, and so—I suppose he has come to call and pay his respects to you.' After a moment's hesitation, 'I will see him,' she said.
"The maid went back to the house, my aunt followed, walking rapidly,. I after her. As she entered the parlor Monroe rose. She stood in the middle of the room facing him. She did not ask him to sit down. He bowed, and