In a conversation today, a friend of mine claimed that Hamilton provoked Burr (with whom he shared a mutual hatred, as each saw his negative qualities reflected in the other) to a duel, with the intention of being killed. Hamilton then, my friend claimed, had Burr’s pistol modified so that it had a hair trigger, and intentionally shot high, so that Burr would shoot him.
Is there any basis in fact for this claim? I have trouble buying it. Hamilton shot high, I’ve always been taught, because that’s the way most pistol duels worked. The duelists shot in the air, and then shook hands, honor restored.
I also find it unlikely that Burr would use a pistol that Hamilton could alter, instead of his own or one kept by a third party. Also, how would hamilton know that giving Burr a hair trigger would cause him to shoot his opponent, instead of his own foot or another bad shot?
Honor would be served and no one would be killed. But I have never heard that he threw away his fire and didn’t expect Buirr to do so as well ie committed suicide.
Anyone who thinks Hamilton was “committng suicide” should be able to back it up with some info. The website provided by jimmmy indicates that the trigger had been modified, although not explained as to by whom. And were both triggers modified? And, if not, who used the modified gun? That site also incorrectly says that Hamilton’s stepfather fought a duel with Burr previously. It was Hamilton’s brother-in-law. There seems to be nothing on the web about this trigger stuff except for that site http://www.heroica.org/burr.html So I don’t see that it’s anything except gossip. If the trigger thing is true, then show me a cite other than that page.
One should remember that the combatants were using smooth bore pistols and led balls of none too perfect shape. Under any conditions these are very, very unreliable in regard to accuracy. There are more dependable ways of committing suicide.
In fact Joseph P. Ellis in his excellent and well researched history of the early days of our country, Founding Brothers puts forth a suggestion that runs somewhat contrary to your OP. He suggests that Burr was in fact trying to miss (allbeit relatively close) Hamilton in a somewhat similar action to Hamilton purposely missing Burr. However the smooth bore of the pistol and the non-perfect ball conspired to do otherwise.
Ellis’ book suggests that there was a slightly lighter pull on both pistols’ triggers, but he provides written testimony from the seconds involved that Burr was informed of the fact.
to complicate matters, a book that is at my house (i’m at work, now, so i don’t know the title) points out that hamilton may have slipped, or mishandled the gun with the adjusted trigger, so, whatever his plans may have been, the gun went off in a manner indicating hostile fire. in addition, the gentleman’s fire need not have been what hamilton had in mind;gentlemen threw away fire, but they also took advantage of shooting someone they despised given a great opportunity! hamilton’ss son’s death was proof that throwing away fire was not necessarily the standard. for a great account (fictional, but extremely entertaining and, perhaps, enlightening) read Burr by gore vidal. the book Duel, by author whom i’ve forgotten, gives a good background on contemporaneous dueling and in letters and such, but it is kind of strange showing burr as maniacal at the time and wanting to do anything to get back into the public eye, including dueling, while showing hamilton as being so tranquil and submitted to his newly refound faith that he will go ahead with the duel, but fully devoted to firing up into the air. i doubt that the truth will be known, but, i think that everyone agrees that hamilton fired, which hints , given the injury inflicted upon him, that he fired first.