Page:The amorous intrigues and adventures of Aaron Burr.pdf/65

 The good lady told him that the young girl was a daughter of Major Moncrieffe, of the British army. She had resided in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, while her father was with Lord Percy, on Staten Island.

The best way to account for her residence with General Putnam, is to give her own words, as they appeared in Memoirs written by herself some time afterwards. She says:

"Thus destitute of friends, I wrote to General Putnam, who instantly answered my letter by a very kind invitation to his house, assuring me that he respected my father, and was only his enemy in the field of battle; but that in private life, he himself, or any part of his family, might always command his services.

"On the next day, he sent Colonel Webb one of his aid-de-camps, to conduct me to New York. When I arrived in the Broadway (a street so called), where General Putnam resided, I was received with great tenderness by Mrs. Putnam and her daughters, and on the following day I was introduced by them to General and Mrs. Washington, who likewise made it their study to show me every mark of regard; but I seldom was allowed to be alone, although, sometimes, indeed, I found an opportunity to escape to the gallery on the top of the house, where my chief delight was to view, with a telescope, our fleet and army at Staten Island.

"My amusements were few; the good Mrs. Putnam employed me and her daughters continually to spin flax for shirts for the American soldiers; indolence being totally discouraged; and I likewise worked some for General Putnam, who, though not an accomplished muscadin, like our dilletantis of St. James' street, was certainly one of the best characters in the world; his heart being comqosedcomposed [sic] of those noble materials which equally command respect and admiration."

Such was Miss Margret Moncrieffe, daughter of Major Moncrieffe, who had placed herself under the protection of the noble-hearted Putnam.

She had been in the family but three days, when Burr, having gone to the house-top to make some observations on the enemy, heard another individual approaching. He took little heed of this, untill the appearance on the platform of Miss Moncrieffe caused him to start with both surprise and pleasure.

Seeing Burr with the telescope, she merely bowed, and was about to retire, when Burr immediately tendered her the instrument, saying that he should esteem it a happy epoch in his life that he was able to afford any pleasure to so excellent and charming a young lady as Miss Moncrieffe.

"Oh! by no means, sir," returned she, blushing; "my observations have already made me acquainted with the value which my dear Gen-