SSI Archives

Aaron Burr: Spared in a Duel, Hit by a Hurricane

As Glynn County residents anxiously await the most active months of the hurricane season, we might cast our minds back to the early 19th century when a major storm devastated our coast. In 1804, the disgraced Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr came to St. Simons Island seeking refuge from a very different type of storm, one of his own making.

On July 11, Burr had shot his political rival Alexander Hamilton during a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton died the next day, and Burr was charged with murder in both New York and New Jersey. A political friend, Pierce Butler of South Carolina, offered Burr sanctuary at his plantation on the north end of St. Simons Island. Arriving on August 25, Burr described his stay at Hampton Plantation in correspondence with his daughter, Theodosia.

In the 18th century, storms struck with no warning of their intensity. On September 7, Vice President Burr was visiting the John Couper family at nearby Cannon’s Point Plantation, when the winds began to rise, making it too dangerous for him to return to Hampton. Between noon and 4:00 p.m. the next day, the storm was at its peak. Burr reported, “The house… shook and rocked so much that Mr. Couper began to express his apprehensions for our safety. Before three, part of the piazza was carried away… The house was inundated with water, and presently one of the chimneys fell.” When the winds subsided, Burr insisted on being rowed back over Jones Creek by the slaves who had accompanied him. They reached the Hampton Plantation house just as the back eyewall struck, and the storm continued throughout the night.

Experts have speculated that the Hurricane of 1804 was a Category 4 storm when it hit the Georgia coast. Aaron Burr survived the storm and would eventually return to Washington, D.C. and complete his term as Vice President without prosecution.

This month’s image shows a painting of the Couper residence at Cannon’s Point Plantation, where Burr, also shown, spent the worst hours of the storm. The Cannon’s Point painting is in the Society’s collection, and the Burr portrait is courtesy of the New-York Historical Society.

Our monthly images on this page are from the vast archives of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. The Society’s mission includes the “administration, restoration and maintenance of historic facilities and resources … preserved as a living part of the historical and cultural foundations of our coastal community.” Society facilities include the St. Simons Lighthouse and Museum, the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, and the Historic Coast Guard Station. To learn more about the Society, its diverse programs, and the benefits of Society membership, please call (912) 638.4666, or visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org.