Walter Timothy Crofton (Papoo) was an Irish tough who put himself through Georgetown University on the GI Bill, supplemented by driving a cab around DC. He always loved the Jesuits – rooting for Notre Dame whenever they weren’t playing the West Virginia Mountaineers.
He returned to Parkersburg, West Virginia and when we visited in the summers I’d often live with him out on his farm doing chores. He was the Wood County State Attorney for a while and he and my uncle Gene owned the local Credit Union. They conspired with bagmen from Youngstown and the two of them drove to Delaware once to pick up a load of silver bars – Mom still has the receipt.
Uncle Gene had a house high up on the ridge t’other side of the Ohio River from Parkersburg. You could almost see Blennerhassett Island from there (before the mansion was rebuilt) and I used to think about Aaron Burr planning his coup to become king there. In an ironic twist, Alexander Hamilton was ended by Burr (and visa versa) in a duel sparked by Burr’s treachery and Hamilton’s abuse of the wilderness folk.
Harman Blennerhassett was another Irish tough, who’d fled Ireland in the 18th Century after getting mixed up with revolutionaries there. He’d purchased half of Blennerhassett near the mouth of the Little Kanawha River in 1799 and built his mansion there. He entertained dignitaries on the island and in 1805 invited Ex-Vice President Aaron Burr. A plan was hatched for Burr to muster a small army and to use the Ohio River with Blennerhassett Island as the point of embarkation for a small army headed to New Orleans where the commanding general was waiting for them.
[T]he project is brought to the point so long desired: Burr guarantees the result with his life and honor–the lives, the honor and fortunes of hundreds, the best blood of our country. Burr’s plan of operations is to move rapidly from the falls on the 15th of November, with the first five hundred or one thousand men, in light boats now constructing for that purpose–to be at Natchez between the 5th and 15th of December–then to meet Wilkinson–then to determine whether it will be expedient in the first instance to seize on or pass by Baton Rouge.
On receipt of this send Burr an answer–draw on Burr for all expenses, &c. The people of the country to which we are going are prepared to receive us–their agents now with Burr say that if we will protect their religion, and will not subject them to a foreign power, that in three weeks all will be settled.
The gods invite to glory and fortune–it remains to be seen whether we deserve the boon…. –29th July.
Ciphered letter from Burr to General Wilkinson, October, 1806
Burr’s plan to be King of Mexico, Texas and the territory marked by the Louisiana Purchase fell apart when General Wilkinson saw the handwriting on the wall and slow walked himself out of any further cooperation. Nonetheless, in a trial before Chief Justice John Marshall, Burr and Blennerhassett were both acquitted of treason.
The Blennerhassett Mansion, occupied and abused by militias, burned to the ground in 1809. But it was completely rebuilt for tourists in the 1980’s and we can all enjoy it today – along with its Wilderness history of treason and blood.
