Publisher's Synopsis
This story was written in the summer of 1863, as a contribution, however humble, towards the formation of a just and true national sentiment, or sentiment of love to the nation. It was at the time when Mr. Vallandigham had been sent across the border. It was my wish, indeed, that the story might be printed before the autumn elections of that year, -as my "testimony" regarding the principles involved in them, -but circumstances delayed its publication till the December number of the Atlantic appeared. It is wholly a fiction, "founded on fact." The facts on which it is founded are these, -that Aaron Burr sailed down the Mississippi River in 1805, again in 1806, and was tried for treason in 1807. The rest, with one exception to be noticed, is all fictitious. It was my intention that the story should have been published with no author's name, other than that of Captain Frederic Ingham, U.S.N. Whether writing under his name or my own, I have taken no liberties with history other than such as every writer of fiction is privileged to take, -indeed, must take, if fiction is to be written at
