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(continued)

Burr was indicted for murder by a New Jersey grand jury, but was able to return to Washington and finish out his term as vice president, presiding over the Senate. The criminal charges were never prosecuted, but Burr's political career had been dealt a fatal blow. He was dropped from the ticket in 1804, and turned his attention to the western territories.

Whether Burr saw a western opportunity to rekindle his political career, or had grander designs, is still a matter of debate. Regardless, he embarked on a grand western tour, where he was greeted as a hero by many backswoodsmen, who had never seen such a high-ranking personage.

On his tour, Burr was in constant communication with Gen. James Wilkinson, an old friend who was now commander of the U.S. Army stationed in New Orleans. Some believe that Burr was hoping to pursuade Wilkinson to deliver his troops in support of a conspiracy to divide the Union.

On this tour, he also met Harman Blennerhasset, a wealthy British immigrant who owned an island on the Ohio River near the present city of Parkersburg, W.V. Burr convinced the naive Blennerhasset to allow him to use the island as another staging area for his proposed expedition. Blennerhasset financed the construction of several large river vessels to transport Burr's expeditionary force.

Burr gave conflicting accounts of what he was planning. He told some that he was merely preparing to lead a group of settlers to the Bastrop tract, a huge stretch of virgin Louisiana soil along the Washita River in which he had acquired an interest . To others he disclosed a plan to liberate Texas, and “march to the city of Mexico” where he planned to topple the hated Spanish government of that silver rich country.

Rumors began to circulate in the press and within diplomatic circles of an even more ambitious plan. Some said that if Burr could not be president he would create a new country in which he could be king!

Men kept passing through Fort Burr at Fishers on their way west to Blennerhasset Island, but one day the place was vacant. It was reasoned that it was too risky for Burr to base his operations in western New York with the increasing flow of loyal Yankee settlers.