Accident
Hempstead died after an accident when he was thrown from his horse on August 4, 1817. He died of his injuries six days later at his home in St. Louis, Missouri, and is buried in the Bellefontaine Cemetery there. Hempstead County, Arkansas, is named in his honor.
Hempstead was friends with Thomas Hart Benton (senator). Benton was to say later that he thought Hempstead would have become Missouri's first senator had he lived. Benton was with Hempstead when he died and spent the wake with his body. When Benton came home from the wake Benton received a duel challenge with Charles Lucas (Missouri) following a dispute over a court case. Benton replied he would meet Lucas as soon as Hempstead was buried. The two were to fight two duels with Benton ultimately killing Lucas.
Read more about this topic: Edward Hempstead
Famous quotes containing the word accident:
“There is no accident so unfortunate but wise men will make some advantage of it, nor any so entirely fortunate but fools may turn it to their own prejudice.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“Is this the nature
Whom passion could not shake? whose solid virtue
The shot of accident nor dart of chance
Could neither graze nor pierce?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Thus he struggled, by every method, to keep his light shining before men. Surely the lighthouse-keeper has a responsible, if an easy, office. When his lamp goes out, he goes out; or, at most, only one such accident is pardoned.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)