HAMILTON, ALEXANDER, first secretary of the trea sury of the United States, a native of the island of St Croix, was born in the year 1757. His father was an English gentleman ; and his mother an American lady. At the age of sixteen, he was placed at Columbia College, in the city of New-York ; where he continued about three years. He was discovered, while engaged in his collegiate studies, to be a youth of most promising abilities. The contest be tween Great Britain and her then colonies of America en gaged the attention, and employed the talents of many' dis tinguished gentlemen on both sides. The pen of Mr Hamil ton was early exercised in the support of the colonies. He asserted their claims against very respectable writers. His anonymous papers exhibited such evidences of wisdom, that they were ascribed to Mr John Jay, then in the pos session of extensive fame as a statesman. When the real author was discovered, the Americans beheld with astonish ment a youth of nineteen in the society of their ablest advo cates. The first sound of war awakened his martial spirit. He entered the revolutionary army as captain of artillery ; and soon conciliated the good opinion of his brethren in arms. He early attracted the notice of the commander in chief, Washington, who, in 1777, appointed him his aid, with the brevet-rank of lieutenant-colonel. His sound un derstanding, comprehensive views, application, and prompti tude in duty, soon gained him the entire confidence of the general. In such company, it was natural that his genius should expand. By an alliance with Washington, by a close and discriminate survey of his military plans, by observing his consummate prudence, and by an attentive inspection of the resources he employed, in the preservation and main tenance of the army, in the most critical and embarrassing circumstances, he himself became eminently qualified for command. Throughout the war, he was active and ardent in the cause of independence ; often rendered the most valuable services in the field ; and was ever an able coun sellor and expert amanuensis in the general's cabinet. In
the campaign of 1781, which terminated with the capture of Lord Cornwallis, colonel Hamilton commanded a bat talion of light infantry. At the siege of York, when the second parallel was opened, two redoubts of the enemy, in advance of his works several hundred yards, Banked' it, and very much annoyed the Americans in the trenches. The commander in chief determined to have them carried by storm. The assault upon one was committed to Ame rican, and on the other to French troops. In the detach ment of Americans, colonel Hamilton, at his own earnest request, led the advance, consisting of two battalions. Late in the afternoon, on the 14th of October, 1781, the several detachments rushed to the charge, without firing a single musket. The redoubts were assailed with irresistible im petuosity, and carried, unexpectedly, with little sacrifice of life. The enemy, in his feeble attempt to repel the storm, lost eight men. Notwithstanding the irritation lately occa sioned in the American army, by an unwarrantable and savage slaughter of a surrendering garrison in Fort Gris wold, not one man was killed who had ceased to make re sistance. The forbearance of the irritated and victorious assailants, who commenced the charge with a determination to be revenged upon the murderers of their countrymen, was ascribed, in both armies, to the merciful interposition of colonel Hamilton.
With the conclusion of the war, which resulted in the in dependence of the United States, like his great friend, colo nel Hamilton laid off the sword ; and, having married destitute of fortune, began the study of the law, with a view to the support of his family. He was admitted to the bar, after a short course of preparatory reading ; and soon rose to eminence in the profession. But his private pursuits could not wholly detach him from a regard to the public welfare.