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Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Schuyler
MORRISTOWN, July 2, 1780.
I have been waiting, my love, for an opportunity of writing to you but none has offered. I sit down to have a line ready for a sudden call which will be enclosed to Col. Hay. The enclosed was sent to you at Morristown, but missed you, as it contains ideas that often occur to me I send it now. Last evening Dr. Cochran delivered me the dear lines you wrote me from Nicholsons. I shall impatiently long to hear of your arrival at Albany and the state of your health. I am perfectly well proof against anything that can assail mine. We have no change in our affairs since you left us. I should regret the time already lost in inactivity if it did not bring us nearer to that sweet reunion for which we so ardently wish. I never look forward to that period without sensations I cannot describe.
I love you more and more every hour. The sweet softness and delicacy of your mind and manners, the elevation of your sentiments, the real goodness of your heart—its tenderness to me—the beauties of your face and person—your unpretending good sense and that innocent symplicity and frankness which pervade your actions, all these appear to me with increasing amiableness, and place you in my estimation above all the rest of your sex.
I entreat you, my charmer, not to neglect the charges I gave you, particularly that of taking care of yourself and that of employing all your leisure in reading. Nature has been very kind to you, do not neglect to cultivate her gifts and to enable yourself to make the distinguished figure in all respects to which you are entided to aspire. You excel most of your sex in all the amiable qualities, endeavor to excel them equally in the splendid ones. You can do it if you please, and I shall take pride in it,—It will be a fund too to diversify our enjoyment and amusements and fill all our moments to advantage.
I have received a letter from Major Laurens soliciting an interview, on the Pennsylvania Boundary. The General had half consented to its taking place. I hope to be permitted to meet him, if so I will go to Philadelphia and then you may depend, I shall not forget the picture you requested. Yours, my angel, with inviolable fidelity—
Alex. Hamilton.
July 4.
It is now the fourth and no opportunity has offered. I open my letter just to tell you your Papa has been unwell with a touch of the Quinsy, but is now almost perfectly recovered. He hoped to be at Head Quarters today. He is eight miles off. I saw him last evening and heard from him this morning. I mention this least you should hear of his indisposition through an exaggerated channel and be unnecessarily alarmed.
Affectionately present me to your Mamma.
Adieu my love.
The engagement of Elizabeth Schuyler certainly created a stir among her young friends, and Kitty Livingston, a boon companion, in a letter written from Lebanon, June 20,1780, says: " If you should see the Col. present my compliments and tell him I hope to see him on the Banks of Hudson near Claremont where Flora shall mix his Laurels with Flowers and Pomona heap him with fruit."
Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler were engaged some time during 1779, but were separated for a great part of the time, and the courtship was interrupted by long journeys undertaken by him, and by the occurrence of important conferences, or of dramatic events of the most thrilling character. He had been sent to Perth Amboy to exchange prisoners, and undoubtedly the social courtesies for the time prevailed. Doubdess many of the English officers who toasted Elizabeth Schuyler and her sister had, at an earlier period, accepted General Schuyler's hospitality at Albany or Saratoga.
Amboy, Mar. 17, 1780.
Thursday afternoon.
My dearest girl: I wrote you a hasty letter two days ago, since which I have had the happiness of hearing you were well by Colonel Webb, and did not forget me when he was coming away. Every moment of my stay here becomes more and more irksome, but I hope two or three days will put an end to it. Colonel Webb tells me you have sent for a carriage to go to Philadelphia. If you should go out before I return, have the goodness to leave a line informing me how long you expect to be there. I beg, too, you will not suffer any considerations respecting me to prevent your going, for though it will be a tax upon my love to part with you so long, I wish you to see that city before you return. It will afford you pleasure and whatever does that will always be most agreeable to me, only let me entreat you to endeavor not to stay there longer than the amusements of the place interest you in complaisance to friends, for you must always remember your best friend is where I am. If possible, and you give me your consent, I shall try to make a short visit to the city while you are there, but it is very uncertain whether I shall be able to do it. If I were not afraid of making you vain, I would tell you that Mrs. Carter, Peggy and yourself are the daily toast at our table, and for this honor you are chiefly indebted to the British gentlemen; though, as I am always thinking of you, this naturally brings Peggy to my mind, who is generally my toast. Captain Beebe is here and talks of her sometimes, but I will not give my consent to his being her favorite. I do not think him clever enough for her. He sings well and that is all. Your little Delancey is not of the party. I am told he is a pretty fellow. I have learned a secret by coming down here. Our interview is attended with a good deal of sociability and good humor, but I begin, notwithstanding, to be tired of our British friends. They do their best to be agreeable and are particularly civil to me, but, after all, they are a compound of grimace and jargon and, out of a certain fashionable routine, are as dull and empty as any gentlemen need to be. One of their principal excellencies consists in swallowing a large quantity of wine every day, and in this I am so unfortunate that I shall make no sort of figure with them. You must not think me prejudiced, for the picture is a true one.
Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Schuyler
September 6, 1780.
Most people here are groaning under a very disagreeable piece of intelligence just come from the southward, that Gates has had a total defeat near Camden, in South Carolina.
Cornwallis and he met in the night of the fifteenth, by accident, marching to the same point. The advanced guards skirmished, and the two armies halted and formed till morning. In the morning, a battle ensued, in which the militia and Gates with them, immediately ran away, and left the Continental troops to contend with the enemy's whole force.
They did it obstinately, and probably are most of them cut off. Gates, however, who writes to Congress, seems to know very little what has become of his army. He showed that age and the long labors and fatigues of a military life had not in the least impaired his activity, for in the three days and a half he reached Hilleborough, one hundred and eighty miles from the scene of action, leaving all his troops to take care of themselves, and get out of the scrape as well as they could.
He has confirmed, in this instance, the opinion I always had of him. This event will have very serious consequences to the southward. People's imaginations have already given up North Carolina and Virginia; but I do not believe either of them will fall. I am certain Virginia cannot. This misfortune affects me less than others, because it is not in my temper to repine at evils that are past, but to endeavor to draw good out of them, and because I think our safety depends on a total change of system, and this change of system will only be produced by misfortune.
A. Hamilton.
Benedict Arnold, who had married a daughter of Edward Shippen, had become involved in debt and led an extravagant life, in consequence of which he was accused of questionable financial operations and 'disorderly official conduct." Having been taken to task for this, an aggrieved animosity was engendered which led him to revenge himself by plotting treason with the enemy, and every one is too familiar with his scheme for the betrayal of West Point, his utilization of Major Andre, and with the pitiful end of that brave and gallant young officer.
No better account of these happenings can be found than in the two following letters written by Hamilton, which may be reproduced as examples of the sensible correspondence in which Hamilton and Miss Schuyler indulged, and showing, as well, that she was quite in sympathy with all he did, and quite familiar with his military duties.