he most distinguished soldiers of the Revolution, to whom was due the
defeat of General Burgoyne, and head of one of those old families of
which New York possessed so many. This lady was destined to survive her
husband half a century, and to be associated with two ages of the
country,--her death occurring in 1854, in her ninety-eighth year. She
was a woman of exalted character, and worthy to be the wife of Alexander
Hamilton.

The relations between Washington and Hamilton were briefly interrupted
early in 1781, and Hamilton left the commander's military family. He had
a command in that allied army which Washington and Rochambeau led to
Yorktown, the success of which put an end to the "great war" of the
Revolution on this continent. When the British redoubts were stormed,
Hamilton commanded the American column, and carried the redoubt he
assailed before the French had taken that which it fell to their lot to
attack. Shortly afterward he retired from the service, and, taking up
his residence in Albany, devoted himself to the study of the law. In
1782 he was elected a member of the Continental Congress by the
Legislature of New York, and took his seat on the 25th of November. He
proved an energetic member, his attention being largely directed to the
financial state of the country, than which nothing could be more dreary.
At an early day he had been convinced that something sound must be
attempted in relation to our finances; and in 1780 he had addressed a
letter on the subject to Robert Morris, which showed that his ideas
regarding money and credit were those of a great statesman. But the time
had not come in which he was to mould the country to his will, and make
it rich in spite of itself, and against its own exertions. More
suffering was necessary before the people could be made to listen to the
words of truth, though uttered by genius. Military matters also
commanded the attention of the young member, as was natural, he having
been so distinguished as a soldier, and retaining that interest in the
army which he had acquired from six years' connection with it. His
Congressional career was brilliant, and added much to his reputation. It
seemed that he was destined to succeed in everything he attempted. Yet
at that time he thought of retiring altogether from public life, and of
devoting himself entirely to his profession, in which he had already
become eminent. In November, 1783, he removed to the city of New York,
which t