George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, [20 January 1777]

From George Washington

[Morristown, New Jersey, January 20, 1777. A statement in George Washington’s letter to Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hanson Harrison1 of this date reads: “Be so good as to forward the Inclosed to Captn. Hamilton.”2 Letter not found.]

1. Before the Revolution, Harrison, who was a native of Maryland, was a lawyer in Alexandria, Virginia, where he met Washington and became his occasional legal adviser. On November 25, 1775, he was appointed aide-de-camp to Washington, and in May, 1776, he replaced Joseph Reed as Washington’s secretary.

2. “Captn. Hamilton” is identified by Fitzpatrick (GW description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington (Washington, 1931–1944). description ends , VII, 519) as Alexander Hamilton. It is probable that it was in this letter that Washington asked H to join his staff as an aide-de-camp.

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Source Project: Hamilton Papers
Title: George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, [20 January 1777]
Author: Washington, George
Recipient: Hamilton, Alexander
Date: 20 January 1777

Reference

Cite as: “George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, [20 January 1777],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-01-02-0079. [Original source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 1, 1768–1778, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1961, p. 195.]

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