Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 27 April 1781
From Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton
De Peysters Point [N.Y.]1 April 27th 81
Sir,
I imagine your Excellency has been informed that in consequence of the resolution of Congress for granting commissions to Aide De Camps appointed under the former establishment, I have obtained one of Lieutenant Colonel in the army of the United States, bearing rank since the 1st of March 1777.2
It is become necessary to me to apply to Your Excellency to know in what manner you foresee you will be able to employ me in the ensuing campaign. I am ready to enter into activity whenever you think proper, though I am not anxious to do it ’till the army takes the field, as before that period I perceive no object.
Unconnected as I am with any regiment, I can have no other command than in a light corps, and I flatter myself my pretensions to this are good.
Your Excellency knows I have been in actual service since the beginning of 763—I began in the line and had I continued there I ought in justice to have been more advanced in rank than I now am. I believe my conduct in the different capacities in which I have acted has appeared to the officers of the army in general such as to merit their confidence and esteem; and I cannot suppose them to be so ungenerous as not to see me with pleasure put into a situation still to exercise the disposition I have always had of being useful to the United States—I mention these things only to show that I do not apprehend, the same difficulties can exist in my case (which is peculiar) that have opposed the appointment to commands of some other officers not belonging to what is called the line.4
Though the light infantry is chiefly formed—yet being detached to the Southward I take it for granted, there will be a van guard by detachment formed for this army.5 I have the honor to be Very respectfully Yr Excellencys Most Obedient servt
A. Hamilton
ALS, DLC:GW; copy, DLC: Hamilton Papers.
1. De Peyster’s Point, now called Denning Point and located within Beacon, N.Y., is a peninsula that projects from the east bank of the Hudson River across from New Windsor. Formerly named “The Island,” the site became known as De Peyster’s Point when the land there was sold to Jacobus De Peyster in the late 1730s.
For Hamilton’s move to De Peyster’s Point, see , 155–56.
2. Hamilton presumably refers to a congressional resolution adopted on 21 Feb. 1780: “That all aids de camp now in service, who were appointed before the 27th of May, 1778, and are not admissible into any state line, receive commissions agreeably to the rank they are entitled to, under the resolution of June 5th, 1776; the commissions to bear the dates of their appointments” (, 16:182). The resolution passed on 5 June 1776 ranked GW’s aides-de-camp as lieutenant colonels, and another adopted on 27 May 1778 clarified the rank of aides-de-camp who returned to commands in the line (see GW to the Board of War, 15–17 Jan. 1780, and n.4 to that document).
3. Hamilton was captain of the New York provincial artillery company.
4. For recent disputes related to command appointments, see GW’s reply to Hamilton on this date.
5. For the light infantry detached to the southern department, see GW’s second letter to Lafayette, 20 February.