Hamilton, Schuyler, 1822-1903

Hamilton was born on July 22, 1822 in New York City. He was the fifth of 14 children born to John Church Hamilton (1792–1882) and Maria Eliza van den Heuvel. His paternal grandparents were Alexander Hamilton (1755/7–1804), a Founding Father of the United States, and Elizabeth Schuyler (1757–1854). His maternal grandfather was Baron John Cornelius van den Heuvel, the one-time governor of Dutch Guiana. Through his sister, Elizabeth Hamilton (1831–1884), he was the brother-in-law of Gen. Henry Halleck, and after his death, of Gen. George Washington Cullum. Hamilton attended and graduated from West Point in 1841

Hamilton served with great gallantry in the Mexican War, and was brevetted first lieutenant in 1846 and captain in 1847. From 1847 until 1854, he was aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Winfield Scott. In 1854, he wrote A History of our National Flag and on May 31, 1855, he resigned from the Army. During the War, he was wounded twice, once by a ball in the stomach and once by a lance which went completely through his chest, piercing his lung. Hamilton became an original member of the Aztec Club of 1847.

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