Hamilton, Schuyler, 1822-1903

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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

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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.

After the Mexican War, he went to California and became the administrator of the New Almaden quicksilver mine in Santa Clara County. After three years, he returned to the East coast and became a farmer in Branford, Connecticut.

Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, he left his crops and volunteered as a private in the Seventh Regiment, New York National Guard. He worked on the staff of Gen. Benjamin Butler and was rapidly promoted, becoming a lieutenant colonel on the staff of General Scott as military secretary, and befriending Gen. William T. Sherman.

He was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in November 1861 and served as a staff officer in the Department of the Missouri. At the Battle of Island Number Ten, Hamilton led the 2nd Division in the Army of the Mississippi. He was transferred to command the 3rd Division throughout much of the Siege of Corinth. Toward the close of that campaign Hamilton was elevated to command the Right Wing of the Army of the Mississippi, consisting of the 3rd and 4th Divisions. In September 1862, he was selected for promotion to major general but this promotion was never confirmed.

In 1863 he was compelled to resign, due to a prolonged illness. President Lincoln, with whom he had maintained a correspondence during the war, regretfully accepted the resignation. After the war, he joined the New York Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

He returned to his farm in Connecticut for three years and then moved back to New York City. From 1871 until 1873, he was hydrographic engineer, in the Department of Docks, New York City. From 1873 until 1875, he was superintendent of yards, and subsequently, owing to ill health, lived in retirement. In 1874, his son, Robert Ray Hamilton, on a trip west, had a jacket commissioned by the Cree Metis people, a Native American tribe, for Hamilton. On June 4, 1877, he delivered an address in front of the New York Historical Society, that was later published into a book, Our National Flag, the Stars and Stripes, Its History in a Century. In 1889, he wrote to The New York Times, calling for a return to civility and grace in allowing foreigners to compliment the United States and its leaders who have departed.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Century Company records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Hamilton, Schuyler. Correspondence with Marian Anderson, 1963. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn U.S. History mss., 1612-1977 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf Hamilton, Schuyler, 1822-1903. Letter, 1868 December 30, New York, N.Y., to Col. Edward H. Wright, Newark, N.J. United States Military Academy, USMA Library
referencedIn Hillyer, William Silliman, 1831-1874. Papers of William Silliman Hillyer, 1822 (1861-1874) 1931, [manuscript]. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Approved Pension File for Brigadier General Schuyler Hamilton, U.S. Army (SC-36161) National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Papers, 1845-1900 (inclusive), 1853-1886 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Record Group 94: Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1762-1984 Series: Carded Records Related to Civil War Staff Officers, 1890-1912 File Unit: Hamilton, Schuyler—Brigadier General National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Photographic Portrait File The Huntington Library
referencedIn Hamilton family. Hamilton family papers, 1768-1930. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Letters, 1879-1880. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Record Group 94: Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1762-1984 Series: Letters Received, 1871-1894 File Unit: Consolidated Military Officer’s File of General Hamilton Schuyler National Archives at Washington, D.C
creatorOf Buckingham, William A. (William Alfred), 1804-1875. Envelope addressed to Major General Schuyler Hamilton [manuscript], ca. 1869-1874. University of Virginia. Library
Buckingham, William A. (William Alfred), 1804-1875. Envelope addressed to Major General Schuyler Hamilton [manuscript], ca. 1869-1874. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Evarts family papers, 1753-1960 (bulk 1798-1901) Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
creatorOf Burke, Martha Jefferson Trist, 1826-1915,. Papers of the Trist, Randolph, and Burke families [manuscript], 1721-1969 (bulk 1800-1861). University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Ray Family Papers, 1794-1889 New-York Historical Society
referencedIn Bounty Land Application File of Brevet Captain Schuyler Hamilton, 1st U.S. Infantry (50-160-784) National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874. Correspondence, 1829-1874 Houghton Library
referencedIn Philip Case Lockwood memorial collection of Civil War portraits and autographs, 1862-ca. 1886. Houghton Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part III: The Civil War: The Union, 1804-1915. Houghton Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Buckingham, William A. (William Alfred), 1804-1875. person
correspondedWith Century Company corporateBody
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
correspondedWith Dellenbaugh, Frederick Samuel, 1853-1935 person
associatedWith Evarts family family
associatedWith Evarts family. family
correspondedWith Force, M. F. (Manning Ferguson), 1824-1899 person
associatedWith Hamilton family. family
associatedWith Hamilton, Philip, 1802- . person
associatedWith Hillyer, William Silliman, 1831-1874. person
correspondedWith Lockwood, Philip Case, 1844-1897 person
memberOf New York (N.Y.). Department of Docks (1870-1897) corporateBody
memberOf New York (N.Y.). Department of Docks (1870-1897) corporateBody
memberOf Quicksilver Mining Company (New Almaden, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874 person
memberOf United States. Army. Department of the Missouri corporateBody
memberOf United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 1st (1815-1958) corporateBody
memberOf United States. Army of the Mississippi corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf United States Military Academy corporateBody
associatedWith Wright, Edward H. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Mexico 00 MX
Mississippi MS US
Missouri MO US
Santa Clara CA US
Manhattan NY US
Tennessee TN US
West Point NY US
New York City NY US
Subject
Civil War, 1861-1865
Corinth, Battle of, 1862
Mexican War, 1846-1848
Vera Cruz, Battle of, 1847
Occupation
Aides-de-camp
Authors
Engineers
Farmers
Soldiers
Activity

Person

Birth 1822-07-22

Death 1903-03-18

Male

Americans

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 84288807