HAMILTON
HAMILTON
Mary (Simpson) Edsall, and descended from Sam-
uel Edsall, who emigrated from England to
America in 1650 and settled in New Amsterdam.
Robert was educated in tlie public schools of New
Jersey and was admitted to the bar in 1836. In
the same year he was married to his cousin, Sarah
A., daughter of Joseph E. Edsall of Hamburg, a
representative in the 29th and 30th congresses,
1845-49. Mr. Hamilton became a prominent law
yer and was identified with politics, being a
member of the New Jersey general assembly, a
delegate to the Democratic national conventions
at Charleston and Baltimore in 1861, and holding
other positions, civil and political. He was a
representative in the 43d and 44th congi-esses,
1873-77. He died at Newton, N.J., March 14, 1878.
HAMILTON, Schuyler, soldier, was born in
New York city, Juh' 25, 1832; son of John Church
and Maria Eliza (Van den Heuvel) Hamilton;
grandson of Gen. Alexander and Elizabeth
(Schuyler) Hamilton; and great-grandson of
Gen. Philip Schuj'ler. He was graduated at the
U.S. military acad-
emy in 1841 ; entered
the service as 2d lieu-
tenant in the 1st in-
fantry; was on the
plains, and at West
Point as assistant in-
structor of tactics ;
ser\eil in the Mex-
ican war, where he
was bre vetted 1st
lieutenant for gal-
lantry at Monterey,
Sept. 21-23, 1846. and
where from the effects
of a ball in his ab-
domen, he was left
on the field for dead, but revived and fought the
battle; and was brevetted captain for gallantry
atMilFlores, Aug. 13, 1847, where he was severely
wounded by being run through with a lance,
which passed entirely througli his body and left
lung, in a hand to hand combat with a Mexican
lancer. He was promoted first lieutenant in
March, 1848; was acting aide to Gen. Winfield
Scott, 1847-54, and resigned from the army May
31, 1855, at San Francisco, Cal. "When the civil
war broke out he marched as a private in the 7th
regiment, N.Y.S.M., went with that organization
to the defence of Washington and offered to
pledge himself for canteens and haversacks fur-
nished the regiment, and paid for their transpor-
tation. He afterward served on the staff of Gen.
B. F. Butler; was appointed military secretary
with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, U.S.A., on
the staff of Gen. Winfield Scott, serving from
May 9, 1861, imtil be retired Nov. 1, 1861 ; and in
that capacity he was instrumental in preventing
tiie murder of certain Confederate prisoners of
war captured on the battle-field of Bull Run, July
21, 1861. He was thanked for this service by the
President in the presence of General Scott and
members of the cabinet, but no publicity could
prudently be given to the service at the time.
He was appointed additional aide-decamp to
General Scott with the rank of colonel and served
from Aug. 7 to Nov. 12. 1861, when the aides-de-
camp were disbanded. He was then made assistant
chief of staff to Gen. H. W. Halleck with rank of
colonel, accompanied that officer from New York
to St. Louis, and was promoted brigadier-general
of volunteers, Nov. 12, 1861. He was with Grant's
army operating in western Kentucky and Ten-
nessee and suggested to General Pope the canal to
cut off the enemy's position at Island No. 10, and
in the assault on that island and New Madrid he
commanded a division. He was promoted major-
general of volunteers, Sept. 17, 1862, for "meri-
torious services "' at New Madrid and Island No.
10, and had accepted his jsromotion in good faith,
thus vacating his commission of brigadier-gen-
eral of volunteers, which had been confirmed by
the senate, when he was seized with swamp fever
and incapacitated from active service. He soon
after received a letter from General Halleck
demanding his resignation, under the rule that
no officer unable to take the field should be named
to the senate for confirmation, and after consult-
THE ANCESTRAL HOME OF CEAIERAL 5CHUYLER HAMILTOr<.
ing with General Scott he resigned in February, 1863. He is credited with making pcssible the capture of Island No. 10. called by the Confeder- ates the " Thermopylfe of America," and thus opening the Mississippi; with suggesting the name of W. T. Sherman to General Scott for a place on the list of the regular army in 1861 ; and with prevailing on General Halleck to appoint General Grant to the command of the army to operate against Forts Donelson and Henry. He was an executor of the last will and testament of Gen. Winfield Scott. In June, 1871, he memo- rialized the secretaiy of war with a view to being
