The war

By Bookclub

  • H receives his military assignment

    Captain - Company of Artilliary
    21 years old
    H makes profound impression on senior military figures
    swelling circle of admirers
    Nathaniel Green touted H's merits to GW

  • H's company posted at the Battery

    exploding cannon kills 6 (soldiers were drunk and neglected processes
    British frigates pepper NYC

  • H fights alongside GW in New Jersey

  • Battle of Princeton

  • GW invites H to be one of his aides

    H received full-on education on military matters from GW
    H evolved from private sec to chief of staff
    In fewer than 5 years H risen from despondent clerk in St Croix to one of the aides to America's most eminent man

  • Lt. Col H officially announced = H 22 years old

    H quickly functions as GW's proxy
    H had to think as well as write for GW

  • H meets John Laurens

    late spring 1777
    Laurens an officer in GW army
    H and Laurens had a strong ideological bond
    became inseparable

  • H assigned to Lafayette as liaison officer (H spoke French)

    Lafayette an honorary major general in the Continental army
    19 years old
    served without pay
    H assigned to Lafayette as liason
    a trio formed with H, Lafayette and Laurens

  • H escapes on flat bottom boat and thought dead to requisition supplies from Philly residents

    after loss at Brandywine (Philly) British would march on the capital (Philly)
    H dashes off letter to evacuate the Continental Congress from Philly
    GW give H 100 men to gather supplies for the army from residents

  • After Saratoga win, H delivers GW message to Gates to transfer troops to GW

    H goes to Albany where Gates just won Saratoga
    GW wants 3 brigades
    Gates sends GW 1 and it's the weakest one
    Gates "irked" he has to deal with H (the aide)

  • H meets Eliza at Schuyler mansion while in Albany

    1st meeting, but it's 2 years later in Morristown that they connect

  • H sick

    But continues to direct movement of troops

  • H near death

  • H out of danger

  • H rejoins GW in Morristown and collapses

  • H rejoins colleagues in Valley Forge (23 years old)

  • Period: to

    Valley Forge

    during the winter H constantly educated himself
    kept notes on back of the pay books
    112 pages of his extracurricular reading

  • H to negotiate prisoner exchange

    joined by friend Elias Boudinot

  • H liaison officer between GW and Lafayette

    H spoke French GW did not

  • H w/ GW and sees Lee's retreat, H leads Lees battalion, H horse shot out from under him

    Battle of Monmouth was a "draw"
    H seeing Lee retreating tells him to die fighting
    H awed by GW's courage, coolness, firmness
    H leads battalion of Lee's artillery

  • H gives damaging testimony at Lee's court martial

    July 4 and 13 Lee on trial for disobeying orders
    Lee found guilty

  • H serves as interpreter for GW with French "Baptist" fleet arrives

    H offended by the favoritism shown the French

  • H serves as Laurens second in duel with Lee outside Philly

    Laurens challenges Lee to duel over slurs on GW
    Laurens shoots Lee in the side
    Before second round, Lee esteems GW and duel is over

  • H said the French friendship pillar of our security

    French brought weapons and supplies

  • H infatuated with Charlotte Lott

  • H (25) smitten with Eliza (22) in Morristown

    Eliza arrives with military escort to stay with family (Dr Bones).
    Gen Schuyler's sister's husband in Morristown supporting troops
  • Period: to

    Schuyler's temporarily house in Morristown, NJ

  • H and Eliza agree to wed (engaged)

  • Philip Schuyler accepts marriage proposal

  • H to write 3 scenarios for GW - joint operations with French

    French arrive with more troops
    conference in Sept to coordinate

  • H and McHenry are with Arnold at West Point when he flees

    H having breakfast with B Arnold when he up and flees
    rushes down river to get to British warship "Vulture"
    GW arrives and H gives him thick packet of dispatches
    GW "Arnold has betrayed us"

  • H proposes swap of J Anderson for B Arnold

    swap declined (British knew Arnold would be hung)
    instead Anderson was hung
    H tried to get GW to not call Anderson a spy so he wouldn't be hung
    perhaps it's why H put presidential pardons in the constitution

  • H's first vacation in 5 years - leaves for Albany wedding

  • H marries Eliza in Albany

  • H returns to GW

    GW declines requests for H's service in other areas
    GW needs H for his tasks

  • H (now 26) and GW confrontation on stairs - H quits GW service

    GW tries to patch it up but H turns him down
    GW honors H's desire to leave

  • H performs last interpretation duty for GW

    reviews the French fleet
    leaves for Albany, return to Eliza and Gen Schuyler

  • H and Eliza live across the river from GW

    H goes back and forth to make sure GW knows he is there
  • Period: to

    H pressures GW for a field command

  • Eliza pregnant

  • H gets his command - Eliza goes home

    New York light artillery infantry battalion
    Oldest active unit in the U.S. Regular Army and the only one with credit for the Revolutionary War. It is also one of the few with credit for the War of 1812

  • Indians and Tories break into Schuyler mansion

    Peggy gets baby sister
    Eliza and Angelica there and bothnpregnant

  • H troops leaving NY heading to VA

    H tells Eliza this secret

  • H's destination revealed - Yorktown

  • H and troops arrive Williamsburg

    this is a staging area for Yorktown
    trio (H, Laurens, Lafayette) back together

  • H and men charge successfully - Yorktown

  • H rides fast as can to get back to Albany

    exhausts himself and horse
    2 months to recover in bed

  • H's son "Philip" born