The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-14


The Late Mrs. HAMILTON.
~ the death Of Mrs. Alexander Hamilton is severe
one q the most cherished and interesting the conne
tons Of this age with that OF Washington or the adi
who were personally intimate with the chief, sever
survived their husbands nearly quite half centur
Within half dozen years have died Mrs, Rush. wido
Of the celebrated Or. Benjamin Rush, signer Of ID
Declaration of Independence; the widow Of PresideI
Madison and the widow Of Vice President Gerry. TE
death OF Mrs. Hamilton leaves but two of tho nusriou
coteric of beautiful and accomplished women who wei
conspicuous in the drawing rooms of Mrs. Washington
Mrs Bradford, widow Of the Attorney General
the United States, and Mrs Carroll widow of Charlie
Carroll the younger of Carrollton.
Mrs Hamilton the second daughter of General Phili
schuyler OF the old French and the Revolution wa
born 1857 at her fathers place called The Flats
miles north Of Albany The year Scottish ONCE
named Duncan Mcyickar arrived in this country wit
hi regiment, and his daughter afterwards Mrs. GRAM
Of Iaggan, then two years old, became the intimat
chdguard Of General Schuyler's little girls, who, o
attaining to womanhood were respectively married
Mr. Van Rensselaer, grandfather Of the present PATRON
Colonel Hamilton, and Mr.. Church. Mrs. Grants Me
mors Of an American Lady, has for its heroine Mrsl
Hamiltons mother The work is classic In his
toricai literature It is the most charming picture oil
primitive manners, of social life in America before tn
Revolution, that ever written.
Elizabeth Schuyler, then twenty three years of age
was married to Colonel Hamilton, aidcdecamp and
private secretary Of Washington on the 1ith OF Decem
Der, 1850, at Albany. She very petite, but hand
some, and was distinguished for lively and agreeable
manners portrait Of her, in her twenty seventh year
was painted BY Mr. Earl, who discharged q debt I'd
General Schuyler by painting kcnesses of all his family
II has been admirably engraved for the splendid WORK
about TO be issued by the Appleton's under the title o
The Republican Court American Society in the days.
Of Washington represents her in the quaint costumd
Of that period, With hair Enthusiastically frizzed and
powdered and gown of pearl colored and figured silk
cut in the most prim fashion the sleeves fitting tightly
as hose.
In 1851 the famous Brssot de warvile the friend OF
Madame Roland and founder Of the anti Robespierrea
PARTY called Brissotnes in New York, and dined
one day at Colonel Hamiltons, whose residence at
that time the south-e east Of Broad and Wall
streets. He describes Mrs.. Hamilton " . charming
woman who joins to the graces all the candor and SIM
plicty Of an American wife,"
Since the death Of her ustrious husband, Mrs. Ham.
ton has lived in retirement engrossed for years with
the education Of her children then for long period
tive in schemes Of transformations benevolence and In
her extreme old age cheered by the respectful considers
ton Of the most dignfed characters Of the country,
awaiting calmly the end Of her long separation from the
partners Of her earlier and happier life.
Mrs. Hamilton has always dressed very plainly, and
there little in her likely to arrest the at
tention of strangers devout member of the Episcopal
Church. she always attended its public worship until the
feebeness Of her advanced years prevented On
cason being on visit to this city, she entered St..
Tomass, in the upper part Of Broadway, and took q
place in pew which had probably been formerly owned
by friend Just before the Sermon dashng Fifth
parsonage in and perceving old lady in
his spacious and never halffled seats stepped with
indignant look into the aisle and beckoned to her to
out. She with dignity and obeyed, and tha
parvenu asonished and humbled perceving that
the of all the hereditary responsibility in
the church stood suddenly the opened doors Of their
pews soliciting by every gesture expressive Of Affection
ate reverence the venerable lady in her customary suit
Of solemn black to enter The rebuke deserved for
his disrcspect to woman, s for his disrespect
age and the offender must have felt particularly cheap
when learned that he had acted in this toward
th~ --;l-w ALEXANDER Hamilton.
We mentioned in the beginning Of this article two Of
Mrs. Hamiltons contemporaries who are stn livng-Mrs.
Charles Carroll and Mrs William Bradford Mrs. Carroll
is daughter Of the celebrated Judge Chew whose baro-
ial residence at Germantown is still standing 1.-THE
widow of Mr. Bradford, writes the Hon. Richard RUSH
in recent letter. 'ss lives in an ancient town on the
banks of the Delaware beautiful rect of the days hero
recalled her house the abode of hospitality as abundant
as It Is cordial and elegant and fourscore years and
more not having impaired the courtesy, the grace the
habitual suavity and Kindness that disciplined
carriage Of the person. all made part of her nature BY
her early intercourse and the school in which she
reared for Porta speaking OF herself Catos daugh
ter and the wife Of Brutus, could excIam Think you
am no stronger than my SEX being fathered and so
husbanded it may be permitted to say Of this VEN
cradle relic Of the Washington circle and being
Tthered and husbanded we have also seem she could
not be other than she ISL