The Siege of Boston
The Battles of Lexington and Concord sealed the desire of most of the colonies to fully separate from its mother country. As a result, additional rebel militia gathered in New England, 16,000 all of them, and marched towards Boston City in what came to be known as the Siege of Boston. On March 17, 1775, the British and Loyalists evacuated the city and the rebels won.
Artillery Expert
Back in New York, the Battles in Lexington and Concord demonstrated that there was no peaceful resolution to the conflict between the British and the Patriots. Alexander, with his dear friend Troup and other men from King’s college, began to prepare for an impending war. They learned how to shoot and fight through the help of their veteran professors.
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At one point, he used his own resources to pay for their uniforms. Because of these efforts, Alexander’s men were always well supplied, paid, and fed. In return, they all did their best with their mission and their guns were always maintained properly.
At the same time, as a gunnery captain, he was a strict disciplinarian with his men, which proved to be worthy. The unit’s professionalism was noticed and many senior officers, including Henry Knox, were impressed with Alexander’s leadership. Henry Knox was then a Continental Army artillery commander who later became the first Secretary of War under George Washington’s presidency.
Alexander the Aide-de-Camp
Alexander and his men participated in many battles. In Long Island, he fought with the army of the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, General George Washington. From there, he also fought in the Battles of White Plains (October 28, 1776), Trenton (December 26, 1776), and Princeton (January 3, 1777). He also participated in the infamous crossing of the Delaware River before the Battle of Trenton. Painting made by Alonzo Chappel (1828–1887) entitled “Alexander Hamilton in the Uniform of the New York Artillery.” (c) Wikimedia