#hamletters

[amberesnermakes]

[svollga]

Long-Hidden Text Is Uncovered in Alexander Hamilton Letter

By Julie Miller

Do you remember the 14 lines in a letter from Hamilton to his fiancee that someone crossed out? Well, now we have them!

Do you know my sensations when I see the sweet characters from your hand? Yes you do, by comparing [them] with your [own] for my Betsey [loves] me and is [acquainted] with all the joys of fondness. [Would] you [exchange] them my dear for any other worthy blessings? Is there any thing you would put in competition[,] with one glowing [kiss] of [unreadable], anticipate the delights we [unreadable] in the unrestrained intercourses of wedded love, and bet your heart joins mine in [fervent] [wishes] to heaven that [all obstacles] and [interruptions] May [be] speedily [removed].

[saint-olga]

Newlyweds Hamiltons to Peggy

Both Elizabeth and Alexander wrote to Peggy soon after their marriage, in the same letter - Elizabeth first, and then Alexander wrote a postscriptum that is longer than the letter itself:

January 21st, 1781

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton:

As to me I am the happiest of Women.  My dear Hamilton is fonder of me every day.  Get married I charge you and give this advice to your friend.  There is no possible felicity but in that state imagined me my Sister.  I was much in want of it.

Alexander Hamilton:

Because your sister has the talent of growing more amiable every day, or because I am a fanatic in love, or both—or if you prefer another interpretation, because I have address enough to be a good dissembler, she fancies herself the happiest woman in the world, and would need persuade all her friends to embark with her in the matrimonial voyage. But I pray you do not let her advice have so much influence as to make you matrimony-mad. ’Tis a very good thing when their stars unite two people who are fit for each other, who have souls capable of relishing the sweets of friendship, and sensibilities. The conclusion of the sentence would carry me too far; I trust the rest to your fancy. But its a dog of life when two dissonant tempers meet, and ’tis ten to one but this is the case. When therefore I join her in advising you to marry, I add be cautious in the choice. Get a man of sense, not ugly enough to be pointed at—with some good-nature—a few grains of feeling—a little taste—a little imagination—and above all a good deal of decision to keep you in order; for that I foresee will be no easy task. If you can find one with all these qualities, willing to marry you, marry him as soon as you please. I must tell you in confidence that I think I have been very fortunate.

Lines are crossed out according the the commentary at The Founders - they were in the letter but then were crossed out by Hamilton or someone else, probably for naughtyness.

Eliza’s letter shows her feelings - even more precious because we have relatively few examples of them, with her letters to Hamilton gone. In addition to all the feels, personally, I hope she’s also referring to her sex life. Hamilton seems to do so, especially in the crossed-out bits.

Hamilton’s letter is expressive as usual, but it is written in a simpler style that his other letters to Peggy, which shows that they are getting closer. Hamilton tends to get clever and witty with people he tries to impress (see: letters to Kitty Livingston, the first letter to Peggy), but with those he considers close and dear, he is much more direct and doesn’t try to disguise his feelings in witticisms. It is clear in his letters to Eliza and to Laurens. (He uses more quips in his letters to Angelica, but so does she, it’s their thing; although when I’m in a mood I see it as a proof that they weren’t as close and straight male historians make them to be.) Hamilton and Peggy seemed to be pretty close; and Hamilton was with her for weeks when she was dying.

This is also yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of “getting Peggy married”; if you remember, Hamilton promised to write a play for her to learn how to ensnare a husband. It seems that the family was worried because apparently she was a bit of a flirt and a bit of a bitch. She gave them all a finger by eloping with a guy 6 years younger. But in this letter, newly domesticated Hamilton (who will write to other people at the same time how he now wants nothing more but to enjoy the pleasures of married life) seems to share his new understanding of the requirements of happy marriage, and changes his tune. 

In short I love this, this family is adorable, I’m gonna cry now.

[amberesnermakes]

Too long of a wait letter ✨ . . . . #mail #mailart #hamletters #makingmail #sendmoremail #sendmoreletters #gellyroll #whitegellyrollpen #sakura #unitedstatespostalservice #usps #creativehappylife #dspattern #makersmovement #dslettering #nationalgeographic

[svollga]

I don’t know how I missed this the first time I have read the letters between Henry and John Laurens, but this is what Henry Laurens writes in April 1779: 

...last evening the packet which will accompany this came to me under cover from Col. Hamilton, he says it contains two Letters from your Mrs. Laurens which puts me in mind to forward that which I told you had been illicitly open. (April 18th 1779)

So Hamilton has forwarded the letters from Martha Manning Laurens, probably received in the Headquarters, via Henry Laurens. (The same packet contains some letters from other people as well.) I’m not sure if “that which I told you had been illicitly open“ is about Martha’s letters or something else.

The “cold in my professions” letter was also written in April 1779, and the paragraph referencing Martha’s letters goes like this:

I anticipate by sympathy the pleasure you must feel from the sweet converse of your dearer self in the inclosed letters. I hope they may be recent. They were brought out of New York by General Thompson delivered to him there by a Mrs. Moore not long from England, soi-disante parente de Madame votre épouse. She speaks of a daughter of yours, well when she left England, perhaps ⟨– – –⟩. (April 1779)

Hamilton inclosed the letters from Martha in his letter; and Henry Laurens talks about Martha’s letters “under cover from Col. Hamilton”. It would make sense that they are talking about the same set of letters, meaning that the “cold in my professions” letter was sent via Henry Laurens. 

(Apparently it was a thing - I posted about the second time Hamilton sent letters to John via Henry Laurens here.)

[svollga]

Three times Hamilton asked Laurens to do something for his, Hamilton’s, sake:

I shall not scruple to pardon the fraud you have committed, on condition that for my sake, if not for your own, you will always continue to merit the partiality, which you have so artfully instilled into me. (April 1779)

Take as much care of yourself as you ought for the public sake and for the sake of Yr. affectionate A. Hamilton (30 March 1780)

For your own sake, for my sake, for the public sake, I shall pray for the success of the attempt you mention; that you may have it in your power to act with us. (16 September 1780)

[svollga]

September 6, 1780 (Letter at Founders / Letter at Library of Congress)

This letter from Hamilton to Betsy Schuyler, his bride-to-be at the time, starts like this:

I wrote you My Dear Betsey a long letter or rather two long letters by your father. I have not since received any of yours. I hope I shall not be much longer without thus enjoying this only privilege of our separation. 

Quoting Founders, “The remainder of this paragraph, consisting of fourteen lines, has been crossed out in such a way that it is impossible to decipher the writing. These lines were presumably crossed out by J. C. Hamilton.”

I suspect sexting.   

[svollga]

It’s strange to me that people call the “Cold in my professions” letter ‘cruel’ or something like that. It is, after all, the same letter that starts with a beautiful and very direct confession that Hamilton is feeling his love for Laurens grew stronger when they are away:

’till you bade us Adieu, I hardly knew the value you had taught my heart to set upon you

and continues with pages of Hamilton expressing his support for Laurens and his decisions about his appoitment to an official rank while gently chiding him for too much gallant modesty:

In hesitating, you have refined upon the refinements of generosity.

And then there is an update on military situation and bitching about Gates, and only after that come the paragraph about “hey, here are the letters from a wife you suddenly have about a daughter you suddenly have”, followed by the “find me one, then” and “you know what to tell her about me ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)”, and concluded my “kidding, man, I still love you and miss you”:

I have gratified my feelings, by lengthening out the only kind of intercourse now in my power with my friend.

Hamilton may be angry, his feathers ruffled a bit by the situation, and he choosed teasing and innuendo as his retaliation, as well as a - yes, probably painful - reminder that he will also be eventually attached to a woman. (By the way, I can easily imagine that it wasn’t the first time Laurens heard Hamilton discussing a possibility of marriage; he could do so among the fellow aides, and the idea of marriage to a woman with a nice dowry would be quite natural to a man of low means like Hamilton, so it wouldn’t be a complete surprise.) But he is also emotional and affectionate and supporting in this letter, when read in its entirety. It’s full of love, first and foremost.