Our second full day in New York was a blast. We got up around 7:30 and grabbed some breakfast from the ubiquitous street vendor, and then Patty and I walked the few blocks to Trinity Church where we met Eliza, Marianne, and Nancy. Although the formal ceremony at Hamilton's grave is not till tomorrow, we walked into Trinity Church graveyard to pay our respects to our favorite founder. Three years ago, when I first saw Hamilton's grave, I had just begun writing PRESIDENT HAMILTON. Today I was able to stand there with a copy of the finished, published book and tell Alexander that my fondest wish was that I had done justice to his memory. (No, he didn't answer, but I will say that I felt a certain closeness to him just standing there!) My friend Eliza Matic is a strong admirer of Hamilton's, and standing by his grave was a powerful, emotional moment for her; it was an honor to be there and share it with her.
Then we boarded the train and the REAL adventure began. Our destination was St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Museum in Westchester, but the problem is that the NYC Transit Authority does all their maintenance work on the subways over the weekend, and the line that should have taken us within a few blocks of our destination was closed for repairs. So we caught a train headed uptown and got as far up as 165th Street, where a shuttle bus was supposed to connect us to another train that would help us complete the journey - but it was also down for repairs. So we caught a THIRD train that got us about 20 minutes from our destination, and then had to catch a 20 minute Uber ride the rest of the way. We got there moments before the lecture was supposed to begin, and squeezed into the museum there at the church. St. Paul's uptown has a remarkable history - the building was used as a field hospital by the British during the war, and after the war when its construction was complete it doubled as a church and a court house - it is confirmed that Aaron Burr argued several cases there, and Hamilton may have as well, although there's no written evidence to confirm that at the moment - but certainly he practiced law in the area and would have ridden through the community many times. The lecture was a bit dry ion delivery but interesting incontent - it dealt with the stereotypes that Americans felt about themselves, their French allies, and their Hessian adversaries during the war.
After leaving St. Paul's, we took another Uber to the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest residence still standing in uptown New York. During the Revolution, it was used as a military headquarters by George Washington of the Continentals, and then after the Americans lost control of the city it was commandeered by General Clinton of the British Army and also was used briefly by Major General Knyphausen, commander of the Hessian forces fighting for the British. After the war, in 1790, George Washington dined at this house with his entire cabinet and Vice President Adams. Later on, the mansion was owned by a wealthy widow named Eliza Jumel, who in 1832 married the aging but still seemingly irresistible Aaron Burr (the marriage only lasted a few months, and then she was in the midst of divorcing him when he died). Standing there in the rooms where Washington met with Jefferson, Hamilton, Knox, and Joh Randolph was a genuine goosebump moment! The tour guide was wonderful, and everyone loved the experience.
After the tour, we walked to a nearby restaurant and had a wonderful supper together with lots of stories, philosophy, and fellowship. After that Sergio left us to head home, and we intrepid five caught the A-train back down to lower Manhattan. There Patty and I parted company with Marianne, Eliza, and Nancy, and then we made the error of deciding to see the 9/11 Memorial before heading back to the hotel. The reflecting pools were closed, so we couldn't get very close, and walking back to our hotel we got a bit turned around (although we did see the famous Wall Street Bull on the way!). We were both tired when we started and pretty well shagged out by the time we navigated our way back to the familiar area around Battery Park and thence back to our hotel room. All in all, it was an enjoyable day - although, like every day in NYC, it left us with sore feet and aching calves!
Tomorrow we get to visit the Hamilton Grange, the only home Alexander ever owned. I can't wait!
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