Editing Alexander Hamilton (section)

===Early military career===
{{further|Hearts of Oak (New York militia)|New York and New Jersey campaign}}
[[File:Alexander Hamilton 1757 1804 hi.jpg |thumb|upright=1|''Alexander Hamilton in the Uniform of the New York Artillery'', a portrait by [[Alonzo Chappel]]]]

In 1775, following the outbreak of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] with the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]], Hamilton and other King's College students joined a New York volunteer [[Militia (United States)|militia]] company, [[Hearts of Oak (New York militia)|the Corsicans]], whose name reflected the [[Corsican Republic]] that was suppressed six years earlier and which young American patriots regarded as a political model to be emulated.<ref>Chernow, Ron. ''Alexander Hamilton''. Penguin Press, (2004) ({{ISBN|1-59420-009-2}}).</ref>

Hamilton drilled with the company before classes in the graveyard of nearby [[St. Paul's Chapel]], studied military history and tactics on his own, and was soon elected an officer.<ref name=Newton127>Newton (2015), pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9GvpCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA127 127–128].</ref> Under fire from [[HMS Asia (1764)|HMS ''Asia'']], and coordinating with [[Hercules Mulligan]] and the [[Sons of Liberty]], he led his newly renamed unit the "Hearts of Oak" on a successful raid for British cannons in [[The Battery (Manhattan)|the Battery]]. The seizure of the cannons resulted in the unit being re-designated an artillery company.<ref name=McDonald>{{cite book |last=McDonald |first=Forrest |title=Alexander Hamilton: A Biography |publisher=W. W. Norton |isbn=978-0-393-30048-2 |year=1982 |url=https://archive.org/details/alexanderhamilto00forr}}</ref>{{rp|13}}

Through his connections with influential [[Province of New York|New York]] patriots, including [[Alexander McDougall]] and [[John Jay]], Hamilton was commissioned by the revolutionary government to raise the [[New York Provincial Company of Artillery]] of 60 men in 1776, and was then appointed [[Captain (Continental Army)|captain]].<ref name=chernow72>Chernow, [https://archive.org/details/alexanderhamilto00cher/page/n87 p. 72].</ref> The company took part in the [[New York Campaign|campaign of 1776]] in and around New York City; as [[rearguard]] of the Continental Army's retreat up Manhattan, serving at the [[Battle of Harlem Heights]] shortly after, and at the [[Battle of White Plains]] a month later. At the [[Battle of Trenton]], the company was stationed at the high point of [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] at the intersection of present-day Warren and Broad streets to keep the [[Hessian (soldiers)|Hessians]] pinned in their Trenton barracks.<ref name=stryker158>{{cite book |last=Stryker |first=William S. |title=The Battles of Trenton and Princeton |publisher=Houghton, Mifflin & Co. |location=Boston |year=1898 |pages=158–159 |type=page image |url=https://archive.org/stream/battlesoftrenton00stry#page/158/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="ketchum361-64" />

Hamilton participated in the [[Battle of Princeton]] on January 3, 1777. After an initial setback, Washington rallied the Continental Army troops and led them in a successful charge against the British forces. After making a brief stand, the British fell back, some leaving [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]], and others taking up refuge in [[Nassau Hall]]. Hamilton transported three cannons to the hall, and had them fire upon the building as others rushed the front door and broke it down. The British subsequently put a white flag outside one of the windows;<ref name="ketchum361-64">{{cite book |last=Ketchum |first=Richard |title=The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton |publisher=Holt Paperbacks |edition=1st Owl Books |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-8050-6098-0 |page=310}}</ref> 194 British soldiers walked out of the building and laid down their arms, ending the battle in an American victory.<ref name=stryker290>{{cite book |last=Stryker |first=William S. |title=The Battles of Trenton and Princeton |publisher=Houghton, Mifflin & Co. |location=Boston |year=1898 |page=290 |type=page image |url=https://archive.org/stream/battlesoftrenton00stry#page/290/mode/2up}}</ref>