James A Hamilton and NYC's Great Fire of 1835

James was staying at the City Hotel when he was roused during the night of December 16th, told of a raging fire, and encouraged to attempt to save the marble statue of his father in the Merchants’ Exchange. James hurriedly left with this goal in mind. The statue had recently been sculpted by Robert Ball Hughes and portrayed Alexander Hamilton in a toga as was a popular way to honor America’s Founding Fathers at that time.

From James's Reminiscences: 'I was awakened between eleven and twelve at night, and told a great fire was raging in the lower part of the city; that the Merchants' Exchange was in danger, where was the statue of my father by Ball Hughes; and that I might, but going there, be useful in saving that work. I was at the same time told that nothing could be done to arrest the fire for want of water; the engines, their leaders and the hydrants being all frozen. I immediately said, powder must be used, and went to the fire.'

With help from men from the Navy Yard, James approached the Merchants’ Exchange but was forced to watch as the domed ceiling crashed down, crushing the marble effigy of his father and almost killing some of the Navy Yard men. Realizing much more was at stake, James looked to see where else he might help. With excessively cold temperatures freezing water in hydrants and fire blazing through the city, James insisted that powder be used to create a firebreak.

He goes into an uncharacteristic amount of detail regarding this adventure in his Reminiscences, but my favorite part was when he recorded that he had set a barrel of powder, lit a fuse, and was walking away when people yelled at him to run. He wrote, “This was a little affectation of fearlessness on my part; well knowing that it could not burn down to the train of powder before I could get well away.”

James goes on to describe setting fire to powder to demolish buildings and create a firebreak & stopping one man from killing them both as he held a candle in a room where the air swirled with gunpowder dust. In the early morning hours, James was able to return to his family.

'My work was done. My cloak was stiff with frozen water. I was so worn down by the excitement that when I got to my parlor I fainted.'

Read more about James A Hamilton in my biography published by Pen & Sword History!