ALEXANDER HAMILTON,
Whose home has been in Petersburg since he was six years of age, was
born at Williamsboro, Granville county, North Carolina, on March 18,
1851. He is the son of Robert A. Hamilton, who was born in Granville
county, North Carolina, and is living now in Petersburg, and whose
father was Patrick Hamilton, born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Patrick
Hamilton married after coming to America, a Miss Baskervill, of
Mecklenburg county, Virginia, settled in Granville county, North Carolina,
and died there at the age of sixty-five years. The mother of
Alexander, who died in 1864, at age of thirty-six years, was Sarah
Caroline, daughter of Nathaniel Alexander, of Mecklenburg county,
Virginia, who married a Miss Alexander, his cousin. Robert P. Hamilton,
brother of Alexander, was a lieutenant in the Confederate States
Army, at age of seventeen years, and was captured at Farmville, on
the retreat to Appomattox C. H.
The first wife of Alexander Hamilton was Mary Stewart Donnan, who
died leaving issue one son, Alexander Donnan Hamilton. Secondly,
Mr. Hamilton married Kate McGehee Venable, who died leaving him
one daughter, Bettie Venable Hamilton. At Petersburg he married
Helen Leslie McGill, of that city, and they have two daughters Helen
McGill and Sarah Alexander Hamilton.
Robert A. Hamilton, sr., came to Petersburg in 1857, and Alexander
attended schools there until October, 1864. He then attended the
"Belmont School" of Ralph Graves in Granville, North Carolina, for
three years, then the school of W. Gordon McCabe in Petersburg one
year. In September, 1868, he went to the Virginia Military Institute,
and was graduated there in July, 1871. He was then appointed assistant
professor of that Institute, of Latin and Tactics, and so served
until July, 1873. He also, during the years 1872-3, took the law
course at Washington and Lee University, under Hon. J. Randolph
Tucker and Judge John W. Brockenborough, and was graduated with
the degree of Bachelor of Law in July, 1873. He then practiced law
eight months in Richmond, Virginia, since then has been in practice in
Petersburg, in which he still continues.
