Alexander Hamilton’s arrival in
New York City in October 1772
After arriving in Boston in October 1772, Alexander Hamilton had to make his way to New York City. Hamilton probably travelled to New York City on the stagecoach operated by Nicholas Brown, which advertised itself as the “first Stage Coach which has ever been improved on this road” and promised to “always put up at Houses on the road where the best Entertainment is provided.” One coach left Boston every other Monday and, “after staying a week” in Hartford, arrived in New York on Saturday twelve days after it set out. The stagecoach charged “4d New York or 3d lawful Money per Mile,” a total of about £3 15s New York money or £2 16s lawful money for the entire journey, plus the cost for “Baggage at a reasonable Rate.” If Hamilton arrived in Boston with Hammet on October 18 or if he sailed with Waters and arrived on that same day or earlier, Hamilton could have taken the October 19 stagecoach and would have arrived in New York on October 31.
(Some of this information had previously been reported, but those accounts were full of errors and most of the facts above are indeed new discoveries by the author.)
Supporting evidence and citations will be found in Alexander Hamilton: The Formative Years.