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Wednesday, 11th of July 1804

The dew, that had gathered itself on the grass, wetted the hems of their coats, as they stepped onto the western shore of the Hudson River. It was early in the morning, 6:46 am to be exact, most were still asleep, yet the three men were on the way to the ledge on which the duel would take place.

On the right, Nathaniel Pendleton, the second, a close friend. He held on to the letters, he was to interact with the other second, ensuring both principals don't communicate until the dispute is settled. He had tried to persuade his principal to not fight, to offer apologies, but he wouldn't budge. Now he was carrying the case which contained the pistols, unseen until they're needed. It had been a precaution enabling the rowers to say under oath that they had not seen any pistols.

On the left, Dr. David Hosack, a doctor from New York, the leading American physician and botanist. This morning he was here as the dueling doctor but he won't see the duel happening. He would wait below on the shore until he was needed.

In the middle of the three, Alexander Hamilton, founding father, first and former Secretary of Treasury of the United States, former delegate to the Congress of the Confederation and former military officer. It was he who was to duel, he who would decide over the life or death of not only himself but his opponent, Aaron Burr.

They reached the ledge at 6:55 pm, they stood on the soil where many before them spilled blood to regain honour, to answer to an insult, to attest their beliefs. Four others had already arrived 28 minutes prior to clear the underbrush from the dueling ground.

The first, the other principal, Aaron Burr, former US senator and the current vice president. He was the one who challenged. Beside him stood his second, William Peter Van Ness, a judge of the US District Court of New York, who had supported the vice president in the 1800 presidential campaign.

The two others were Matthew L. Davis and John Swarthout, why they were there was unclear to all but them. They served no official purpose in the duel, though maybe Burr and Van Ness expected the seconds to duel alongside their principals and brought along a  third and fourth just in case.

Both duelists stayed distant, while their seconds and the doctor met in the middle.

"Good morning Mr. Pendleton."

"Mr. Van Ness."

The seconds shook hands.

"Who are these men you brought with you?"

"Their presence ought not to be of your worry. Their simple purpose is the support of Mr. Burr and to bear witness of what it to come."

"They are aware that this is highly illegal and could get them convicted for even knowing about the duel?"

"They are."

"It is our duty to do anything so that this duel doesn't happen. As the challenger, what does Mr. Burr demand?"

"My principal is not demanding. He's asking what Mr. Hamilton is willing to offer?"

For a long time nobody spoke. Nathaniel Pendleton thought about what Alexander had said before they left Manhattan that morning 'I wrote what I wrote and I mean it. I stand by what I said, every bit of it.' Alexander's pride had gotten the better of him more than once but it had never gotten him in this extent of trouble. He sighed.

"Mr. Hamilton stands by what he said. He won't apologise for speaking the truth."

"Is that so? Then the duel shall take place."

Another long silence followed in which one could only hear the birds in their trees and the wind around. Pendleton spoke slowly.

"It shall. This is Dr. Hosack. He's paid and instructed, he'll stay out of sight below the ledge."

The doctor nodded to the seconds, before turning and disappearing over the edge of the plateau.

"It has to be decided who has the choice of the position and which one of us starts the duel. I propose we cast lots on both matters."

Van Ness took out a small bag, opened it and dumped two marbles onto his hand. They were identical in size but one of them was jet black whilst the other had the colour of porcelain. After he showed them to Pendleton, he put them back into the bag.

"We both draw one, without looking and on the count to three we reveal which one we got. The person with the white marble starts the duel. Then we draw again and the principal who's second has the white marble gets to choose their position. Are you fine with that?"

"Sounds alright."

One after the other the two men reached into the sac and took out a marble. Pendleton began to count.

"One, two, three."

They opened their fists, revealing the colour. Van Ness held the black marble and Nathaniel Pendleton the white one.

"Very well. You start the duel. Again."

The procedure was repeated ending with the exact same result; Hamilton would choose his position. Burr's second was visibly displeased at this outcome. Upon hearing that he would draw first position, Hamilton chose a spot from where he could see the city awakening in the pale light of the morning sun. From Hamilton's spot they measured ten paces to determine where Burr was going to stand. Afterwards the seconds and the principals met in the middle of the ledge to prepare the pistols.

"Do you have the weapons of choice?"

"We have. My principal chose guns, as discussed. One shot each."

He pulled out the two duelling pistols and handed one over to Mr. Van Ness. Both seconds inspected one pistol and exchanged it for the other. When they were satisfied with the examination of the weapons, Pendleton took a small cotton bag and a powder flask out of the case.

Under the watch of everyone, the pistols were loaded and each duelist was given their weapon. They had a last opportunity to talk to the seconds before taking their positions. As Alexander stood there waiting to begin the duel he was calm and collected, he didn't seem like someone who was about to shot. Standing on their spots, Burr and Hamilton turned away from eachother and Pendleton asked, "Alexander, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Burr, are you ready?"

Before Burr could answer Hamilton interrupted, "Avast! I want to put my glasses."

Burr's companions snorted and threw around amused glances between them. Burr on the contrary looked like he had been punched in the guts, his self assured smile faded from his face and made room for a glimmer of distress. After Hamilton had put on his glasses, Hamilton's second repeated to question to both the duellists and this time both of them confirmed. They raised the pistols infront of their chest.

At exactly 7:07 am Pendleton took a last long breath and spoke: "Present!”

Hamilton and Burr spun around with raised guns. Only on of them fired his shot.
Burr's bullet had hit Hamilton in the lower abdomen above the right hip. For a few seconds no one moved then Nathaniel Pendleton rushed towards his friend whose face was twisted with pain.

Some called for Dr. Hosack, but the doctor was already on his way up the path from the shore. Meanwhile Hamilton had sunken to the ground and was supposed by the arms of his second. When Hosack finally arrived, he took in the situation with one look and immediately went to tent to Hamilton's wound.

Still with a calm voice Alexander declared, "This is a mortal wound, doctor.", before losing consciousness.

Hosack felt for a pulse but shook his head. "The only chance to retrieve him is by getting him upon the water." at the confused look from Pendleton he added, "I'm hoping that the fresh air will wake him. We need him conscious if there is any way to save him."

They carried him down to the waiting boats where the rowers helped them to convey Hamilton into the boat that then immediately took of. During all this time the doctor could not discover the least symptom of returning life still he began to rub Hamilton's face, lips, and temples with spirits of hartshorn and applied it to his neck, chest, wrists and the palms of his hands. Alas he poured some into his mouth.

When they had gotten about fifty yards from the shore Hamilton tried to breathe for the first time since he passed out. After a few minutes he sighed and took the first real breath, his eyes, hardly opened, wandered, without fixing upon anything.

"My vision is indistinct.", were his first words. Hosack began to examine the wound to check if there was any dangerous discharge of blood, when the doctor lightly pressed Hamilton's side he groaned pain. Soon after he glanced at the case of pistols, and observed the one he had had in his hand that was lying on the outside. With unmasked pain in his voice he said, "Take care of that pistol.

It is undischarged, and still cocked. It may go off and do harm. Pendleton knows", Hamilton tried to turn his head towards his friend, "that I did not intend to fire at him."

"Yes, I have already made Dr. Hosack acquainted with your determination as to that."

"Good."

Hamilton's voice trembled a bit, "Doctor, I can not feel anything below my hip."

"That's not good. How long until we reach shore?"

The rowers looked at eachother. One of them answered, "A couple more minutes, Sir."

"Doctor Hosack, how long do you reckon I have left?"

"Mr. Hamilton I shall be honest, with where the shot hit and you losing all feeling in your lower extremities, I have no hopes that you'll survive the next day."

"Send word to my dear Eliza, tell her what happened but make her hope."

______

Alexander Hamilton died on the 12th of July 1804, approximately 31 hours after the duel, in the home of a close friend after seeing Eliza and their children, in the presence of more than 20 friends and family members.