ost killed but he survived.. he then sent a note to the continental congress telling them to leave the capitol and they did. At a battle around Philadelphia Washington was in trouble and he needed troops for backup, so he sent Hamilton to get form General Gates who led American forces in the north. Gates seeing Hamilton's youth wanted to take advantage of it. He sent him his smallest and weakest troops. Hamilton was wise and asked for better man: "When I preferred your opinion to other considerations, I did not imagine you would pitch upon a brigade little more than half as large as the others; and finding this to be the case I indispensably owe it to my duty, to desire in His Excellency's name, that another brigade may go instead of the one intended" (Decarolis, 5).
             During the long cold winter at Valley Forge Washington and is army faced many problems. Soldiers were dying because of coldness and hunger. There were talks that General Gates was scheming to take over Washington's position. Hamilton acknowledge all this and realized the problem was that congress was to busy with the states interest and couldn't work properly. Hamilton thought there should be a stronger central government who could levy taxes, enforce a legislation, and regulate trade. Hamilton argued that the war cannot continue depending on the state funds . The Articles of Confederation was ratified in 1781 (Schlesinger, 29). The Articles stated that each state would keep "sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, jurisdiction and right" (Schlesinger, 30). These were ideas opposed by Hamilton. Hamilton felt that the states had to give up some of their powers for there to be a legislative and executive branch (Schlesinger, 30).
             Hamilton wanted to achieve a job where he would be in command. He threatened to resign his position and Washington gave him command of a New York light infantry battalion. Hamilton with his battalion led an attack on the Br...