"Go go go! move out move out!" Washington shouted to his men.
"We got em! We actually got em this time!" Lieutenant Alan Warren shouted running down to the riverbanks followed by a few dozen other men including Hamilton. Everyone found a boat to climb into and started rowing back across the icy Hudson river. Hamilton was in a boat with Warren, Laurens, and Mulligan. They rowed as fast as they could trying to avoid floating chunks of ice which was difficult since they only had the pale light of the full moon and stars to guide them.
"Steer left! Ice chunk on our side!" Warren shouted. Laurens steered left but didn't know there was another ice chunk on the other side. But it was too late. The boat was violently rocked as bitterly cold water was splashed into the boat soaking all four men. As the boat tipped over again, Hamilton lost his balance and fell into the water.
"Help! Help me!" He screamed. but they kept rowing and no one heard him. They didn't notice he was missing until they got back to camp.
"Fifty-eight fifty-nine..... we're missing one..." Washington paused "Where's Hamilton?"
The entire camp went silent, until Warren spoke up.
"Fell out of our boat and drowned sir..."
Washington arched his eyebrow and looked Warren dead in the eyes, "And which one of your men was responsible for knocking the boat over?"
Laurens gulped, "Oh my god I killed him..." He mumbled under his breath
"I'm sorry what was that Lieutenant Colonel Laurens?" He questioned, "Were you the one who caused him to drown...?"
Laurens quivered, "I didn't see the ice sir.. I was steering away from one ice chunk a-and knocked into another...the one that killed him..,"
"I'm sure it wasn't on purpose, at ease lieutenant." Washington replied, "Everyone, my tent now."
They all crowded into Washington's tent where there was ale and breads and dried fruits they had stolen from the Hessians. Laurens proposed a toast.
"To Hamilton.."
"To Hamilton," the others replied and drank
in unison.
"Don't be so hard on yourself Mon ami." Lafayette said with a hand on Laurens' shoulder "you could not 'elp it."
"Thank you." Laurens smiled.
All of a sudden, Hamilton showed up in the tent, soaking wet and even his coat frozen solid.
The soldiers gasped, "It's a ghost!"
"No you dipwit it's me! I know how to swim you know." Hamilton retaliated.
"Well come on son, have something to drink, you look a little cold." Washington said pouring him a tankard of brandy.
"notcha son.." Hamilton mumbled as he took and drank the brandy. And Hamilton spent the rest of the night trying to thaw out.
AN: Oh look I'm writing again. if you have suggestions on historical events to write about let me know.
