I have been playing with an idea for several months of a Laurens lives TL. This is something I just sort of vomited on to paper in the last few hours. I am hitting a wall with Laurens. While he is a great POD, he died young and therefore is quite the blank slate. I am having a hard time sources on the guy. Since this is my first TL I wrote it in a kind of Date and summary of events format. Let me know what you think so far, and any sources that can help me depict Laurens accurately would be helpful, I don't want to turn him into a Hamiltonian parrot:
Apr. 26th 1782- Col. John Laurens decides to skip visit to friends in the area and continue with Gen. Gist’s orders and moves into position with a howitzer and 50 Delaware Infantry. Laurens manages to turn Maj. Brereton’s advance and send the British back across the river and running towards Charleston.
Dec. 1782- The British garrison at Charlestown surrenders
Sept. 3rd 1783- Treaty of Paris signed all 10 articles remain the same.
1784- With War over John Laurens returns home to his plantation in South Carolina with Father, Henry. Both have served admirably during the recent war. Now they turn there focus to there farming and commercial pursuits. Both Laurens’ served, Henry as Minister to Netherlands and as President of the 2nd Continental Congress; John as a Lt. Colonel, aide-de-camp to Gen Washington and as a combat commander during the siege of Charleston in 1783. During the Confederation Laurens keeps up with his old friends from his days on Washington’s staff: the Marquis de Lafayette and Col. Hamilton. After the war Laurens’ wife Martha Manning leaves England with her daughter. There ship is lost at sea. Laurens never meets his daughter. Laurens doesn’t seem to be stifled by this and continues to call on wealthy women in Charleston. Laurens supports Hamilton’s efforts to increase the taxing power of the Confederate Govt.
1785- Laurens (John) continues writing letters to Hamilton, while his friendship with Lafayette cools, because of the Marquis’ unwillingness to stand up for America’s interests in France. The Colonel considered the friendship between the three unbreakable and is quite upset with the Marquis for not lobbying American interests at Versailles. Lafayette is of the mind that no matter how great their personal bond, politically it is suicide to advocate angering the British, France and her reluctant ally Spain are in no shape to fight a European War against England. Meanwhile, the Hamilton - Laurens relationship deepens, Hamilton chides Laurens for not visiting him and his wife Eliza more often. Their letters also discuss politics; both men are upset at the continuing ineptitude coming from the Continental Congress. In a letter between the two men, Hamilton states that, the Congress needs the power to tax and that there needs to be a new meeting of states to discuss Reform of the Articles.
Apr. 26th 1782- Col. John Laurens decides to skip visit to friends in the area and continue with Gen. Gist’s orders and moves into position with a howitzer and 50 Delaware Infantry. Laurens manages to turn Maj. Brereton’s advance and send the British back across the river and running towards Charleston.
Dec. 1782- The British garrison at Charlestown surrenders
Sept. 3rd 1783- Treaty of Paris signed all 10 articles remain the same.
1784- With War over John Laurens returns home to his plantation in South Carolina with Father, Henry. Both have served admirably during the recent war. Now they turn there focus to there farming and commercial pursuits. Both Laurens’ served, Henry as Minister to Netherlands and as President of the 2nd Continental Congress; John as a Lt. Colonel, aide-de-camp to Gen Washington and as a combat commander during the siege of Charleston in 1783. During the Confederation Laurens keeps up with his old friends from his days on Washington’s staff: the Marquis de Lafayette and Col. Hamilton. After the war Laurens’ wife Martha Manning leaves England with her daughter. There ship is lost at sea. Laurens never meets his daughter. Laurens doesn’t seem to be stifled by this and continues to call on wealthy women in Charleston. Laurens supports Hamilton’s efforts to increase the taxing power of the Confederate Govt.
1785- Laurens (John) continues writing letters to Hamilton, while his friendship with Lafayette cools, because of the Marquis’ unwillingness to stand up for America’s interests in France. The Colonel considered the friendship between the three unbreakable and is quite upset with the Marquis for not lobbying American interests at Versailles. Lafayette is of the mind that no matter how great their personal bond, politically it is suicide to advocate angering the British, France and her reluctant ally Spain are in no shape to fight a European War against England. Meanwhile, the Hamilton - Laurens relationship deepens, Hamilton chides Laurens for not visiting him and his wife Eliza more often. Their letters also discuss politics; both men are upset at the continuing ineptitude coming from the Continental Congress. In a letter between the two men, Hamilton states that, the Congress needs the power to tax and that there needs to be a new meeting of states to discuss Reform of the Articles.