tracksofhistory:

“Lafayette and Hamilton formed a lifelong friendship. That became a triangle at the end of August with the arrival of John Laurens. Twenty-three years old, he also was a slender young man, whose head seemed large for his body. It carried a handsome face with a high brow, noble nose, and strong chin. His wide eyes, as blue as Hamilton’s, were set deep. His full mouth seemed always on the verge of a smile, from either amusement or arrogance, depending on the situation. He was almost as brilliant as Hamilton, but his mind was of a different order. While the one wanted to build a model world as if it was an engineering project, Laurens was on a crusade to improve mankind. He shared Hamilton and Lafayette’s lust for glory on the battlefield. Reckless as they were, neither matched Laurens’ tendency to lunge into the fight without thinking. They survived the war. He did not.”

– David A. Clary, Adopted Son: Washington, Lafayette, and the Friendship that Saved the Revolution