Hamilton Wilcox came to the town in 1808 from East Guilford, Conn. He taught school here at the age of 16, and was a successful teacher. When the call for troops was made in the winter of 18 13-14 he left his school to take command of a company, to report at Buffalo, where he was when that "village" was burned. He was ordered to Black Rock in the night of December 30, 1813, as the enemy was crossing the river at that point. In the affray he received a bullet through his chest, lodging in his arm. Several days after he was brought back to Bergen. It was soon necessary to amputate his arm, from which he died January 25, 1814, aged 28 years.