Several things were running through Alexander's head the second he felt the bullet slam into him,
"why didn't I tell Eliza I was gonna duel Aaron Burr?" "why didn't I just go back to bed when Eliza offered me to?" "why did I run my mouth in the first place when I should've kept it shut?"
Alexander Hamilton knew quite well that running his mouth was the one thing that he would pay the price for no matter how many times he tried to keep his mouth shut.
But enough was enough at that single moment in Weehawken, New Jersey. Alex and Aaron had their reasons why they were enemies and here's why:
Reason #1: Burr ran against Hamilton's father-in-law Philip Schuyler for Senator and defeated him.
Reason #2: Hamilton voted for Jefferson for President thus making Burr Vice President.
Reason #3: Hamilton was talking shit about Burr for having a more despicable opinion about him.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back and the reason why Burr and Hamilton hated each other and it would cost Hamilton his life. It was like a bitter pill and Hamilton couldn't swallow it.
They lined up with their seconds William P. Van Ness and Nathaniel Pendleton and Dr. David Hosack, drawn their lots (both went to Pendleton who was Alex's second), took up their positions, they both took aim, Aaron aimed towards Alex's chest, Alex aimed up at the sky (he wasn't intentionally going to kill Burr, he was going to throw his shot away which was his intention).
Alex collapsed when Burr's bullet slammed into him as it fractured a rib on the right side, ripped through Alex's liver and diaphragm, splintered the second lumbar vertebra, coming to rest in his spine.
"I'm a dead man" Alex thought, he knew he was paralyzed from where the bullet was and wouldn't live long, Dr. Hosack was down the hill away from the duelists so he wouldn't be liable for anything that happened, after hearing the gunshots, Hosack ran over and found Alex on the ground broken and bleeding into the dirt. Alex looked over at Hosack and said "This is a mortal wound doctor".
Burr went over to try to talk to Hamilton but Van Ness led him away and told him that he forfeited the right to talk to Hamilton when he shot him, you need to get out of here, Burr and Van Ness left the area.
Hosack and Pendleton carried Alex back to the boat and they brought him to William Bayard's house back in New York.
Eliza was notified of what was going on and she quickly ran to Bayard's house to see her husband in agonizing pain from the bullet he received from Burr, Alexander said to her Remember my dear Eliza, you are a Christian" then at 2pm on July 12th 1804, Alexander's soul left his body.
