1To George Washington from Lafayette, 10 January 1784 (Washington Papers)
The departure of the Washington Has Been So Sudden that I Could not get in time on Board the Particular letter which you ought to Have Received—So that My Correspondance Has Been Confined to an official Cincinnati letter, and a Bill of plated wares, which was not By Any means my intention —inclosed I Send you a duplicate of the letter Respecting our Assossiation —Major L’enfant tells me a...
2To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency Has Been Acquainted With my first Measures Respecting our Society—To My Letter Xbr the 25th I Beg Leave Particularly to Refer and Entrust this with Major l’Enfant Who is Returning to America. Having in a Body Waited Upon Count de Rochambeau, we delivered Him and His officers the Marks of the Assossiation—A Resolve of theirs for a Volontary Subscription Will Arrive in time to Be...
3To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
Mr du Bouchet formerly a Major in our Service Having Presented me With His Claims to Our Assossiation, I found Myself Obliged to tell Him that His Pretensions Were Groundless—So far was He Convinced of it, that He did not think it Proper to Apply to our Committee, But Has determined Upon Going Himself to America—I Candidly Represented Him that there Was a Good share of Madness in His plan, and...
4To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
Altho I Write You another Private letter, I Must Confidentially Let you know My opinion Upon Matters Relative to the Society. The Captains in the Navy Have Been Much Mortified to be left out in the Institutions—they Rank as Colonels, they Have Rendered Great Services, and it is Expected Here they Will be Admitted into the Society—Some of them Came with Count d’Estaing Among Whom are Suffrein,...
5To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
Had I Not So perfect a Confidence in Your friendship, I Would Very Much fear to tire You with My Scribbling of this day—But Cannot leave My Penn Before I Have Again Mentionned My tender Respectfull Affection to My dear General—I want to tell you that Mde de lafayette and My three Children are Well, and that all of us in the family Heartly join to Present their dutiful Affectionate Compliments...
6To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 April 1784 (Washington Papers)
Among the Numberless Applications I Have Had for our Society, there is One which, in duty to My feelings, I Cannot decline to present, on my first Voyage to America, Monsieurs de Mauroy, Lesser, Valfort, and du Boismartin were with me, and Altho these Meritorious officers Had an Engagement with Mr Deane, Congress did not think it in their power to Employ them —My instructions Being positive, I...
7To George Washington from Lafayette, 14 May 1784 (Washington Papers)
To My Great Satisfaction, My departure is fixed Upon the tenth of Next Month, When I intend leaving paris, and Immediately Embarking for America—My Course will be straight to Pottowmack, and I do Most feelingly Anticipate the pleasure of our Meeting at Mount Vernon —there is Nothing New in france, But that the Affair of the free Ports is Quite Settled, and that Nothing yet Has Been done...
8To George Washington from Lafayette, 10 August 1784 (Washington Papers)
I Have Already Had the pleasure to Acquaint You with My Arrival in America, and am Endeavouring to Reach Mount Vernon as soon as possible—My first plan was only to Stay here two days, but the Affectionate Reception I Have met with in this City, and the Returning some Compliments to the Assembly Render it Necessary for me to Stay one day longer—on friday I will Be at the Head of elk—the next...
9To George Washington from Lafayette, 8 October 1784 (Washington Papers)
Every where I Have Met with delays—but so Agreable were they in their Nature that I Cannot Complain of them—it is not Quite the Case with the Indian treaty—Altho’ the Hope to Be Useful Has kept me there longer than I Had Expected—my presence at the oppening of it Had Been desired—Many Circumstances kept it off—at last it Began, and My influence with the indians was found Greater than I myself...
10To George Washington from Lafayette, 22 October 1784 (Washington Papers)
On My Arrival at Boston I Have Been So kindly Received that No Words Can Express My lively, Affectionate Gratitude—to those Enjoyements I Have added the Heartfelt pleasure to Contemplate the Effect, a Sudden Appearance of your picture, Had Upon a people whose love to You is as Great at least as in Any part of the World —Circumstanced as I am Here, I Could not with Any propriety set out So Soon...
11To George Washington from Lafayette, 17 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
I Shou’d think myself much Obliged to Your encellency if through Your Means Some of the Following Seeds might be Procured From KentucKé for the Use of the King’s Garden—Viz., The Seeds of the Coffe Tree which Resembles the Black oak Do of the Pappa Tree Do of the Cucumber Tree Do Black berry Tree Do Wild Cherry Tree Do Buck-Eye Tree Do of Wild Rye, Buffalo Grass—Shawanese Salad—Wild...
12To George Washington from Lafayette, 21 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
I Have Received Your Affectionate letter Of the 8th inst., and from the known Sentiments of My Heart to You, You will Easely guess what My feelings Have Been in perusing the tender Expressions of Your friendship—No, my Beloved General, our late parting was Not By Any Means a last interview—My whole Soul Revolts at the idea—and Could I Harbour it an instant, indeed, my dear General, it would...
13To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 February 1785 (Washington Papers)
After a pretty tedious passage of thirty days we Have Safely Arrived at Brest, from whence I Came to paris through Rennes, where the States of Britanny were Assembled, and where their kindness to me Made it Necessary for me to Stop one day—My family, wife, children, and friends I found in perfect Health—the politics of Europe are not in a tranquil Condition, and from their situation a...
14To George Washington from Lafayette, 19 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your letter december the 23d Has Safely Come to Hand, and Nothing short of the pottowmack plan Could Have Accounted with me for Your leaving Mount Vernon. I am glad to Hear You are likely to succeed, as it seems to me a Matter of Great Moment—and the part You Have taken in the Business Cannot fail, still more particularly to interest me in its success—I thank you, my dear General, for your...
15To George Washington from Lafayette, 16 April 1785 (Washington Papers)
To My Great disappointement I Had no letter from You By this packet—it is However the only Regular Way to Get intelligences, and Mercantile Opportunities are not By far So much to Be depended on—I warmly Beg, my dear General, you will not let me Be Uneasy for want of a line from You—the distance is already so great in itself, and So much Greater for the feelings of the tenderest friendship,...
16To George Washington from Lafayette, 11 May 1785 (Washington Papers)
This is not the only letter You Will Get from me By this packet, But as the opportunity is Safe, I will trust Young M. Adams With Some Matters Which I would not like to Be Ventured in the post offices of France. 102 ⟨Protestants⟩ in 12 ⟨France⟩ are under intolerable 80 ⟨Despotism⟩—altho’ oppen persecution does not now Exist, yet it depends upon the whim of 25 ⟨king⟩; 28 ⟨queen⟩, 29...
17To George Washington from Lafayette, 13 May 1785 (Washington Papers)
My Correspondance With You Will this time Be in two Volumes and Young Mr Adams, John Adams’s Son, Has taken Care of a letter which I Hope He will Safely forward —Your kind favour february the 15th only Came in the last Packet—I Need not telling You, My dear General, How Happy I was to Hear from You, and How Happy You will Make me By an Exact Correspondance and an Attention to Send the Letters...
18To George Washington from Lafayette, 14 July 1785 (Washington Papers)
Before I leave the borders of france, I wish once more to Remind you of your absent friend, and to let You Hear that I am well and just Begining my German travels—I Have Been lately Visiting Some french towns where I Spoke grat deal about American trade, and fully Answered the views I Had the Honour to Communicate in a former letter —Now I am on my way to the deux ponts where Resides our...
19To George Washington from Lafayette, 3 September 1785 (Washington Papers)
This letter Has been Requested of me as an Introduction for Mr André Michaux whom for Many Reasons I am Very Happy to present—in the first place I Know you will Be Glad to Know a Man whose Genius Has Raised Him Among the Scientifick people, and who, as a Botanist, Has at His own Expense travelled through Countries very little Known—He Now is Sent By the King to America, in order to Know the...
20To George Washington from Lafayette, 6 February 1786 (Washington Papers)
Your letters September the 1st and November the 8th Have Safely Come to Hand for which I offer you thanks the Warmer and More affectionate as nothing, while we are separated, Can so much Rejoice Your friend’s Heart as the unspeakable Blessing to Hear from His Beloved General—a long time Has elapsed since which my letters Have Been unfrequent, Uninstering, and Uncertain in point of...
21To George Washington from Lafayette, 10 February 1786 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed, my dear general, is a vocabulary which the Empress of Russia Has Requested me to Have filled up with indian Names, as she Has ordered an Universal dictionary to be made of all languages—it would greatly oblige Her to collect the words she sends translated into the several idioms of the Nations on the Banks of the Oyho—presley Nevill and Morgan at fort pitt, general Mullemberg in...
22To George Washington from Lafayette, 24 May 1786 (Washington Papers)
While I Have to lament the distance which separates us, it is an additional, and an Heartfelt Mortification for me, to Hear so seldom from My Beloved and Respected friend—and Among the Many Reasons I Have to wish for a Greater intercourse Between my two Countries, I don’t forget the Hope that More frequent Opportunities will increase the Number of your wellcome letters—this is Going By the...
23To George Washington from Lafayette, 8 October 1786 (Washington Papers)
This Will Be presented By Mr le Coulteux a Relation to the Respectable House of french Merchants By that Name who is Going to Settle in America—I Beg You to Honour Him With Your patronage and Advices. Not Knowing when this Will Reach You I only add My Respects Most Affectionate to Mrs Washington—Remember me to George, to the Young ones, to all friends. A treaty of Commerce is Signed Between...
24To George Washington from Lafayette, 26 October 1786 (Washington Papers)
To one who So tenderly loves You, who So Happily Enjoyed the times We Have past together, and Who Never, on any part of the Globe, Even in His own House, Could feel Himself so Perfectly at Home, as in Your family, it Must Be Confessed that an irregular lengthty Correspondance is far insufficient—I Beseech You in the Name of our friendship, of that Paternal Concern of Yours for My Happiness,...
25To George Washington from Lafayette, 13 January 1787 (Washington Papers)
It is I Hope Easier for You to Conceive than for me to Express the Painful Sensations I feel, when the long Waited for Opportunity of Hearing from You, Happens at last to Arrive without one line of Yours. the Regularity of Packets is now Reestablished, and they will Return to the Havre the Nearest Port to Paris. This will be entrusted to Colonel franks, who is Coming from a Successfull...
26To George Washington from Lafayette, 7 February 1787 (Washington Papers)
The last letter I Had from You is dated November the 19th, and Announces the Safe Arrival of the Asses who I Hope Will Be less frigid than those of His Catholick Majesty—Whatever Be their intrinsic Value, I Have found it Encreased in a Maryland Paper to a degree Which does Not indeed do justice to the Maltheze Merchants—and as the Estimate of the three Animals is truly Extravagant, I must tell...
27To George Washington from Lafayette, 5 May 1787 (Washington Papers)
Altho’ I Cannot omit an opportunity of writing to You, my letter will not Be so long and Minuted as I would like to make it, Because of the Constant Hurry of Business occasioned By the Assembly—every day, Sundays excepted, is taken up with General Meetings, Committee’s, and smaller Boards—it is a pretty extraordinary sight at Versailles, the more so as great deal of patriotism and firmness Has...
28To George Washington from Lafayette, 3 August 1787 (Washington Papers)
I Have Received Your first favour from Philadelphia with the Greater Satisfaction, as it promises me the pleasure to Hear Again from you Before long —a pleasure, My Beloved General, which Your friend’s filial Heart wants to Anticipate, and Enjoys most Affectionately—I Have not Been surprised to Hear of Your Attendance at the Convention, and would indeed Have wondered at a denial—on the success...
29To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 October 1787 (Washington Papers)
I Hope the time is drawing Near, when I will Receive the letter You Have Announced to Me, and while I Have the Unspeackable Satisfaction to Hear from my beloved General, I will also Gratify my Heartfelt Curiosity to know the proceedings of the Convention —May it Have devised proposals, and found in the people a disposition which Can insure the Happiness, prosperity, and dignity of the United...
30To George Washington from Lafayette, 15 October 1787 (Washington Papers)
This letter will Be delivered By Mr du Pont the Son of a Very Sensible and Honest Gentleman, who Has Been Much Emploied in Affairs of Administration, and is Now Very zealously Engaged in drawing Up A Report for our Commercial affairs. His Son Goes out for His instruction, and With a wiew to fit Himself for future Emploiement. I Beg leave to Recommend Him to Your patronage and Advices, and am...