To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 29 August 1796
From Timothy Pickering
[Philadelphia] Monday Evening, 9 o’clock [29 Aug. 1796]
Sir
I have this moment left Colo. Hawkins—I called twice in the course of the day without finding him at his lodgings. His ideas & wishes correspond with what I mentioned to-day—to be the superintendant of the four southern nations—Chickasaws, Cherokees, Choctaws & Creeks—the latter requiring at present peculiar attention.1 He would prefer the Indian Department to that of the Surveyor. Two thousand dollars a year he thinks enough.
Mr Van Polanen called upon me to-day. I informed him that probably it would be convenient for you to receive him to-morrow noon as the Minister Resident of the U. Netherlands. If I am honoured with your orders on this subject in the morning, I will advise him thereof.2 I am most respectfully, sir, your obt servant
T. Pickering
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. The date is taken from the docket on the ALS.
2. Roger Gerard Van Polanen was received as minister from the Batavian Republic at the specified time (see 341; see also Batavian Republic to GW, 3 May, and Pickering’s second letter to GW on 21 July, and n.3).