To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 12 October 1795
From Timothy Pickering
War-Office Oct. 12. 1795.
Sir,
General Wayne has requested leave to visit his friends and his home. I wrote to him that your absence from philadelphia prevented a decision on his request.1 It will be desirable to send him an answer by next Saturday’s post: and lest accident should prevent your arrival here before that time, I send this and a duplicate to meet you either at Baltimore or other place beyond it; requesting to be favoured with your orders respecting General Waynes desire to obtain a furlough.2 This he certainly would not ask unless the state of affairs rendered the indulgence, in his opinion, perfectly safe. I have the honor to be with the highest respect Sir, your most obt servt
Timothy Pickering
ALS, DLC:GW; LS, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW. The ALS presumably is the letter sent to Mount Vernon and the LS, in the handwriting of War Department clerk Nathan Jones, the duplicate sent to Baltimore.
1. Neither Anthony Wayne’s request nor Pickering’s initial reply has been identified.
2. The following Saturday was 17 Oct.; on that date Pickering wrote Wayne that he had not received a reply from GW (NIC). Pickering’s letter to Wayne announcing that GW had authorized a leave of absence is dated 24 Oct. ( 466–67).