From George Washington to James McHenry, 7 April 1799
To James McHenry
Mount Vernon Apl 7th 1799
Sir,
Enclosed are two letters of application for Appointments in the Army of the United States—One from Genl Morgan covering a letter from Capt. A. C. Randolph applying for an office in the Cavalry instead of the Infantry where you will find him among the newly appointed Captains. I have little or no personal knowledge of Capt. Randolph; but from the manner in which Genl Morgan speaks of him, and the opportunities he must have had of forming an opinion of him & his qualifications from observation, I have no doubt but his recommendation will have great weight.1
The other letter is from Mr Theoderic Lee, a brother to Majr Gen. Henry Lee. With this Gentleman I have had no opportunity of forming any personal knowledge. He lives in Berkley County in this State and has been married about 4 or 5 years. His brother the Atty Genl of the U.S. or some other persons of his acquaintance may be able to give you any information respecting Mr Lee if it shd be desired.2 I have the honor to be very respectfully Sir Yr Mo. Ob. St
G. W——
Df, in Tobias Lear’s hand, DLC:GW.
1. The letter from Daniel Morgan of 3 April that GW forwarded to McHenry is in fact a duplicate, made by Morgan and sent by him to GW, of his letter to Hamilton of that date, which is in note 1 to GW’s letter of 10 April to Morgan. Archibald C. Randolph’s letter to Morgan, dated 14 Mar. 1799, is in the Hamilton Papers (DLC). Henry Lee wrote to GW on 22 May 1799 saying that Randolph was qualified for a cavalry command, and on 12 June Morgan repeated his recommendation of him.
2. The letter from Theodorick Lee (1766–1849) has not been found. GW had at least met Lee, for he records in his diary a visit by Lee to Mount Vernon in October 1786 (, 5:53). Lee was not among those named as officers in the Virginia regiments of the New Army (see List of Officers for Virginia Regiments in the New Army, c.21 May 1799, enclosed in James McHenry to GW, 21 May 1799).