From George Washington to David Stuart, 18 January 1788
To David Stuart
Mount Vernon Jan: 18th 1788
Dear Sir,
As the enclosed will be transmitted to Mr Custis, I will blend nothing else ⟨w⟩ith it; but beg, for the reason therein as⟨si⟩gned that you would contrive it by the first ⟨sa⟩fe conveyance.1
The Certificates which I thought had ⟨b⟩een sent to you, are found—I suppose, after ⟨th⟩e list was taken, it was found unnecessa⟨ry to⟩ send them, & they were, consequently, with⟨h⟩eld.2
When Mrs Stuart was here, I inform⟨e⟩d her that Peters year, according to his own ⟨a⟩cct, which is all the acct I have; was up at ⟨C⟩hristmas, and she would direct what ⟨w⟩as to be done with him—She answered, he ⟨m⟩ight stay here till you returned—when th⟨is hap⟩pened, the hurry we were both in occasi⟨one⟩d my forgetting to mention it to you—he ⟨n⟩ow waits your orders.3
Patcy has been a little unwell bu⟨t mutilated⟩ better, all join in love & best wishes ⟨to⟩ Mrs Stuart & the family with Dear Sir Yr affecte Hble Servt
Go: Washington
ALS, ViU. The left margin is torn. The portions of the letter in angle brackets were taken from
29:387.1. The enclosed was his letter to Stuart, 15 January.
2. For the public certificates that GW sent to Stuart, see GW to Anthony Singleton, 1 Mar. 1788, nn.1 and 2. See also GW to Charles Lee, 4 April.
3. For earlier correspondence about the slave Peter who handled racehorses, see GW to Stuart, 12 Feb. 1787. See also GW to Stuart, 22 Jan. 1788.