1From George Washington to Henry Knox, 20 February 1784 (Washington Papers)
The bad weather, and great care which the Post Riders take of themselves, prevented your letters of the 3d & 9th of last Month from getting to my hands ’till the 10th of this. Setting of next Morning for Fredericksburgh to pay my duty to an aged Mother, and not returning ’till yesterday, will be admitted I hope, as a sufficient apology for my silence ’till now. I am much obliged by the trouble...
2From George Washington to Henry Knox, 20 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
Your Letter of the 21st ulto did not reach my hands ’till yesterday—Having the Governor here & a house full of company—& the Post being on the point of setting out for the Eastward I must confine the few lines I shall be able (at this time) to write, to the business of the Cincinnati. From what you have said of the temper of your Assembly respecting this Society—from the current of Sentiment...
3Appendix I, To Henry Knox, c.4–18 May (Washington Papers)
The names which follow, are those mentioned in the Marqs la Fayette’s letter to me. La’ Peyrouse La Touche D’Albert de Rion✻ Tilly✻ Enclosed it seems is the proper address to the characters therein mentioned, I send it that you may be governed thereby—pray return it to me again —The enclosed private letters be so good as to include under cover of the public ones. Yrs affly ✻I am not sure that...
4From George Washington to Henry Knox, 2 June 1784 (Washington Papers)
The inconvenience with which I left home, & my impatience to return to it, hastened every step I took back, & but for the delay I met with in crossing the Bay, I might have been at home with ease on the Friday after I parted with you. Before eight on thursday morning I was at Rock-hall, & not until friday evening could I get my horses & carriage over to Annapolis. It is a real misfortune, that...
5From George Washington to Henry Knox, 5 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
Apologies are idle things: I will not trouble you with them—that I am your debtor in the epistolary way I acknowledge—and that appearances indicate a disposition to remain so, I cannot deny; but I have neither the inclination nor the effrontary to follow the example of Great Men or St—s to withhold payment altogether. To whatever other causes therefore my silence may be attributed, ascribe it...
6From George Washington to Henry Knox, 5 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
About the beginning of last month I wrote you a pretty long letter, & soon after, received your favor of the 23d of November. It is not the letters from my friends which give me trouble—or adds ought to my perplexity. I receive them with pleasure, and pay as much attention to them as my avocations will admit. It is references of old matters with which I have nothing to do. Applications, which...
7From George Washington to Henry Knox, 28 February 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 31st Ulto came to my hands by the last Post. enclosed are letters under flying Seals to Count de Rochambeau & the Marqs de Chastellux (late Chevr) introductory of Mr Swan. also certificates for Lieutts Seaver & Henley. if these will answer the purposes designed, I shall think nothing of the trouble, but be happy in having given them. Upon summing up the cost of my projected...
8From George Washington to Henry Knox, 18 June 1785 (Washington Papers)
I am quite ashamed to be so long deficient in acknowledging the receipt of your favors of the 24th & 29th of March, and 5th of May; but an intervention of circumstances (with the enumeration of which I shall not trouble you) have prevented it. It gave me great pleasure to hear of your appointment as Secretary at War—without a complimt, I think a better choice could not have been made—and...
9From George Washington to Henry Knox, 11 December 1785 (Washington Papers)
Majr Farlie gave me the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 22d Instt, & thereby knowing that you, Mrs Knox & the family were all well. It has always been my opinion you know, that our Affairs with respect to the Indians would never be in a good train whilst the British Garrisons remained on the American side of the territorial line—& that these Posts would not be evacuated by them, as...
10From George Washington to Henry Knox, 1 June 1786 (Washington Papers)
The Post of last week brougt me (by way of New York) a letter, of which the inclosed is a Copy. I transmit it, not only for your perusal, but for information, and advice. All the papers respecting the Soci[e]ty of the Cincinnati being in possession of the Secretary Genl or the Assistant Secretary, and my memory very defective, I cannot speak with precision to Mr Jefferson, or decide on any...
11From George Washington to Henry Knox, 21 August 1786 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed letter I received a short time since. As I am wholly unacquainted with the writer, & circumstances therein mentioned; I can only say, that if the facts are such as there alledged, I think the sufferer is entitled to some redress; but how far it may be in the power of Congress to comply with petitions of this nature I am not able to say. You undoubtedly know much better than I do,...
12From George Washington to Henry Knox, 26 December 1786 (Washington Papers)
Nothing but the pleasing hope of seeing you under this roof in the course of last month, and wch I was disposed to extend even to the present moment, has kept me till this time from acknowleging the receipt of your obliging favor of the 23d of October. Despairing now of that pleasure, I shall thank you for the above letter, and the subsequent one of the 17th instt, which came to hand yesterday...
13From George Washington to Henry Knox, 25 January 1787 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Henry Knox, 25 Jan. 1787. On 8 Feb. Knox wrote GW : “I have received your favor of the 25 Jany.”
14From George Washington to Henry Knox, 3 February 1787 (Washington Papers)
I feel my self exceedingly obliged to you for the full, & friendly communications in your letters of the 14th 21st & 25th ult.; and shall (critically as matters are described in the latter) be extremely anxious to know the issue of the movements of the forces that were assembling, the one to support, the other to oppose the constitutional rights of Massachusetts. The moment is, indeed,...
15From George Washington to Henry Knox, 25 February 1787 (Washington Papers)
Accept, my dear General Knox my affectionate thanks for your obliging favors of the 29th, 30th, & 31st of Jany and 1st 8th & 12th of the present month. They were indeed, exceedingly satisfactory, and relieving to my mind which has been filled with great & anxious uneasiness for the issue of General Lincoln’s operations, and the dignity of Government. On the prospect of the happy termination of...
16From George Washington to Henry Knox, 8 March 1787 (Washington Papers)
Will you permit me to give you the trouble of making an indirect, but precise enquiry, into the alligations of the enclosed letters. I flatter myself that from the vicinity of Elizabeth Town to New York, and the constant intercourse between the two, you will be able to do it without much trouble. It is but little in my power to afford the pecuniary aids required by the letter writer; but if...
17From George Washington to Henry Knox, 2 April 1787 (Washington Papers)
The early attention which you were so obliging as to pay to my letter of the 8th ulto is highly pleasing and flattering to me. Were you to continue to give me information on the same point, you would add to the favor; as I see, or think I see, reasons for and against my attendance in Convention so near an equilibrium, as will cause me to Determine upon either, with diffidence. One of the...
18From George Washington to Henry Knox, 27 April 1787 (Washington Papers)
After every consideration my judgment was able to give the subject, I had determined to yield to the wishes of many of my friends who seemed extremely anxious for my attending the Convention, which is proposed to be holden in Philadelphia the second Monday of May. And tho’ so much afflicted with a rheumatic complaint (of which I have not been entirely free for Six months) as to be under the...
19From George Washington to Henry Knox, 27 April 1787 (Washington Papers)
Hurried as I am I cannot (not expecting to see you in Philadelpa) withhold the copy of a Paragraph in a letter which came to my hands yesterday from Mr Jefferson, and a translation of the article “Cincinnati” from the Encyclopedie Methodique; forwarded to me by the same Gentleman as they relate to the Society & serve to shew the light in wch it is viewed in France. I do not know what the...
20From George Washington to Henry Knox, 31 May 1787 (Washington Papers)
It gave me great pleasure to find by your letter of the 29th that you were freed from all apprehension on acct of Miss Lucys eye—and that we might flatter ourselves with the expectation of seeing Mrs Knox & you at this place. It was not untill Friday last that Seven States assembled in Convention. By these I was, much against my wish, unanimously placed in the Chair—Ten States are now...
21From George Washington to Henry Knox, 19 August 1787 (Washington Papers)
By slow, I wish I could add & sure, movements, the business of the Convention progresses; but to say when it will end, or what will be the result, is more than I can venture to do; and therefore shall hazard no opinion thereon. If however, some good does not proceed from the Session, the defects cannot, with propriety, be charged to the hurry with which the business has been conducted: yet...
22From George Washington to Henry Knox, 15 October 1787 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 3d instt came duly to hand. The fourth day after leaving Phila. I arrived at home, and found Mrs Washington and the family tolerably well, but the fruits of the Earth almost entirely destroyed by one of the severest droughts (in this neighbourhood) that ever was experienced. The Crops generally, below the Mountains are injured; but not to the degree that mine, & some of my...
23From George Washington to Henry Knox, 10 January 1788 (Washington Papers)
I beg you to accept of my thanks for your obliging favor of the 11th Ult.; which, owing to the dullness of the season, and want of matter to amuse you, has lain unacknowledged till this time. Three States—to wit—Pensylvania New Jersey, and Delaware having adopted the New Constitution in so decisive a manner and those of New Hampshire, Massachusetts & Connecticut having discovered such...
24From George Washington to Henry Knox, 5 February 1788 (Washington Papers)
Soon after my last was dispatched to you, I was favoured with the receipt of your letter of the 14th Ult.; by which, and other accts of more recent date, I am sorry to find that the important question under deliberation in Massachusetts, stands on such precarious ground. The decision of that State will, unquestionably, have considerable influence on those which are to follow; especially on the...
25From George Washington to Henry Knox, 11 February 1788 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Henry Knox, 11 Feb. 1788. On 10 Mar. Knox wrote GW : “Your favor of the 11th ultimo was duly received.” Knox may have been referring to GW’s letter of 5 February . See Knox to GW, 10 Mar., n.1 .
26From George Washington to Henry Knox, 3 March 1788 (Washington Papers)
I pray you to accept my acknowledgements of your favors of the 10th and 14th Ulto and congratulation on the acceptance of the new Constitution by the State of Massachusetts—Had this been done without its concomitants, and by a larger Majority the stroke would have been more severaly felt by the antifederalists in other States. As it is, it operates as a damper to their hopes, and is a matter...
27From George Washington to Henry Knox, 30 March 1788 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 10th came duly to hand, and by Mr Madison I had the pleasure to hear that you had recovered from a severe indisposition, on which event I sincerely congratulate you. The conduct of the State of New Hampshire has baffled all calculation, and happened extremely mal-apropos for the election of delegates to the Convention of this State; For be the real cause of the adjournment to...
28From George Washington to Henry Knox, 17 June 1788 (Washington Papers)
I received your letter of the 25th of May, just when I was on the eve of departure for Fredericksburgh to pay a visit to my mother from whence I returned only last evening. The information of the accession of South Carolina to the New Government, since your letter, gives us a new subject for mutual felicitations. It was to be hoped this auspicious event would have had considerable influence...
29From George Washington to Henry Knox, 1 January 1789 (Washington Papers)
I have received by the last Mail your favour dated the 21st of Decr and hasten to return this acknowledgment, together with the enclosed Certificate of Service for Major Haskell. I give that testimony with the greater alacrity, because it always affords me satisfaction, when I can gratify the wishes of a worthy man, in perfect conformity to my own judgment. I am much pleased to find that the...
30From George Washington to Henry Knox, 29 January 1789 (Washington Papers)
Having learnt from an Advertisement in the New York Daily Advertiser, that there were superfine American Broad Cloths to be sold at No. 44 in Water Street; I have ventured to trouble you with the Commission of purchasing enough to make me a suit of Cloaths. As to the colour, I shall leave it altogether to your taste; only observing, that, if the dye should not appear to be well fixed, & clear,...