1From George Washington to John Adams, 1 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
Certain matters touching the public good requiring that the Senate shall be convened on Friday the 4th Instant, I have desired their Attendance, as I do yours by these Presents, at the Senate Chamber in Philadelphia on that day, then and there to receive and deliberate on such Communications as shall be made to you on my part. LB , DLC:GW ; copy, DNA : RG 46, Second Congress, 1791–1793, Senate...
2Tobias Lear to John Quincy Adams, 2 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
When I was at Bush Hill this Morning it was my intention to have requested your Company to dine tomorrow at the Presidents, by his desire; but as I did not see you at that time it slipped my recollection, and occasions you the trouble of this letter, which is to make the same request—to which you will be kind enough to give an Answer by the Servant. I am Dear Sir Your most Obedt Servt ALS ,...
3From George Washington to John Armstrong, 6 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
Acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 29th of December, and offering you my best thanks for the interest it expresses in my behalf, I beg you to be persuaded that neither my late silence nor my present brevity are in any degree the consequence of diminished regard. Your friendship receives from me the same grateful & affectionate return which I have ever made to it—but the multiplied...
4Tobias Lear to Francis Bailey, 26 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
The President of the United States has received Mr Bailey’s polite note offering him the perusal of an english translation of Lavater’s treatise on physiognomy and has commanded T. Lear to return his thanks to Mr Bailey for his politeness, and to inform him that the President’s time is so much occupied by business as not to permit him to profit of Mr Bailey’s offer. LB , DLC:GW . Johann Caspar...
5From George Washington to Burgess Ball, 19 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 7th instt came duly to hand, but the multiplicity of matters that pressed upon me at the time, prevented an earlier acknowledgment. I write to you now respecting an exchange of Lands because you wished to hear from me soon, on that subject—not because I think there is the least probability of such an exchange taking effect; I judge so from the ideas I have formed (from the...
6From George Washington to Martha Dangerfield Bland, 18 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
With every disposition, my dear Madam, to serve you either in my public or private capacity, I have to regret that such is the nature of the request contained in your letter of the 23 ultimo as to preclude the possibility of my being useful to you in the matter to which it relates —This will more fully appear from an opinion on the subject given by the Attorney General, to whom as a legal...
7From George Washington to Daniel Carroll, 17 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter was written to go by the post of yesterday, but was omitted to be sent to the Office in season. I have thought best, upon every consideration, to fix on monday next for the day of my departure from this city. In which case, I expect to be four days in travelling to Baltimore; and as I shall be under the necessity of going by the way of Annapolis, I must calculate upon three...
8Commission, 22 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
Know Ye, That reposing special Trust and Confidence in the Integrity, Skill, and Diligence of Thomas Johnson and Daniel Carroll of Maryland, and David Stuart of Virginia, I do . . ., in Pursuance of the Powers vested in me by the Act intituled “An Act for establishing the Temporary and Permanent Seat of the Government of the United States,” hereby appoint them the said Thomas Johnson, Daniel...
9From George Washington to Daniel Carroll, 17 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
I am estremely anxious to have a full meeting of the Commissioners--I wish you to send an express to Governor Johnson and let him know my earnestness on this head--I have directed the post master at Geo. Town to send this Letter to you (and another which has been written for this post) by express, in case you should have left Baltimore. With very great regard, I am Dear Sir your mo. obedt...
10From George Washington to Daniel Carroll, 11 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
I write to you by this post in conformity with my promise so to do. But it is not yet in my power to determine whether I can set out on Monday or not. If I find the roads do not mend much between this time and that, I shall not be anxious about beginning my journey on that day, even if business would permit. As my fixing the day for meeting the Commissioners at George Town must depend upon my...
11From George Washington to Charles Carter of Ludlow, 19 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the first instant came duly to hand; but it found me under such a pressure of business that I was unable to give it an immediate acknowledgement. I am sorry for the information you have given me, and wish sincerely it was in my power to relieve you from the disagreeable situation into which you are thrown—but it really is not. The particular object to which your views are...
12From George Washington to the Chickasaw Chiefs, 30 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
You have been informed that last Spring, I sent Major Doughty, one of the warriors of the United States, to brighten the Chain of friendship with the Chickasaw nation, and to assure them of the firm adherence of the United States to the treaty of Hopewell—You know the dis-aster which befell him by the Attack of some bad Indians on the Tenassee, who violated the white flag of peace. Brothers! I...
13From George Washington to Angelica Schuyler Church, 6 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
As the letter, which you were pleased to address to me on the 27th of November, relates to an event of public import, yet to be determined, and on which the decision may be governed by circumstances not yet considered, I can only do myself the honor to acknowledge the receipt of it—and to express the respectful consideration with which I am Madam Your most Obedt Servt ALS , CSmH ; LB , DLC:GW...
14From George Washington to George Clendinen, 21 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
Since writing to you on the 21st of February by Mr Moore, (in which letter I have some instructions respecting my lands in your neighbourhood) I have disposed of all my lands on the Ohio and great Kanawa to Mr de Barth a french Gentleman. I have therefore to request that you will stop all measures, which you may have taken, or may be about to take relative to the settling or otherwise...
15From George Washington to George Clendinen, 21 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 1st of December, and thank you as well for the readiness with which you have complied with my request to undertake the letting of my lands in your neighbourhood, as for the disposition which you express to render your best services in this way. In my letter to you of the 25 of June last (a duplicate of which was committed to the care of Mr Moore in August) I...
16From George Washington to James Craik, 19 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
By a letter which I received on thursday last from my nephew George S. Washington, in answer to one which I had written to him on the 15th instant it does not appear that his Brother Lawrence is to come on with him to this place. As it is my intention that they should both enter the College together, I have written to George to bring his Brother with him, if he should get my letter before he...
17From George Washington to William Deakins, Jr., and Benjamin Stoddert, 17 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
I have recieved your favors of the 9th & 11th ⟨instant,⟩ & shall be glad if the purchase from ⟨Burns⟩ should be concluded before you receive this at £15 or £⟨17⟩ as you ⟨illegible.⟩ but as you mention that should he ask as far as £20 or £25 you will await further instructions before you accept such an offer: I have thought it better, in order to prevent delays, to inform you, that I could wish...
18Tobias Lear to William Deakins, Jr., 5 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
The President has directed me to enclose the within advertisement to you—and request that you will be good enough to hand one to the Printer at Georgetown, and forward the other to the Printer at Frederick Town, to be inserted in their papers for six weeks. I am Sir, very respectfully, Your most obedient Servant LB , DLC:GW . The enclosure has not been found. The Georgetown newspaper to which...
19From George Washington to William Deakins, Jr., and Benjamin Stoddert, 24 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
I enclose you several proclamations expressing the lines which are to bound the District of ten miles square for the permanent Seat of the general government, which I wish you to have made public with all expedition. And in the most general and extensive manner that you can to prevent any kind of speculation. Let them be published in the News Papers—put up in public places and otherwise so...
20From George Washington to William Deakins, Jr., and Benjamin Stoddert, 17 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
In order to avail the public of the willingness expressed by the inhabitants of Washington county, as mentioned in your letter of the 11th to sign a paper ceding their lots in Hamburg, on being requested by any person under my direction, I have written the inclosed letter, which, if you think it will answer the desired end, you will be so good as to dispatch to them, with the necessary...
21From George Washington to William Deakins, Jr., and Benjamin Stoddert, 2 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
Majr L’enfant comes on to make such a survey of the grounds in your vicinity as may aid in fixing the site of the federal town and buildings: his present instructions express those alone which are within the Eastern branch, the Potowmac, the Tyber, and the road leading from George-town to the Ferry on the eastern branch. He is directed to begin at the lower end, and work upwards, and nothing...
22From George Washington to William Deakins, Jr., and Benjamin Stoddert, 3 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
In asking your aid in the following case permit me at the same time to ask the most perfect secrecy. The federal territory being located, the competition for the location of the town now rests between the mouth of the Eastern branch, and the lands on the river, below and adjacent to George town. In favour of the former, Nature has furnished powerful advantages. In favour of the latter is it’s...
23From George Washington to William Deakins, Jr., and Benjamin Stoddert, 28 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
If you have concluded nothing yet with Mr Burn’s; nor made him any offer for his land that is obligatory; I pray you to suspend your negotiations with him, until you hear further from me. With much Esteem I am, Gentlemen, Your &c. LB , DLC:GW ; ADfS , DLC:GW . David Burnes (1739–1799) owned a tract of some two hundred and twenty-five acres in the federal district, centered around the mouth of...
24Tobias Lear to John Field, 7 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
The President of the United States having observed in the papers of this morning that a number of respectable citizens have engaged in a benevolent plan for the relief of such persons as the inclemency of the season and other circumstances had reduced to great distress, he has directed me to transmit ten pounds to you as the Treasurer, to be applied in such a manner as may best answer the...
25From George Washington to George Gilpin, 4 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
A pressure of public business just at the moment Mr Roberdeau was about to leave this, allowed me no time to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th Ulto—and now I have little more than to thank you for the communication which was given by it. As the exactitude of the District called for a Scientific character I have engaged Mr Ellicot to make the Survey, and hope that every aid...
26From George Washington to William Gordon, 25 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
However highly I might be gratified by attending to my private correspondencies, as I used to do, yet so numerous and important are the public duties which my situation calls upon me to discharge, that to do justice to one I must, in some measure, give up the other—In this case it requires not the consideration of a moment to decide. I presume, therefore, it will hardly be necessary to offer...
27From George Washington to William Gordon, 9 March 1791 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to William Gordon, 9 Mar. 1791. GW wrote to Gordon, 19 July 1791: "I am . . . able to . . . refer you to a letter which I wrote on the 9 of March."
28From George Washington to Catherine Sawbridge Macaulay Graham, 10 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
At the sametime that I acknowledge the receipt of your letter of June last, with which I have been honored, I must beg you to accept my best thanks for your treatise on Education which accompanied it. The anxiety which you express for the welfare of this Country demands a proper acknowledgment; and the political sentiments which are contained in your letter merit a more particular reply than...
29Tobias Lear to Daniel Grant, 8 January 1791 (Washington Papers)
Mrs Washington requests me to present, and begs your acceptance of her best thanks for the very excellent mutton and pair of canvas-back Ducks which you have been so polite as to send to her. I have delayed acknowledging the receipt of your letter or informing you of the safe arrival of the mutton until we should have an opportunity of judging of its goodness otherwise than by the eye. This...
30From George Washington to John Greenwood, 16 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 6th and the box which accompanied it came safe to hand. The contents of the latter were perfectly agreeable to me, and will, I am persuaded, answer the end proposed very well. Enclosed I send you Twenty dollars in payment for them and the repairs of the old ones, and, etc. P.S. That I may be certain that this letter and its contents has got safe to hand, be so good as to say...