To James Madison from Bushrod Washington, 23 March 1820
From Bushrod Washington
Mount Vernon March 23. 1820
Dear Sir
Since my return from Washington the trunk in my possession, containing letters to & from the General, has been carefully examined, and the enclosed have been taken from the bundles found in it. Not doubting but that a much larger number of your letters are in the trunks at Richmond, I have written to the Chief Justice to request that he will in the course of the summer look over those bundles and enclose to me all that he can find from you to the General. Those now enclosed are dated 4 Jany 90—6 april 89—24 Octr. 93—29 Jany & 1 Decr 96.1
As soon as I receive those from Richmond, they shall be forwarded to you or to Mr Cutts—I am very respectfully Dear Sir Your Mo. ob. Servt.
Bush. Washington
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. For the letters of JM to George Washington, 6 Apr. 1789, 4 Jan. 1790, 24 Oct. 1793, and 1 Dec. 1796, see 12:49–50, 466–67, 15:129–31, 16:418–19. JM’s letter to Washington of 29 Jan. 1796 has not been found. At some point in his retirement, as an aid to compiling a complete collection of his papers, JM composed a list of thirty-nine letters “from G. Washington to J.M. on the files of the former and not of J.M.” and “from G.W. to J.M on the files of the latter & not of G.W.s” (DLC: Rives Collection, Madison Papers; 1 p.).