To George Washington from John Peck, 16 August 1786
From John Peck
Piscataway [Md.], 16 August, 1786
Sir,
In compliance with the enclosed resolve I have the honor to transmit the Diplomas of the Cincinnati of New-Jersey. It would have afforded me inexpressible satisfaction to have presented them in person, but the duty I owe the nearest connextion in life requires that I should dispense with that happiness.1 I am Sir With the highest respect & esteem Your Most Obedient Very Humb. Servt
Jno. Peck
ALS, DLC:GW. A copy of the letter, marked “Duplicate,” has an asterisk before “resolve” referring to the notation: “An extract of the resolve of the Society signed by the Secretary.” Peck enclosed the duplicate in a letter to GW of 5 Mar. 1787. GW docketed the letter “From Captn Jno. Peck.” In DLC:GW, dated 4 July 1786 (misfiled 4 July 1788), there is an excerpt of the minutes of the New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati containing the resolve, signed by Andrew Hunter, that Peck be authorized to obtain GW’s signature to eighty diplomas.
John Peck (c.1754–c.1795), formerly of New Jersey, had replaced his Princeton classmate Philip Fithian in 1774 as tutor to Robert Carter’s children at Nomini Hall in Westmoreland County. He later married Anne Tasker Carter, his former pupil, and lived in Richmond County at Bladensfield which had been formerly a part of the Nomini Hall plantation. He was probably the John Peck who joined the 2d New Jersey Regiment as a second lieutenant in November 1776 and retired in 1783 as a brevet captain.
1. Horatio Clagett wrote GW from Piscataway on 4 Sept.: “The Bearer will deliver you a Bundle that was left with me by a Mr Peck, late an Officer of the Jersey line, who is now in Virginia, and will do himself the honor to call on you in a few days on his Return to Jersey” (DLC:GW). Peck wrote again to GW, from Robert Carter’s Nomini Hall, on 4 September.