To George Washington from James Craik, 15 June 1793
From James Craik
Mount Vernon June 15th 1793
Dear Sir
It is painful to communicate dissagreeable intelligence, but I am induced by a regard to your Intrest, and the earnest request of Mr Whitting your Manager to give you immediate information of his Situation—His Complaints which for sometime past, have been doubtful as to their Issue, have at last assumed a more certain Character and are hastening fast to a termination—He is now labouring under the Effects of a Confirmed Consumption of the Lungs which from the great discharge of Matter must soon take him off; if Some unexpected favourable change should not take place1—His situation is Such at present as to disqualify him from attention to any business—This makes him extremly Solicitouse that you Should as Soon as possible send Some person to take charge of your affairs here; & make a Settlement of his Accounts—He Seems desirous that Mr Dandridge should be the person as he has before Settled Some Account with him2—I am extremely Sorry for the loss you will probably sustain, in this man—it will at least be felt untill his place shall be Supplied, which I fear cannot be easily done3—Some Steps he considers absolutely necessary to be taken immediately as he appears convinced he can last but a very little time, and that in a Situation unfit for Business—We have been disstressed at the information of your bad health since you returned to Philadelphia last4 but we flatter our selves you will not neglect any thing which may conduce to your recovery, that this may be Speedy & that both you & Mrs Washington may long live to enjoy that, as well as every other Blessing in this life, is & shall be the Sincere prayer of your much obliged & very huml. Sert
Jas. Craik
ALS, PHi: Gratz Collection; ALS (photocopy), DLC:GW; ALS (photocopy), ViMtvL.
1. For GW’s previous knowledge of Anthony Whitting’s precarious health, see GW to Whitting, 9 June 1793. Whitting died on 21 June 1793 (Tobias Lear to GW, 24 June 1793).
2. For Whitting’s settlement of an account with Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., who currently was one of GW’s secretaries in Philadelphia, see GW to Whitting, 21 April 1793, n.5.
3. GW’s nephew Howell Lewis served temporarily as GW’s manager until GW hired William Pearce in August (GW to William Stuart, Hiland Crow, and Henry McCoy, 14 July, to Pearce, 26 Aug., Pearce to GW, 30 Aug. 1793). For GW’s difficulty in finding a new manager, see Richard Fitzhugh to GW, 6 July, GW to William Tilghman, 21 July 1793.
4. For GW’s recent illness, see Lear to Thomas Jefferson, 31 May 1793. GW had arrived at Mount Vernon on 2 April, and he departed for Philadelphia on 13 April (GW to D.C. Commissioners, 3 April, to James Keith, 13 April 1793; , 107).