To George Washington from John Marsden Pintard, 20 November 1793
From John Marsden Pintard
Madeira 20th November 1793
Sir
Mr Lear under date of the 20th of August last desiers me to Ship for you two pipes of wine by the first opportunity that would Sail from this port for Philadelphia after the Receipt of His letter. He Requests me also to address my letters to you as he was about leaving your family in a few weeks after the date of his Letter to form a Commercial Establishment at the new City of Washington on the Potomack. In consequence of which I now have the Honor to Inform you that By this Conveance the Sloop Lively Capt. Stephen Moore I have Shiped two pipes of choice old wine for you to the address of Mr Joseph Sims of Philadelphia amounting to £76 Sterling as per Invoice herewith enclosed. which I wish Safe to hand and to your liking.1 The American Ship John of Boston Sailed from this a few days ago for India. I shiped by her to the Care of Mr Benjamine Joy owner & Passenger on board a pipe of very choice old wine with directions to him to Ship it to the Care of thomas Russell of Boston from India It amounts to £40 Sterling being Cased as per Invoice enclosed.2 the freight to Boston will be £15 Str. I have desired Mr Russell to Hold it at your disposall if you think proper to take If not He has my directions How to dispose of it. If you Conclude on taking it you will be So obliging as to Settle with Mr Joseph Sims for the amount thereof as well as the amount of the two pipes I now Ship you by the Sloop Lively. Should you not think proper to take the pipe that is gone to India you will be So obliging as to Inform Mr Russell So that he may otherwise dispose of it as I have directed him Mrs Pintard 3 begs her Best Respects May be presented to you and Mrs Washington and I have the Honor to be with profound Respect Sir Your Most obedient and very Humble Sert
John M. Pintard
ALS, DLC:GW; ALS, duplicate, DLC:GW. The cover of the duplicate is stamped “York Feb. 1.”
1. This invoice, dated at Madeira 20 Nov., listed “2 Pipes Old particular Madeira Wine at £ 38,” for a total charge of “£ Stg 76:0:0” (DLC:GW). Joseph Sims (c.1760–1851) was a merchant on Water Street in Philadelphia. The sea captain Stephen Moore resided on Penn Street in Philadelphia. The arrival at Philadelphia of Moore’s ship Lively from Madeira and St. Eustatius was noted in the Philadelphia Gazette and Universal Daily Advertiser, 25 Jan. 1794.
2. The version of this invoice that was sent with Pintard’s ALS has not been identified. According to the copy of both invoices that accompanied the duplicate, it was dated 12 Nov. and charged “£ Stg 40:0:0” for “1 Painted pipe Cased of Choice Old particular Madeira wine” (DLC:GW). On 16 Dec. 1796, GW paid $177.78 to the Philadelphia firm Pettit & Bayard for the wine (). For the delivery of this wine to GW in late 1795, see Benjamin Joy to Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., 4 Nov. 1795, DLC:GW; Thomas Russell to Dandridge, 26 Nov. 1795 and 2 Jan. 1796, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; and Dandridge to Russell, 23 Dec. 1795, ViMtvL.
3. Elizabeth Naomi Pintard, originally from Ireland, had married John Pintard at Madeira in 1785. The two divorced by 1803, when he remarried, and she married Silas Talbot in 1808.