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George Washington letters

 Collection
Identifier: MS-GAR-021

Scope and Contents

This collection includes six letters, two printed certificates, and an inscribed set of two volumes of Buffon's Natural History Abridged, all signed by George Washington between 1776 and 1798.

Of the six letters, two are addressed to James McHenry (1796 October 19 and 1798 August 10), one to Patrick Henry (1795 October 9), one to a Commodore Hazelwood (1777 October 28), one to a Christopher Richmond (1785 May 19), and one to his cousin Lund Washington (1776 September 30). The content of these letters ranges from personal correspondence, like that to Lund Washington, to confidential government or war-related correspondence, like that written to Patrick Henry. The letters with identified addresses were written from Mount Vernon or "Headquarters."

Both of the printed certificates relate to commissions in the United States Army, namely the discharge of Quartermaster Sergeant John Jones of Pennsylvania in 1783 and the commissioning of Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkinson in 1791, which is countersigned by Secretary of War, Henry Knox.

Dates

  • Creation: 1776 - 1798

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed at the John Work Garrett Library at Evergreen and is available by appointment only. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Special Collections department. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Biographical / Historical

First President of the United States, George Washington was born in Westmoreland, Virginia in the British Colonies of North America on February 22, 1732 to Augustine and Mary Ball Washington, prosperous Virginia farmers. He served as a Major during the French and Indian Wars in the 1750s and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in 1775 during the American Revolution. He was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and a combatant at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, before being elected President of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and President of the United States in 1789, a position he would hold until 1797. He died at Mount Vernon, Virginia in the United States on December 14, 1799 and is buried there.

Extent

0.167 Cubic Feet (9 items)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection includes six letters, two printed certificates, and an inscribed set of two volumes of Buffon's Natural History Abridged, all signed by George Washington between 1776 and 1798.

Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the John Work Garrett Library (Evergreen Museum and Library) Repository

Contact:
4545 N. Charles Street
Baltimore MD 21218 USA