To George Washington from Charles McKiernan, 30 October 1785
From Charles McKiernan
Philadelphia October 30th 1785.
Sir.
The inclosed letter from Sir. Edward Newingham with the small package that accompanies this, I hoped to have the honor of delivering to your Excellency in person, but I find that my deceased fathers affairs require my immediate attention in this quarter.
I regret Sir. that no opportunity has offered to forward them to you before.1
Somtime before I return to Europe I intend myself the honor to wait on your Excellency in person, to receive your commands, should you be pleased to favour me with any, for that part of the world—I am respectfully your Excellencys most Humble and verry Obedient servant
Charles McKiernan
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. GW wrote Sir Edward Newenham on 25 Nov. to thank him for “Magazines, Gazettes &ca” and for three letters, one of 3 Mar., one of 25 May, and one of 23 July, none of which have been found. McKiernan enclosed one of these letters here with the package from Newenham, and he then sent the third under this cover: “Sir I wrote your Excellency, the 31st Ultimo, and sent a package with a letter enclosed in mine, from Sir Edwd Newingham, Pr Doctor Eustace, on looking over my Apparel, I find another Address’d to Your Excellency, which I was not Apprized of.” McKiernan dates this covering letter “October 8th 1785,” and GW notes that he did not receive it until 25 Nov., the day that he wrote Newenham thanking him for the package and three letters. The contents of McKiernan’s covering letter and the fact that on 10 Dec. GW acknowledges McKiernan’s letters of 30 Oct. and 8 Nov. strongly suggest that McKiernan’s letter should be dated 8 Nov. and not 8 October. The “packet” that McKiernan sent on 8 Nov. was in fact intended for Thomas Bibby (GW to Bibby, 10 Dec).