George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Jean Le Mayeur, 2 November 1785

From Jean Le Mayeur

Richmond 2 9bre [November] 1785

sir

the letters of introduction your Excellency was pleased to honor me for frederiskBurg and Richmond have all been delivered, in consequance of them i have received Great civility from Mr Fitzhugh, General Spotswood, the attornay General, Mr harrison spiker of the house of delegates, Mr Carry, speker of the Senate, and Mr George weeb;1 i have dine or Engage’d to dine with Every one of this gentlemen. i Lodge in the same house with Col. Carry and we dine togedeur whan he is in town.

Gouvneur henry to whom i Gave the first letter offerd me his services.

i am short of Expretion to make proper thinks for your Excellencys fevors as well by these letters of introduction as by your other kindness. also to make to honorable Mrs Washington sufficient ackenoledgments for the Extreme obligation i am under to her—i have the honor to be with a Great Respect of your Excellency the most obeissain and humble serviteur

doct. Le Mayeur

The races have bigen this day and the flage of trus bilong to Mr Good wene, also at petesburg.2

ALS, DLC:GW.

1Jean-Pierre Le Mayeur, the French dentist who worked on GW’s teeth in 1783 and again at Mount Vernon in the summer of 1784, visited Mount Vernon in September 1785 when GW wrote for him the missing letters of introduction to William Fitzhugh of Chatham, who was a member of the state senate, to Gen. Alexander Spotswood (1751–1818), to Attorney General Edmund Randolph, to Speaker of the House Benjamin Harrison (d. 1791), to President of the Senate Archibald Cary, and to George Webb (b. 1729) of New Kent County, former state treasurer. Le Mayeur ran a notice dated 18 Oct. for two months in the Virginia Gazette, or the American Advertiser “to inform the LADIES and GENTLEMEN that he has arrived in the City of Richmond, where he intends to stay a few weeks, and will perform any operations on the teeth, hitherto performed in Europe, such as transplanting, &c. &c. &c. Besides, he puts natural teeth instead of false, to people who cannot have naturalties” (29 Oct.1785). In November Le Mayeur advertised “Any Person that will dispose of their FRONT TEETH (slaves excepted) may receive TWO GUINEAS for each” (Virginia Gazette, or the American Advertiser, 26 Nov.).

2Le Mayeur was saying: “The races have begun this day and Flag of Truce belonging to Mr Goode won.” Colonel Goode’s Flag of Truce also won, on 4 Oct., the second race of the Fredericksburg Jockey Club Purse (Virginia Gazette, or the American Advertiser, 22 Oct.). Flag of Truce, reportedly the winner often out of the eleven purses that he ran during his career in Virginia, was acquired as a colt by Col. Robert Goode of Whitby of Chesterfield County.

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