George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 21 March 1797

From Timothy Pickering

Department of State [Philadelphia] March 21. 1797.

Sir,

On the 18th I was honoured with your letter of the 14th covering an instrument directing the transfer of the streets and public lots in the City of Washington from Messrs Beall & Gantt to the Commissioners for that city: The seal of the United States has been affixed to it; and by to-morrow’s mail I shall send it to the Commissioners, as you desire.1

Dr Edwards has handed me the inclosed printed paper addressed to you by Sir John Sinclair; and says he expects some further communications to be forwarded to you, from the same quarter.2

We have yet no official intelligence concerning General Pinckney.3 I am with great & sincere respect Sir, your most obt servt

Timothy Pickering

ALS, DLC:GW; retained copy, MHi: Pickering Papers.

1A copy of this executive order of GW’s dated 2 Mar. 1797 is in DLC:GW.

2Sir John Sinclair, the president of Britain’s Board of Agriculture, wrote GW on 10 Sept. 1796: “For other Particulars, I must refer to our intelligent friend, Dr [Enoch] Edwards, to whose charge I take the Liberty of delivering a parcel, with some papers we have lately printed, and a Sandwich Box with the Egyptian Wheat, and some Straw Rings, of which I request your acceptance.” See GW to Enoch Edwards, 1 May 1797.

3Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746–1825) in July was named by GW to go to France to replace James Monroe as minister. Pinckney’s first letters to the secretary of state telling of his treatment by the French Directory are dated 20 Dec.1796 and 6, 15, and 24 Jan. 1797 (MHi: Pickering Papers). See James McHenry to GW, 24 Mar., and note 1 of that document.

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