1. GW wrote King George III of Great Britain on this date: “Thomas Pinckney who for several years has resided with you as the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, having desired to return to America, we have yielded to his request. He will accordingly take his leave of you; embracing that occasion to assure you of our Friendship and sincere desire to preserve and strengthen the harmony and good understanding so happily subsisting between the two Nations, and which will be further manifested by his Successor. We are persuaded, that he will do this in the manner most expressive of these sentiments, and of the respect and sincerity with which they are offered. We pray God to keep you, Great and Good Friend, under his holy protection” (LB, DNA: RG 59, entry 33).

GW again wrote George III from Philadelphia on 7 June: “I have made choice of Rufus King, one of our distinguished citizens, to reside near your Majesty, in the quality of Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. He is well informed of the relative interests of the two Countries, and of our sincere desire to cultivate and strengthen the friendship and good correspondence between us; and from a knowledge of his fidelity, probity and good conduct, I have entire confidence that he will render himself acceptable to your Majesty and to us, by his constant endeavours to preserve and advance the interest and happiness of both Nations. I, therefore, request your Majesty to receive him favourably and to give full credence to whatever he shall say to you on the part of the United States; and most of all when he shall assure you of their friendship and wishes for your prosperity: and I pray God to have your Majesty in his safe, and holy keeping” (copy, DNA: RG 59, entry 33). See also Alexander Hamilton to GW, 10 May, and GW to Hamilton, 15 May.

In a letter of credence to Queen Charlotte Sophia of Great Britain also written on this date, GW explained that his knowledge of Rufus King’s “good qualities gives me full confidence that he will so conduct himself as to merit Your esteem and I pray that you yield entire Credence to the assurances which he will give you of Our Friendship” (LB, UkWC-A: Letterbook of Queen Charlotte; LB, DNA: RG 59, entry 33).

2. GW wrote King Charles IV of Spain on 11 June: “The interests of the United States which were committed to the care of William Short, Minister Resident near you for the United States of America, admitting of his absence, and the state of his health requiring a change of climate, he has desired permission to return to America. We have, therefore, yielded to his request. He will accordingly take his leave of you; embracing that occasion to assure you of our friendship and sincere desire to preserve and strengthen the harmony and good understanding so happily subsisting between the two Nations, and which will be further manifested by his successor. We are persuaded that he will do this in the manner most expressive of these sentiments, and of the respect and sincerity with which they are offered. We pray God to keep you, Great and good Friend, under his holy protection” (LB, DNA: RG 59, Credences; copy, ViW: William Short Papers).

Secretary of State Timothy Pickering wrote David Humphreys on the same date: “I have the pleasure to inform you, that the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States has appointed you their minister plenipotentiary to Spain. But the negociations with the Barbary powers, which were committed to your management, remaining incomplete; and even the peace concluded with Algiers being in jeopardy, the President deems it necessary that you should, for the present, continue the prosecution of those affairs, as well as your ordinary functions of Minister Resident at Lisbon. The progress of the Barbary affairs you will of course from time to time communicate to this Department; These communications will indicate the moment when the public interests will admit your transfer to Madrid … In the mean time the new appointment will be to you a grateful evidence of the President’s remembrance of your long and faithful services to your Country, and of his continued confidence in your integrity and abilities” (DNA: RG 59, Diplomatic and Consular Instructions; see also GW to Charles IV of Spain, 20 Feb. 1797, in DNA: RG 59, Credences, entry 33). The delay in transferring Humphreys, who did not arrive in Madrid until August 1797, also impacted the appointment of John Quincy Adams as minister to Portugal (see GW’s third letter to the U.S. Senate, 28 May).