To George Washington from John Marshall, 22 June 1798
From John Marshall
Philadelphia June 22d [17]98
Dear Sir
Your letter to Genl Dumas was deliverd by me to his lady from whom in consequence of it I receivd during my stay in Paris the most polite & flattering attentions. She deliverd me the inclosd answer which was written in Copenhagen & forwarded to her. Having heard that Mrs Marshall is in Winchester I shall immediately set out for that place.1
Permit me Sir to acknowledge the receipt of your very polite & obliging letter in answer to that which I did myself the honor to address to you from the Hague. I had not sir expected to draw you into a correspondence which might intrude on your liesure but meerly to do myself the pleasure of communicating to you occasionally such facts as it might be agreeable to you to receive.2 With the most sincere respect & attachment I remain Sir your obedt Servt
J. Marshall
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. GW’s letter to Gabriel-Mathieu (Guillaume-Mathieu), Comte Dumas is dated 24 June 1797. See Dumas to GW, 27 Feb. 1798.
2. See GW to Marshall, 4 Dec. 1797. GW responded from Mount Vernon on 15 July to this letter of 22 June from Marshall: “Dear Sir, Your favour of the 22d Ulto from Philadelphia, came duly to hand, and I regretted exceedingly that it would not be in my power to see you in your way to Richmond. I hope your return will give perfect restoration of health to Mrs Marshall—and that you found all the rest of your family & connections well.
“I was glad to find that the only letter I wrote to you, while you were in France, had got to your hands. I should at least have acknowledged the receipt of the several letters you were so good as to favour me with, after your arrival at Paris, but judging from the situation in wch you were placed, by the Directory of that Country, that they would not find you there, I declined it on that account; and now offer you my sincere congratulations on your safe return to your own Country, family & friends—among whom I pray you to class him who is with very sincere esteem and regard Dear Sir Your Most Obedt Servant Go: Washington” (ALS, MWiW).