George Washington Papers
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To George Washington from Robert Carter Nicholas, 23 January 1756

From Robert Carter Nicholas

Williamsburg 23d Jany 1756

Dear Sir.

I was favour’d with yr Letter some Time ago, but know of no Opportunity of answering it sooner than by Capt. Mercer, as, upon Enquiry, I have not been able to hear any Thing of Jenkins. The Snuff Box was properly return’d & I took the Liberty of communicating the extatick Paragraph of your Letter; what Blushes & Confusion it occasioned I shall leave you to guess.1 It is with no small Concern that I hear of your being impeded in the Enterprize you’ve Undertaken by Pretensions that appear to me groundless & unreasonable; but I hope Matters will be soon accommodated to your Liking.2 There is a Ship lately arrived from England, which brings Nothing worth mentioning, except his Majesty’s Speech & the Addresses of both Houses; the former of which breaths such paternal Tenderness for the Subject, & the Latter are fill’d with such Expressions of Loyalty & Confidence that our Enemies can have no Room to hope for Success from the much wished for Disunion of Sentiments in the King & People, but rather I hope have just Reason to dread the Resentment of a British Parliament. I heartily wish you a more succesful Campaign than you have hitherto met with & I should at all Times be glad to hear of yr Welfare being truly Yr affte humble Sert

Robt. Carter Nicholas

Mrs Nicholas’s best Wishes attend you.

ALS, DLC:GW.

Robert Carter Nicholas (1729–1780) was elected to the House of Burgesses from York County in Mar. 1756, and 10 years later he succeeded John Robinson as treasurer of the colony. Though a reluctant revolutionary, Nicholas participated in forming the new state government; and in 1778 he, Edmund Pendleton, and George Wythe were made justices of the High Court of Chancery. See GW to William Fairfax, 23 April 1755, n.8.

1. GW’s letter with “the extatick Paragraph” has not been found and the identity of its subject is not known.

2. Nicholas is referring to Capt. John Dagworthy’s claims to seniority at Fort Cumberland.

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    Washington Papers
    Title
    To George Washington from Robert Carter Nicholas, 23 January 1756
    Author
    Nicholas, Robert Carter
    Recipient
    Washington, George
    Date
    23 January 1756

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To George Washington from Robert Carter Nicholas, 23 January 1756,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-02-02-0300. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, vol. 2, 14 August 1755 – 15 April 1756, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983, pp. 295–296.]

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