From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 23 November 1778

To Henry Laurens

Head Quarters Fredericksbg [N.Y.] 23d Novemr 1778

Sir

John Temple Esqr. will have the honor of presenting this to your Excellency. I do not know what Mr Temple’s views are; but it seems he has some application to make to Congress. I never had till now the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with him, but from the terms in which Mr Bowdoin speaks of him, as your Excellency will perceive by the inclosed letter,1 and from other recommendations I have had of him, I consider him as a Gentleman of sense and merit and of warm attachment to the rights of his Country, for which he appears to have suffered greatly in the present contest. I have the Honor to be with the highest Respect Your Excellency’s most obt Servt

Go: Washington

LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DNA:PCC, item 152; Df, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC, item 169; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Congress read this letter on 3 Dec. (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 12:1186).

1. See James Bowdoin to GW, 7 November.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 23 November 1778
Author: Washington, George
Recipient: Laurens, Henry
Date: 23 November 1778

Reference

Cite as: “From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 23 November 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-18-02-0278. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 18, 1 November 1778 – 14 January 1779, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008, pp. 269–270.]

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