From George Washington to La Luzerne, 5 May 1784
To La Luzerne
Philada 5th May 1784
Sir,
It was not until Capt: Hardwine deliver’d the Claret your Excellency was so obliging as to spare me, that I had the least knowledge of its being sent. In consequence of your kind offer to furnish me with three hogsheads, I wrote to Colo. Tilghman (at Baltimore) requesting him to receive & forward it to me; & obtained for answer, that before Your Excellys order had reached your Agent at that place, the Wine had been shipped for Philaa. In this belief & ignorance, I remained ’till the Wine was actually delivered to me when you were at my Seat in Virginia.1
I have given you the trouble of reading this detail to apologize for my not having paid for the Wine sooner. Colo. Biddle will now have the honor of doing it 2—& I pray your Excelly to receive my thanks for the favor you did me by sparing this quantity from your own Stock. With the greatest personal attachment & consideration, I have the honor to be &ca
G. Washington
LB, DLC:GW.
1. La Luzerne offered the claret to GW in September 1783 (see GW to La Luzerne, 22 Sept. 1783, ALS, FrPMAE: Memoires et Documents, Etats-Unis, vol. 5-6). GW wrote to Tench Tilghman on 2 Oct. 1783 (ALS, PWacD: Sol Feinstone Collection, on deposit PPAmP); Tilghman’s reply has not been found. La Luzerne visited GW not long before GW left for Philadelphia. See Armand to GW, 4 Feb. 1784, and La Luzerne to GW, 18 Feb. 1784.
2. See GW to Biddle, 6 May 1784.