George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-25-02-0417

To George Washington from Samuel Huntington, 9 May 1780

From Samuel Huntington

Philadelphia May 9. 1780.

sir,

I have been honoured with your Excellency’s Despatches of the 28th Ulto and 5th instant1 By Letters from Martinique (via Eustatia) I have the Pleasure and Satisfaction to find that the Honble Messrs Jay and Gerard arrived safe at Cadiz on the 22d of January after a Passage of twenty five from Martinique.2

The enclosed Extract of a Letter from one of the Council of South Carolina will give your Excellency the latest Intelligence received from that Quarter.3 I have the honour to be with Sentiments of the highest respect & Esteem your Excelly’s obedt hbbl. servant

Sam. Huntington

LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 14. GW indicated that Huntington’s letter arrived on 12 May when he replied on 13 May (DNA:PCC, item 152).

1Huntington is referring to GW’s letter to him dated 5–6 May.

2New Jersey delegate John Fell wrote New Jersey governor William Livingston from Philadelphia on 7 May reporting the same news regarding the arrival in Spain of John Jay, U.S. minister to that country, and former French minister Conrad-Alexandre Gérard. That letter reads: “I have the Pleasure to informe your Excellency of the safe arrival of our mutual friend Mr. Jay at Cadiz in 25 days from Martinico, I think it was on the 22d January (a fine Passage indeed). The account came this after noon from Martinico Via St Eustaius in the Active, Capt. Mesnard, in 14 days” (Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 15:94–95).

3The enclosed extract was a portion of a letter from South Carolina privy council member John Lewis Gervais to Henry Laurens, dated 17 April (DLC:GW; see also James Duane to GW, this date). For another version of this extract, see Board of War to GW, this date, source note.

John Lewis Gervais (c.1741–1798), born in Germany, arrived at Charleston, S.C., in 1764 and acquired land and wealth as a merchant and planter. Active in South Carolina politics, he served in Congress in 1782 and 1783. For details on his political services, see Bailey, Bio. Dir. of the S.C. Senate description begins N. Louise Bailey et al., eds. Biographical Directory of the South Carolina Senate, 1776–1985. 3 vols. Columbia, S.C., 1986. description ends , 1:559–62.

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