From George Washington to David Stuart, 4 March 1793
To David Stuart
Phila. March 4th 1793
Dear Sir,
Since writing my letter of yesterday, I have recd the enclosed from Mr Jefferson, w[hic]h I send to you just as I recd it.1 I am Dr Sir &c.
G. W——
Note the enclosed was the copies of 2 letters writte[n] by Mr Jefferson to Mr Ellicott, w[hic]h he says is all that he has written to him in the years of 1792 & 93.2
Copy, in Tobias Lear’s writing, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DLC:GW.
1. The enclosed letter from Thomas Jefferson of 4 Mar. reads: “Th: Jefferson presents his respectful compliments to the President. apprehensive that there has been some misconception of his correspondence with mister Ellicot, he incloses to the President full copies of the only letters he has written to mister Ellicot in the course of the years 1792. & 1793. the last of them was written with no other view than to prevent public altercation between mister Ellicot and the Commissioners, and after having received the President’s opinion that it was desireable to prevent it. Th: J. will thank the President to make any use of the letters which may remove any suspicions excited by an inexact idea of them” (DLC: Jefferson Papers).
2. Jefferson wrote to surveyor Andrew Ellicott on 3 July 1792 and 15 Jan. 1793 ( 24:151, 25:54–55). In the January letter he sought to convince Ellicott not to quarrel publicly with the D.C. commissioners. For more on Jefferson’s alleged support of Ellicott, see Jefferson to GW, 14 Feb. (second letter), David Stuart to GW, 18 Feb., GW to Stuart, 3 Mar. 1793.