To George Washington from Samuel Powel, 21 August 1786
From Samuel Powel
Philadelphia 21st August 1786
Dear Sir
I have now to acknowlege the Receipt of your Letter, of May 25, in Answer to mine inclosing Col. Morgan’s Essay. I beg you will not imagine that the transcribing it was troublesome to me. The Pleasure arising from a Communication in which you were interested abundantly compensated for the Time employed in making it; &, I hope, I need not add that I shall think myself happy to be of use to you on any Occasion.
Dr Griffith delivered me your Letter of the 5th of April. I should have been pleased to have had it in my Power to have furthered his Views with Convenience to myself; but, to have fallen in with his Plans, I must have withdrawn from the national Bank, what would have [been] requisite to accomplish them. Had my Situation corresponded to his Wishes your Recommendation would have proved an additional Inducement.
Mrs Powel begs Leave to join me in offering our best Thanks to you & Mrs Washington for your obliging Invitation. Be assured that should we ever determine upon visiting Virginia, the pleasure of paying you a Visit will not be the least of the Gratifications we should expect to derive from such a Journey.1 Our best Wishes attend you both, and I am Dear Sir, Your most obedt humble Servt
Samuel Powel
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Elizabeth Powel added a postscript: “Altho I well know that a Postscript is by no means essential to a Gentleman’s Letter, yet I am willing to avail myself of Mr Powels Permission of adding one to his. Tho I am sensible your Time may be more satisfactorily employed than by attending to the Ladies Concerns, yet allow me to arrest your Attention so long as to request the Favor of you to forward the enclosed Letter to my Friend Mrs Fitzhugh. I am at a Loss for her Address, at this Season of the Year, well knowing she annually ⟨q⟩uits Fredricksburg for the more cool & healthy Residence of Colo. Meade. My Satisfaction is compleat every Time that I can renew to you the Sentiments of Esteem & Affection with which I am Your sincere Friend Eliza Powel.” Richard Kidder Meade’s wife, the former Ann Randolph of Chatsworth, was the niece of William Fitzhugh of Chatham, near Fredericksburg. The Meades lived at Lucky Hit near the Blue Ridge Mountains in Frederick, now in Clarke County. The Meades’ first child, Ann Randolph Meade, was born at Chatham in 1781 and named for Mrs. Fitzhugh, also a Randolph. See 1:196–205.