George Washington Papers
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George and Martha Washington to Elizabeth Willing Powel, 21 February 1793

George and Martha Washington to Elizabeth Willing Powel

[Philadelphia] Wednesday 21st February 1793.1

The President and Mrs Washington offer the Compliments of the day to Mrs Powell.2 They sincerely wish her the return of many anniversaries of it. that with each her happiness may increase—& the satisfaction of her friends thereby promoted.

The President and Mrs Washington would, with pleasure, have been of Mrs Powell’s party on the present occasion, this evening, had it not been for the late event which has happened in their family.3

L, in GW’s writing, ViMtvL.

1GW originally dated this letter “Wednesday 20th February 1793”; while altering the date to the “21st,” he failed to change the day of the week to Thursday.

2Elizabeth Willing Powel and her husband, Samuel Powel, were good friends of the Washington family. For a poem that GW sent to Mrs. Powel in honor of her birthday, see his undated letter to her of February 1793, and note 1.

3The “late event” was the death of GW’s nephew, George Augustine Washington (GW to William Washington, 30 Jan. 1793, n.1).

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