1March [1797] (Washington Papers)
1. Mercury at 24. Wind Westerly and cold all day. 2. Wind as yesterday; cloudy, cold & Raw all day. Towards night it began to Snow. Mercury at 26. 3. Mercury at 34. Morning very lowering & threatning but clear & pleasant afterwards. Wind fresh from the So. Wt. 4. Much such a day as yesterday in all respects. Mercury at 41. 5. Not unlike the two preceding days. M. at 50. 6. The wind Shifted to...
2[Diary entry: 3 March 1797] (Washington Papers)
3. Mercury at 34. Morning very lowering & threatning but clear & pleasant afterwards. Wind fresh from the So. Wt.
3From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
Before the curtain drops on my political life, which it will do this evening —I expect for ever—I shall acknowledge, although it be in a few hasty lines only; the receipt of your kind & affectionate letter of the 23d of January last. When I add, that according to custom, all the Acts of the Session, except two or three very unimportant Bills, have been presented to me within the last four...
4From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
Three things relative to the City of Washington call for my decision, and this is the last day I have Powers to give any. The first respects the dispute with Mr Law, touching the conveyances of Lotts; the second, to my approbation of the Plans for the Executive Offices; and the third, to the Instrument you transmitted to me in your letter of the 31st of January. With regard to the first,...
5Pardon for Benjamin Parkinson, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
To all persons to whom these Presents shall come Greeting. Whereas Benjamin Parkinson of the County of Washington in the State of Pennsylvania gentleman, now stands indicted of High-Treason committed within the said State—And whereas it is represented to me by David Lenox Esquire late Marshall of the District of Pennsylvania and others, that the Conduct of the said Benjamin Parkinson during...
6From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
At the conclusion of my public employments, I have thought it expedient to notice the publication of certain forged letters which first appeared in the year 1777, and were obtruded upon the public as mine. They are said by the editor to have been found in a small portmanteau that I had left in the care of my Mulatto servant named Billy, who, it is pretended, was taken prisoner at Fort Lee, in...
7From George Washington to Hans Alexander Siegfried von Steuben, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
I received your letter dated the 1st of September last, inquiring for the fortune of your deceased Brother, Baron Steuben. A former application from some relation of the Baron led me to inquire how he disposed of his estate, and I found that the payment of debts and claims would absorb the greater part, and that the residue was given to some particular friends to whom he was attached, and who...
8From George Washington to the U.S. Senate, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
I nominate Anthony Walton White of New-Jersey to be Surveyor for the Port of New Brunswick and Inspector of the Revenue for the same. LS , DNA : RG 46, entry 52; LB , DLC:GW . The Senate confirmed Anthony Walton White’s nomination on this date (see Senate Executive Journal Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America: From the commencement of the First, to...
9[Diary entry: 2 March 1797] (Washington Papers)
2. Wind as yesterday; cloudy, cold & Raw all day. Towards night it began to Snow. Mercury at 26.
10To George Washington from Joshua Lathrop, 2 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
At a time when you are receiving addresses from all the united States of America, and from many of the considerable corporations in Sd States. I fear it will be too much intruding upon your time & Patience to receive a line from a Person perhaps unknown to you, though you are well known to him. I never had the Pleasure of Seeing you or being in your Company but once which was in the year 1776...
11From George Washington to Henry Knox, 2 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
Amongst the last acts of my political life, and before I go hence into retirement, profound , will be the acknowledgment of your kind and affectionate letter from Boston—dated the 15th of January. From the friendship I have always borne you—and from the interest I have ever taken in whatever relates to your prosperity & happiness, I participated in the sorrows which I knew you must have felt...
12From George Washington to the U.S. Senate, 2 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
I nominate Joel Barlow of the State of Connecticut, to be Consul-General of the United States of America, for the City & Kingdom of Algiers. John Gavino to be Consul of the United States of America for the port of Gibraltar, in the room of James Simpson appointed Consul for Morocco. Frederick Folger of Maryland, to be Consul of the United States of America for the port & district of Aux-Cayes,...
13From George Washington to the U.S. Senate, 2 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
United States, 2 March 1797. GW makes appointments and promotions in the U.S. army and nominates a total of eight men, including two lieutenants in the light dragoons. One of those officers, James Vincent Ball, is appointed to replace John Posey who resigned as lieutenant in the light dragoons on 19 Oct 1795. GW also appoints a surgeon’s mate in the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers because...
14[Diary entry: 1 March 1797] (Washington Papers)
1. Mercury at 24. Wind Westerly and cold all day.
15To George Washington from James Anderson, 1 March 1797 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from James Anderson, 1 March 1797 . Anderson wrote GW on 8 March 1797 : “I wrote You on 1st” ( Papers, Retirement Series W. W. Abbot et al., eds. The Papers of George Washington, Retirement Series . 4 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1998–99. 1:20–23 ).
16Circular to United States Senators, 1 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
The President of the United States to [ ] Senator for the State of [ ]. It appearing to me proper that the Senate of the United States should be convened on Saturday the fourth day of March instant; You are desired to attend in the Chamber of the Senate on that day at eleven OClock in the forenoon to receive any communications which the President of the United States may then have to lay...
17To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 1 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to lay before the President of the United States the opinion of the Attorney General, that a secretary may be allowed to a Minister Resident, or Chargé des Affaires. The Secretary has considered the situation of our affairs with the Barbary powers, & particularly with Algiers, and the necessity of a consul to reside there. That altho’ Mr Barlow desires to...
18February [1797] (Washington Papers)
1. Wind No. Easterly in the Morning—So. Westerly afterwards and raining more or less all day. Mercury at 34 in the morning. 2. A good deal of rain fell last [night]. Cloudy Morning but clear & very pleasant afterwards. Wind westerly. Mercury 42. 3. Much such a day as yesterday but rather cooler. Wind same place. Mer. 30. 4. Wind at So. West—weather pleasant. Mercury at 32 in the morning. 5....
19[Diary entry: 28 February 1797] (Washington Papers)
28. Wind variable and grt. appearances all day of Snow. Mer. 35. Went to Mrs. Grattons concer[t] in the Evening. “M rs. G rattan Respectfully informs the Ladies and Gentlemen of the City, that the 5th ladies’ concert will be on tuesday , the 28th day of February, at the Assembly-Room.” The concert was to begin at 6:30, and “at half past eight, the music will attend for the ball.” The program,...
20To George Washington from William Barton, 28 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The near approach of the period of your leaving this city, suggests the propriety of my making a request, previous to Your departure, which I hope You will find no difficulty in granting—It is, Sir, that You will do me the favor of directing Your Secret[ar]y to return to me sundry Testimonials in my behalf, which I deposited in Your hands, soon after the Commencement of the Government. With a...
21From George Washington to George Clinton, 28 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 14th instt with a Postscript of the 24th came to my hands yesterday: and I hereby acknowledge the receipt of Mr Wilkes’s draught on the Cashier of the Bank of Pennsylvania for the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars on account of our joint concern in the lotts in Coxburgh—and which, as appears by the items of an account enclosed overpays my dividend of the receipts...
22To George Washington from Cornplanter, 28 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Speech of the Cornplanter to General Washington. “ Father : I thank the great spirit for protecting us through the Various paths which we have trod since I was last at this place —As I am told you are about to retire from public business, I have come to pay my last address to you as the great Chief of the fifteen fires, and am happy to find that I have arriv’d here in time to address you once...
23From George Washington to James McHenry, 28 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Let me entreat you to attend early this morning to a fit character as a Comsr to attend the proposed Treaty with the Indians, by Mr Morris; and on this head, and on the message proper to accompany the nomination, I wish you would advise with Colo. Pickering; who has had more to do in Indian Affairs than any other Officer now in the Government, and perhaps may more readily think of a proper...
24From George Washington to the U.S. House of Representatives, 28 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Having maturely considered the bill, to alter and amend an Act intitled an Act to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States, which was presented to me on the 22d day of this month I now return it to the house of Representatives, in which it originated, with my objections. First. If the bill passes into a law, the two companies of light dragoons will be from that moment...
25[Diary entry: 27 February 1797] (Washington Papers)
27. Wind at So. Et. & lowering but no fall, Mer: 36. Went to the theatre in the Evening. Playing at the New Theatre were a comedy, The Way to Get Married; a farce, Animal Magnetism; and “a new Pantomime Ballet Dance ... called Dermot & Kathleen,” composed by Mrs. Byrne, a member of the theater company ( Gaz. of the U.S. [Philadelphia], 27 Feb. 1797; SCHARF [1] J. Thomas Scharf and Thompson...
26From George Washington to James Anderson, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 22d with the weekly reports, was received on the 25th. As its contents, is chiefly matter of information, it requires but little to be said in reply: and as the public business presses upon me at this juncture, and I shall (I hope) be at Mount Vernon ’ere long, I will suspend giving any opinion, or directions relative to the business entrusted to you, in this letter;...
27To George Washington from Thomas Bourke, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Considering that I have not the honor of being known to you, I fear I shall be justly charged with an unreasonable share of Confidence, in the liberty I take in troubling you with this letter. About the Middle of last month, Genl Gun & Colo. Tatnal Signified to me their wish of seeing me Appointed Surveyor of the Port of Savannah in the State of Georgia, where I reside, And Genl Gunn was good...
28From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
As the curtain is about to close on the political scenes of my life; and consequently to terminate the agency I have had in the affairs of the Federal City; I will, as far as a very hurried situation will permit, take notice of such parts of your several letters as remain undecided on. Having already informed you, that a Bill is pending in Congress for incorporating the Commissioners of the...
29To George Washington from the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 20th would have been sooner attended to, but the mails have lately come in, very irregularly, & always late at night —mr Davidson’s will be taken up as soon as we have a full board, which will be the last of this or beginning of next week —what mr Davidson alludes to in his memorial, where he says, deviations have been made since the publication of the engraved plan, we know...
30From George Washington to George Washington Parke Custis, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 22d inst., as also one of the first, have been duly received. The affectionate sentiments contained in them, are highly pleasing to me. But that which affords a still higher gratification, is to hear that you are not only attentive to your studies, but pleased with them also. Hence, I draw the most agreeable presages, that you will reward my cares & anxieties to see you a...