To George Washington from Francis Johnston, 23 February 1784
From Francis Johnston
Philada Feby 23d 1784.
Sir
At the request of Captain Paschke of the Light Dragoons and, Captains De Marcellin and Le Roy late of the 2d P. Regt; I beg leave to inform Your Excellency that they are going to Europe and are desirous of receiving from your own hand a Certificate of their being Members of the Cincinnati Society1—they have all signed the Institution in due form and lodged with me an Order on the Paymaster General for a Months-pay respectively—this being the case I hope they will not fail in their present application. My most respectful Compts attend Mrs Washington & am with the highest sentiments of Esteem Your Excellency’s Most Obt & Very Hble Servant
F. Johnston Treasr of the Cincinnati Society
of Penna and Secy ⅌ tem
ALS, DSoC.
Francis Johnston (1748–1815), colonel of the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment until his retirement on 17 Jan. 1781, was assistant treasurer of the Society of the Cincinnati. In 1785 he was elected treasurer.
1. Frederick Christopher Paschke (Paschka), who served under Casimir Pulaski, was more recently deputy quartermaster in the southern department of the Continental army. Antoine-Claude de Marcellin and Nicholas-Georges Le Roy were both commissioned in the 2d Pennsylvania Regiment on 28 July, and both remained in the service until 20 June 1784, when they returned to France. See Marcellin and Le Roy to GW, 4 Mar. 1784.