George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Oliver Pollock, 26 February 1791

From Oliver Pollock

Philadelphia February 26th 1791

Sir,

In consequence of a claim, against me, transmitted to your Excellency, by Lewis Toutant Bourgard and S. L. Bourgeois dated New Orleans 14th of October 1789, I hope I shall stand excused for troubling your Excellency with the enclosed documents, the Originals of which are filed in the different offices of the United States, with many others, respecting my feeble services, during the late revolution.1

The long detail of facts mentioned in my Narrative which, at the time, those Events took place, was only intented for my own satisfaction may now, afford some information to your Excellency of what passed in the Western Country at that period.2 With perfect respect I have the honor to be Your Excellency’s Most obedient, and Most humble Servant

Olr Pollack

ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters.

For background to this letter, see Beauregard and Bourgeois to GW, 14 Oct. 1789, and notes.

1Among the enclosures in Pollock’s letter were copies of letters to the Board of Treasury from Pollock, 15 April 1788, from William Heth to Pollock, 22 April 1788, and from David Henley to Pollock, 15 May 1788, a detailed narrative by Pollock of his services to the United States during the Revolution, presented to Congress in 1783, a certificate by George Rogers Clark, 2 July 1785, concerning bills drawn by Pollock, a letter from Robert Morris to the governor of Virginia, 29 Oct. 1782, a report of a committee of the Confederation Congress, 22 Oct. 1782, dealing with Pollock’s accounts, a certificate, 1 May 1785, from Bernardo de Galvez, governor of Cuba, and a letter from Pollock to Beverley Randolph, 22 Jan. 1791, concerning his accounts (quoted in Beauregard and Bourgeois to GW, 14 Oct. 1789, source note). There may well have been additional enclosures since an endorsement, dated 26 April 1791 and in Tobias Lear’s writing, indicates that “Mr Pollock called twice & received several of the Papers mentioned in the within letter.”

2Under the terms of “An Act making Appropriations for the Support of Government for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two,” Pollock was voted $108,605.02 for discharging the principal and interest due on his liquidated claim for “supplies of clothing, arms, and military stores, during the late war,” provided that the sums should not be paid to Pollock without the consent of “the agents of the court of Spain” (1 Stat. description begins Richard Peters, ed. The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845 . . .. 8 vols. Boston, 1845-67. description ends [23 Dec. 1791] 226–29).

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