To George Washington from Samuel Miller, 4 August 1793
From Samuel Miller
New York, Augt 4 1793
Sir,
Be pleased to accept of the Sermon herewith transmitted, as a small tribute of that Respect, Veneration, and Gratitude, which are due to You from every American, and among others.1 from
The Author.
AL, DLC:GW.
The Rev. Samuel Miller (1769–1850), a native of Delaware, had been ordained on 5 June 1793 and was currently serving in a joint pastorate of three Presbyterian congregations in New York City—Wall Street, Brick, and Rutgers Street churches. In 1813 he received an appointment as a professor of ecclesiastical history and church government at Princeton Theological Seminary, a position he held for over forty years.
1. The 38-page pamphlet, A Sermon, preached in New-York, July 4th, 1793. Being the Anniversary of the Independence of America: at the Request of the Tammany Society, or Columbian Order (New York City, 1793), was in GW’s library at the time of his death (, 142). GW expressed his appreciation for the sermon in a letter to Miller of 29 August: “It is but a few days since, that I had the pleasure to receive your polite letter of the 4th instant, which accompanied the Sermon delivered by you on the 4th of July: And I beg you will accept my best thanks for the attention shown in forwarding the same to me” (LS, NjP: George Washington, Miscellaneous MSS; LB, DLC:GW. The post office stamps on the cover read: “FREE” and “30 Au.” GW wrote “President U.S.” on the cover).