George Washington Papers
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To George Washington from Pierre Charles Varlé, 4 February 1796

From Pierre Charles Varlé

Philadelphia 4 februair [1796]

General

The Subscriber French Engeneer, an habitant of This Country These two years & a half, & who has made The plans of This City, of Newyork, a chart of St Domingue, & has begun a canal in This country,1 would wish to merit your patronage; The managers of The said canal not being here, he has only his work to recommend him, which he will present to you, if you will do him The honor to See him. he is with respect General your most humble and obedient Sarvent

Varlé present.

ALS, DLC:GW. The year is taken from the docket, which is consistent with what is known of Varlé’s life.

Pierre Charles Varlé, who was educated in France but moved to Saint Domingue when the French Revolution commenced, was one of the refugees who came to the United States after the burning of Cap François in 1793. Initially settling in Philadelphia, he later moved to Baltimore. Varlé worked as an engineer, but he is best known as a mapmaker. He continued producing maps as late as 1833 (Richard W. Stephenson, “Charles Varlé: Nineteenth Century Cartographer,” Proceedings of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping: 32nd Annual Meeting [Washington, D.C., 1972], 189–98; John A. Munroe, “Pierre Charles Varlé and His Map of Delaware,” Delaware History, 22 [1986]: 22–38).

1Varlé’s published maps include To the citizens of Philadelphia this plan of the city and its environs is respectfully dedicated by the editor and Carte de la Partie Françoise de St. Domingue Faite par Bellin Ingr. de la Marine et depuis augmentée par P.C. Varlé et autres Ingrs. A Map of the French Part of St. Domingo. His New York map has not been identified. Varlé had been working for Henry Knox on the design of a canal in Maine (see Knox to Varlé, 9 Aug., and 14 and 21 Oct. 1795; and Varlé to Knox, 28 Sept. and 10 Oct. 1795, all NNGL: Knox Papers).

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