To George Washington from Lawrence Lewis, 24 July 1797
From Lawrence Lewis
Fauquier County July 24th 1797
My Dear Sir,
I return you my sincere thanks for the kind invitation I received when last at Mount Vernon, to make it my home and that whilest there my services would be acceptable—This invitation was the more pleasing to me from a desire of being serviceable to you and from a hope in fulfiling those duties assigned me I should derive some improvement by them.
Un-tutored in almost every branch of business, I can only promise a ready and willing obedience to any instruction or command you may please to give.
I should have been with you ere this, but for the unavoidable detention by my Servant’s runing away, and, that at a time when I was nearly ready for my departure—I have been ever since in pursuit of him without success—The uncertainty of getting a Servant, or my runaway, will probably detain me untill the 25th of August; but not a moment longer than is unavoidable.1 With sincere regard for my Aunt, and family I remain your affectionate Nephew
Lawrence Lewis
ALS, NjMoHP.
Lawrence Lewis (1767–1839), son of Fielding Lewis and GW’s sister, Betty Lewis, in 1794 served as General Daniel Morgan’s aide-de-camp in the campaign to put down the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania.
1. Lewis arrived on the evening of 31 Aug. 1797 to take up residence at Mount Vernon. On GW’s sixty-seventh birthday, 22 Feb. 1799, Lewis was married to another resident of Mount Vernon, Martha Washington’s granddaughter Eleanor Parke Custis. See GW’s response to the letter on 4 August.