1From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 12 October 1783 (Washington Papers)
While I thought there was a probability of my letters finding you in France, I wrote frequently to you there; and very long epistles too—My last was dated the 15th of June—between that, & the letter which must have been handed to you by the Chevr Chartellux, I addressed three others, under the following dates—March 23d—April 5th—& May 10th—Subsequent to these I have been honored with your...
2From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 30 October 1783 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the honor to transmit you herewith a Copy of the Institution of the Cincinnati a Society formed by the American Officers before they Seperated and retired to private life. the principles of the society the purposes for which it was formed and the qualifications necessary to become Members will fully appear by the Institution—Should any of the Foreign Officers who are qualified by...
3From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 30 October 1783 (Washington Papers)
As I persuade myself it would rather give you pain than pleasure, were I to apologize for any liberty I might take with you, which does not exceed the rules of propriety & friendship—I shall proceed without further hesitation or ceremony to beg the favour of you to send me of the plated wares (or what formerly used to be called French plate) the articles contained in the enclosed memorandm to...
4From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 1 November 1783 (Washington Papers)
I take the liberty of introducing to the honor of your acquaintance Major Jackson—a Gentleman who has served both in a Military and Civil capacity in this Country with great Credit and Reputation. I shall be much obliged to you to afford him your protection whilst in France being assured that he will Render himself worthy of any civilities you may shew him. I am &c. DLC : Papers of George...
5From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 28 November 1783 (Washington Papers)
Mr Platt, who will have the honor of presenting you with this Letter, and his Lady are going to England, and probably to France—Should the latter happen, I would beg leave to recommend them to your kind notice and civilities as respectable Citizens of this State. With great truth I am, My dear Marqs, Yr Most Obedt & Affecte Servt NIC .
6From George Washington to Benjamin Franklin, 1 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
Mr Platt who will have the honor of presenting you this letter, & his Lady are going to England, & probably to France: Should the latter happen, I would beg leave to recommend them to your kind notice & civilities, as respectable citizens of this place. I am, &ca DLC : Papers of George Washington.
7From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 4 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
Since I came to this place, which was evacuated by the British Forces, & taken possession of by our Troops on the 25th ulto, I have made a purchase of so many pieces of the plated Ware, as to render it unnecessary for you to comply with the request of my letter of the 30th of October from Princeton by Majr L’Enfant; & have to beg the favor of you to take no steps in consequence thereof. With...
8From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 9 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor of introducing to your acquaintance, Doct: Witherspoon President of the College of New Jersey & the bearer of this letter—It is with pleasure I can recommend him to your notice, as a Gentleman well known on this side the water for his Abilities & Literature; I therefore the more readily take the liberty of presenting him to you as worthy of your civilities. We have just now my...
9From George Washington to Lafayette, 1 February 1784 (Washington Papers)
At length my Dear Marquis I am become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac, & under the shadow of my own Vine & my own Fig tree, free from the bustle of a camp & the busy scenes of public life, I am solacing myself with those tranquil enjoyments, of which the Soldier who is ever in pursuit of fame—the Statesman whose watchful days & sleepless Nights are spent in devising schemes to...
10From George Washington to Lafayette, 4 April 1784 (Washington Papers)
I have no expectation, that this Letter will find you in France. Your favor of Novr to me, & of Deer to Congress, both announce your intention of making us a visit this Spring. On this hope I shall fully rely, & shall ardently long for the moment in which I can embrace you in America. Nothing could add more to the pleasure of this interview than the happiness of seeing Madame la Fayette with...
11From George Washington to Lafayette, 8 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
The peregrination of the day in which I parted with you, ended at Marlbro’: the next day, bad as it was, I got home before dinner. In the moment of our separation upon the road as I travelled, & every hour since—I felt all that love, respect & attachment for you, with which length of years, close connexion & your merits, have inspired me. I often asked myself, as our Carriages distended,...
12From George Washington to Lafayette, 23 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
You would scarcely expect to receive a letter from me at this place: a few hours before I set out for it, I as little expected to cross the Potomac again this winter, or even to be fifteen miles from home before the first of April, as I did to make you a visit in an air Balloon in France. I am here however, with Genl Gates, at the request of the Assembly of Virginia, to fix matters with the...
13From George Washington to Lafayette, 15 February 1785 (Washington Papers)
I have had the pleasure to receive your affectionate letter of the 21st of December—dated on board the Nymph Frigate in the harbour of New York; & felt all that man could feel from the flattering expression of it. My last to you, if I recollect right, was dispatched from Annapolis; whither I went at the request of this State to settle a plan (to be mutually adopted by the Legislatures of both...
14From George Washington to Lafayette, 12 April 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 15th of Septr last year, introductory of Mr Duchi, I had the honor to receive a few days since. However great that Gentleman’s merits are, and however much I might be inclined to serve him, candor required me to tell him, as I now do you, that there is no opening (within my view) by which he could enter, & succeed in the line of his profession, in this Country. Besides being...
15From George Washington to Lafayette, 25 July 1785 (Washington Papers)
I have to acknowledge & thank you for your several favors of the 9th of February—19th of March & 16th of April, with their enclosures; all of which (the last only yesterday) have been received since I had the honor to address you in February. I stand before you as a Culprit; but to repent & be forgiven are the precepts of Heaven: I do the former—do you practise the latter, & it will be...
16From George Washington to Lafayette, 1 September 1785 (Washington Papers)
Since my last to you, I have been favored with your letters of the 11th & 13th of May by young Mr Adams, who brought them to New York, from whence they came safely to this place by the Post: the first is in Cypher; & for the communications therein contained I thank you: My best wishes will always accompany your undertakings; but remember my dear friend it is a part of the military art to...
17From George Washington to Lafayette, 8 November 1785 (Washington Papers)
Having written fully to you about the first of Septr; & nothing having occurred since worth reciting, I should not have given you the trouble of receiving a letter from me at this time, were it not for the good opportunity afforded me by Captn Littlepage, & my desire not to suffer any of your letters to remain long by me unacknowledged. I have now to thank you for your favors of the 9th & 14th...
18From George Washington to Lafayette, 10 May 1786 (Washington Papers)
The Letter which you did me the favor to write to me by Mr Barratt dated the 6th of Feby, together with the parcel & packages which accompanied it, came safely to hand; & for which I pray you to accept my grateful acknowledgments. The account given of your tour thro’ Prussia & other States of Germany, to Vienna & back; & of the Troops which you saw reviewed, in the pay of those Monarchs, at...
19From George Washington to Lafayette, 8 June 1786 (Washington Papers)
You would be surprised at the old date of the letter herewith sent you, were I not to tell you that the vessel which carries it was to have sailed agreeably to the date, & by information was to do so every day since. Nothing new has occurred since it was written, nor should I have given you the trouble of a second letter by the same ship, had I not forgotten to mention in my last that Mrs...
20From George Washington to Lafayette, 15 August 1786 (Washington Papers)
I will not conceal that my numerous correspondencies are daily becoming irksome to me; yet I always receive your letters with augmenting satisfaction, and therefore rejoice with you in the measures which are likely to be productive of a more frequent intercourse between our two nations. Thus, motives of a private as well as of a public nature conspire to give me pleasure, in finding that the...
21From George Washington to Lafayette, 19 November 1786 (Washington Papers)
On thursday last I received in very good order, from Baltimore, under the care of Monsr Compoint, the most valuable things you could have sent me, a Jack & two she Asses, all of which are very fine. The Pheasants & Partridges are coming round by water; for these also I pray you to accept my thanks. Words, my dear Marquis, will not do justice to my feelings, when I acknowledge the obligation I...
22From George Washington to Lafayette, 25 March 1787 (Washington Papers)
Since writing you a hasty letter in November last, by a vessel which was then passing my door, I have been honored with your kind and obliging favor of the 26th of October; for the affectionate sentiments with whch it is replite I pray you to accept my warmest and most grateful acknowledgments and the strongest assurances of everlasting Friendship. I am writing to you my Dear Sir but where...
23From George Washington to Lafayette, 6 June 1787 (Washington Papers)
Not till within this hour was I informed of the intention of Mr Rutledge (son to the Governor Rutledge of South Carolina whom I believe you know) to embark in the Packet for France, or that he was to set out in the morning for New York, to take shipping the day after. Tho’ totally unprepared (immersed as I am in the business of the Convention) I cannot let this Gentleman depart without a...
24From George Washington to Lafayette, 30 June 1787 (Washington Papers)
The Gentleman who will do the honor of presenting this letter to you is Mr Shipping—Son of your old acquaintance Doctr Shipping of this City who having been at the Temple proposes to visit Paris, and of course to offer homage to you—He is a very sensible young man and as far as opportunities are offorded me to judge—possesses a well cultivated mind which unduces me without hesitation or...
25From George Washington to Lafayette, 21 July 1787 (Washington Papers)
This letter will be presented to you by Mr Rucker, Partner in the House of Constable Rucker & Co. of New York and agent for Robert Morris Esqr. in France; on whose business he now is and whose instance I take the liberty of introducing him to your Civilities & to countenance if in the course of his transactions he shall stand in need of the latter. Mr Rucker is represented to me as a Gentleman...
26From George Washington to Lafayette, 15 August 1787 (Washington Papers)
Altho’ the business of the Fœderal Convention is not yet clos’d, nor I, thereby, enabled to give you an account of its proceedings; yet, the opportunity afforded by Commodore Paul Jones’ Return to France is too favourable for me to omit informing you, that the present expectation of the members is, that it will end about the first of next month; when, or as soon after as it shall be in my...
27From George Washington to Lafayette, 18 September 1787 (Washington Papers)
In the midst of hurry, and in the moment of my departure from this City I address this letter to you. The principal, indeed the only design of it is, to fulfil the promise I made that I would send you the proceedings of the Fœderal Convention as soon as the business of it was closed. More than this, circumstanced as I am at present is not in my power to do. nor am I inclined to attempt it, as...
28From George Washington to Lafayette, 10 January 1788 (Washington Papers)
I fear my dear marqs, you will believe me to have been remiss in attentions to you. my last letters, I find, have been unaccountably concentered in the same hands and unreasonably delayed; entirely contrary to my expectation. when you shall have received them by the Chevalier Paul Jones, you will acquit me of any intended or real neglect. one of these letters containing the form of Government...
29From George Washington to Lafayette, 7 February 1788 (Washington Papers)
You know it always gives me the sincerest pleasure to hear from you, my dear Marquis, and therefore I need only say that your two kind letters of the 9th & 15th of Octr so replete with personal affection and confidential intelligence, afforded me inexpressible satisfaction. I shall myself be happy in forming an acquaintance and culivating a friendship with the new Minister Plenipotentiary of...
30From George Washington to Lafayette, 28 April–1 May 1788 (Washington Papers)
I have now before me, my dear Marqs your favor of the 3d of August in the last year; together with those of the 1st of January, the 2d of January and the 4th of February in the present—Though the first is of so antient a date, they all came to hand lately, and nearly at the same moment. The frequency of your kind remembrance of me, and the endearing expressions of attachment, are by so much...