1To John Adams from William Gordon, 13 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Yours by your son was a very agreeable letter. I rec d it last wednesday while at the President’s, where I had the pleasure of viewing your living picture. You have confirmed me in my suspicion, that tho’ there were many pictures abroad there was little likeness. I shall do my best, & it may be well for one who is not a writer of the first talents, nor been employed thirty years in making my...
2To John Adams from William Gordon, 7 January 1784 (Adams Papers)
You have very fairly & fully discharged your epistolary account of the preceeding year; which is an encouragement for me to begin anew. There is both pleasure & profit in corresponding with You; & notwithstanding some desponding expressions, I trust your strength & spirits will not be exhausted, till the business is completed. Finesse & subtilty are ministerial qualifications; & the only...
3To John Adams from William Gordon, 8 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
I hope this will find you at Westminster. I congratulate You upon your late appointment; it was what I wished for, as what I thought would be agreeable to you, & for the good of our country. The treaty of commerce may be too far settled to admit of alteration: but if your correspondents have not urged you in the most pressing manner, to exert every nerve to obtain an importation of our whale...
4To John Adams from William Gordon, 4 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your two letters of Ap r 27 th & June 26 th were duly received. The first at the President’s, Rich d Henry Lee Esq r , where I had the pleasure of dining with your son on the 10 th of Aug t , being at New York on my last tour for collecting historical materials. I have not seen him, since he reacht this state; but have heard of his welfare. I am busily employed in the way you mention; & am...
5To Thomas Jefferson from William Gordon, 24 April 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
In a late letter to the Marquis de La Fayette I mentioned my design of writing soon to your Excellency. The reason of my having been so long silent was, that I might be able to acquaint you, that the second volume of the History was printed, which I can at length do. You was pleased generously to offer me your friendly assistance for the procuring a similar consideration for an early copy of...
6To Thomas Jefferson from William Gordon, 6 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
When last in town for a few days, I received your very obliging letter ; and, notwithstanding my numerous engagements, should have given an immediate answer, had I not attended to some circumstances which rendered it unnecessary, upon observing that during the summer the readers are in the country, and being in no such forwardness as to admit of my going directly to the press, saw that I might...
7To Thomas Jefferson from William Gordon, 8 July 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I trouble you afresh from an apprehension that either your Excellency did not receive my letter of February , or that your answer has miscarried. I mentioned in my letter my having delayed to write, till I had gotten forward in printing; and informed you that I had finished the two first volumes, and should be obliged to you for your friendly assistance in the way you had proposed, by...
8To Thomas Jefferson from William Gordon, 9 December 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Your obliging favor of Sepr. 2 was duly received. The books not being in sufficient forwardness to send before your leaving Paris, and the prospects of the success your Excellency wished me being so small, I declined sending a copy as soon as finished. One Mr. De Maisoncelles has written to me about translating the work into French. I apprehend he means I should employ him: by line this day I...
9To Thomas Jefferson from William Gordon, 15 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
From William Gordon From the generous encouragement you gave me in your answer to my first letter , I informed your Excellency about April, that I should be greatly obliged to you, could you assist me in a similar way to that by which Dr. Ramsay was benefited. I left it with your judgment to settle the terms, and proposed sending over the printed volumes that the translation might be entered...
10To Thomas Jefferson from William Gordon, 20 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I promised myself the honour of being introduced to your Excellency by a letter which my friend general Gates gave me, before I had the pleasure of hearing You was appointed ambassador to the court of Versailles. Ere I could reach home in the neighbourhood of Boston You had sailed for France. I have therefore applied to his Excellency John Adams for a few introductory lines, recommending at...
11To George Washington from William Gordon, 3 April 1788 (Washington Papers)
I had proposed writing by the present opportunity, before I received your letter of Jany the 1st on tuesday last. Return you my most sincere thanks for your good wishes. The second volume will be printed off I expect by the end of the week after next. The first begins with the settlement of the several colonies, & comes down to & takes in the Lexington engagement. The second finishes with the...
12To George Washington from William Gordon, 28 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your obliging favours of the 8th inst. were recd on the Saturday. From them I infer not only the continuance of your friendly assistance, but that the papers are regularly received; as yet I have not missed sending, tho’ the post has at times been delayed thro’ the snows: The face of the earth is still covered with them, in these parts, a few trifling spots excepted; & should a thaw come on...
13To George Washington from William Gordon, 24 September 1788 (Washington Papers)
I send under cover to Mr Hazard, that so it should not be known at the Coffee house, that I correspond with your Excellency; & pray you not only to have any direction to me written in some other hand than your own, but the letter sealed with the seal of another. When you write again, introduce the Key in some sentence when it may appear natural, with a stroke underneath it. The reason of the...
14To George Washington from William Gordon, 28 September 1786 (Washington Papers)
It is with concern I learn, that the old leaven, which brought on the late American troubles, still exists in the present ministry; & that so many falsehoods are propagated to keep up an unfriendly disposition toward the United States, & no more pains taken to contradict them. Among other reports it is said, that the settlement at Kentucky is made up wholly of the scum & refuse of the...
15To George Washington from William Gordon, 7 November 1785 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from William Gordon, 7 Nov. 1785. GW wrote Gordon on 6 Dec. : “I come now, my good Doctor, to acknowledge . . . the receipt of your obliging favor of the 7th ulto.”
16To George Washington from William Gordon, 4 February 1786 (Washington Papers)
The last week I had the pleasure of seeing Genl Lincoln, from whom I learnt, that You had been so obliging as to send me trees by his vessel, put into a tub or tubs with earth, to preserve them, till the season admits of their being planted. Your Excellency will be pleased to receive my most hearty thanks for this fresh proof of friendship. Believe I shall make an offer of them to Genl...
17To George Washington from William Gordon, 18 October 1784 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from William Gordon, 18 Oct. 1784. On 3 Nov. GW wrote to Gordon : “The last post brought me your favor of the 18th ulto.”
18To George Washington from William Gordon, 16 February 1789 (Washington Papers)
Ringwood in Hampshire (97 miles from London) My Dear Sir Feby 16. 1789 I have at length finished that arduous undertaking, in which I have been engaged for many past years. I shall have peculiar pleasure in learning that it meets with your Excellency’s approbation; & that you are not disappointed in that reliance you exercised on my honor & prudence, when you admitted me to a free inspection...
19To George Washington from William Gordon, 10 September 1785 (Washington Papers)
Till now I have had nothing of late worth communicating, but the following extract from a Letter dated London June 30. 1785 I think will be pleasing, & have therefore sent it your Excellency. Mr Temple accompanied Mr Adams to the kings levee; after the levee was over, Mr Adams, according to etiquette, was introduced to the kings closet, where (as is usual for foreign ministers) he made a...
20To George Washington from William Gordon, 28 October–1 November 1788 (Washington Papers)
The leisure I have enjoyed for a few weeks past, has enabled me to look over my letters, from which I have learned that your remittance was for forty two sets. They will be sent accordingly to your Excellency the first opportunity that offers. The plates I expect will be finished this week: have sent a specimen of the maps & plans already wrought off. If you should observe any material errors,...
21To George Washington from William Gordon, 19 December 1785 (Washington Papers)
I find in my minutes the following story to have been reported, the truth or error of which I wish to have ascertained, & therefore make my application to You as the proper person to establish or contradict it, viz., “When Genl Washington was at Morris Town in 1777 with the fewest men, a British officer was taken in a skirmish, who was permitted to go about upon his parole; within a few days...
22To George Washington from William Gordon, 19 September 1785 (Washington Papers)
Have ⟨just reed⟩ your letter with the Contents written by Mr Mc⟨Henry⟩, & shall attend to your obliging hints, will be more full in my next. Was alarmed at the black seal, & find no particular mention of the occasion. Wish your Lady better health, in which Mrs Gordon would join me & in best respects to yourself, did she know of my writing. Your sincere friend & humble servant ALS , DLC:GW ....
23To George Washington from William Gordon, 13 July 1786 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of Apr. 20th was forwarded from Boston in May, & was received the beginning of this week, upon my returning from Ipswich in Suffolk, where I had the pleasure of hearing that a complete farmer had been forwarded to you, in whom I hope you will have satisfaction, though not capable of filling up Mr Lund Washington’s place. Such a steward as you have described & wish to have, is not...
24To George Washington from William Gordon, 10 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
In arranging the intelligence obtained from the inspection of your papers, I found that an extract from the private letters Vol. 1st dated Oct. 22. 1779, which alluded to one of the most important events of the late war, was not so complete as I wish. It relates to the capture of Fort Washington, which I apprehend ought now to be placed in its true light, as the public cannot suffer from its...
25To George Washington from William Gordon, 28 November 1785 (Washington Papers)
My design of publishing is now in such forwardness, that I expect the proposals for the History of the American Revolution, will be circulated through the United States by the first week in January. I have given direction, that a few should be forwarded to your Excellency from New York as soon as printed. Shall think myself greatly honoured & served by your countenance. I have requested of my...
26To George Washington from William Gordon, 9 April 1786 (Washington Papers)
This will probably be the last letter, you will receive from me till I have crossed the Atlantic. Should I get safe to London, through the kind orderings of Providence, shall take the first opportunity of writing to you. Expect to sail next Wednesday wind & weather permitting. Shall take your present with me, to remind me of your friendship. The honour your Excellency has done me in confiding...
27To George Washington from William Gordon, 8 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
It afforded me peculiar pleasure to learn, how your Excellency had secured your public character by your manner of retiring to the private walk of domestick happiness, after having been, in the hands of the Supreme Governor, a glorious instrument of establishing the rights of the American States. Your name will be mentioned with honor by all historians, whether Whigs or Tories: but my prayer...
28To George Washington from William Gordon, 26 September 1785 (Washington Papers)
I hope your tour has proved satisfactory, & that the obstructions in the river are not invincible, but that the expence of removing them, will be far short of the advantage. The memoirs furnish me with some circumstances, to which I was before a stranger. But in certain places the colouring is too strong. It did not require the bold judgment of a most experienced general to relinquish the...
29To George Washington from William Gordon, 20 January 1787 (Washington Papers)
I take the opportunity of a vessel for Boston, that so I may send in the speediest way some seeds which I procured from a gentlewoman of my acquaintance at Ipswich, where I was first settled & remained thirteen years. I have likewise added some seed of the rocket double larkspur, which I saw in blow the last year, & was much pleased with on account of their beauty. I am yet unsettled, which...
30To George Washington from William Gordon, 6 September 1787 (Washington Papers)
I rejoice to find that your Lady has of late been troubled less than formerly with the bilious cholick. May She be wholly freed from it, & all prescriptions become unnecessary! Thank you for your kind wishes, they are still needful. No settlement has yet offered. I am going on with my History, & toward the latter end of next month shall begin printing. Health & strength permitting, shall...