From George Washington to James Jay, 9 April 1780
To James Jay
Hd Qrs Morris-town 9th Ap. 1780.
Dear Sir,
The liquid with which you were so obliging as to furnish me for the purpose of private corrispondence is exhausted;1 and as I have found it very useful, I take the liberty to request you will favour me with a further2 supply. I have still a sufficiency of the materials for the counterpart on hand. Should you not have by you the necessary ingredients, if they are to be procured at any of the Hospitals within your reach, I would wish you to apply for them in my name. I hope you will excuse the trouble I give you on this occasion. With great regard I am Dr Sir Yr Most obedt Servt
Go: Washington
P.S. If you shd not be able to prepare the liquid in time for the bearer to bring, & will be so good as to commit it to the care of Colo. Hay he will forward it to me.3
ALS, in private hands; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW signed the cover of the ALS and addressed it to Jay at Fishkill, New York. Only the ALS includes the postscript.
1. GW sought a new supply of invisible ink for espionage activities (see GW to Benjamin Tallmadge, 5 Feb., postscript).
2. The word “fresh” initially was written at this place on the draft manuscript. GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton, who composed the draft, then struck out that word and wrote “further” above the line.
3. Jay replied to GW from Fishkill on 13 April: “I have the honor of yours of the 9th instant and I do myself the pleasure to send you the medicine you desire, in a little box, which I hope you will receive with this letter. I wish I could furnish you with a greater quantity, because I am afraid you may be too sparing of the little you will receive; whereas you might perhaps derive greater benefit from it, were it to be used more frequently. This little however is all that remains of what I brought with me from Europe—I have now the principal ingredients for the composition by me, & the rest may be procured: but the misfortune is, that I have no place where a little apparatus may be erected for preparing it—The composition requires some assistance from Chemistry; & our house is so small, & so well inhabited, that there is not a corner left where a little brick furnace, which a Mason could build in two hours time, can be placed. A log hut for the purpose might be soon run up, but it is also out of my power to effect this. Neither bricks, boards nor lime are to be purchased here, nor a Carpenter nor Mason to be had without great difficulty, if at all. I beg you will not infer from hence that I would rather decline the undertaking. So far from that being the case, if you shall think it worth while, & will only direct Col. Hay to furnish the workman, & other requisites, I shall soon have the satisfaction of sending you such a supply that you may not only use it freely yourself, but even spare a little to a friend, if necessary, without the apprehension of future want” (Sprague transcript and original docket, DLC:GW; see also Jay to GW, 20 April, and GW to Jay, 12 May).