To George Washington from Mary Auchmuty, 27 March 1780
From Mary Auchmuty
New York March 27th 1780
Sir
The Goodness and humanity that has ever marked Your Excellency’s Character induces me to take a liberty of addressing you on a Subject the particular circumstances of which I have hopes will plead my excuse for this trouble.
I have a son who was unfortunately taken prisoner at Stony point, he is now at Lancaster1—My going to England is fixed; and I propose imbarking early in the next Month—Your Excellency’s feelings of tenderness will better enable you to conceive then I can describe the anxiety I must feel at the thoughts of leaving this Country without seeing my son—I take therefore the Liberty of requesting Your Excellency will have the goodness to grant him permission to come into New York on parole, even for a few days—I Sir for this kindness can only return you the tribute of thanks, which I shall do most sincerely.
I hope your Excellency will excuse the liberty I have taken in inclosing a few lines for my son.2 I have the honor to be Sir with the greatest respect Your Excellency’s most Obedient and most humble Servant
Mary Auchmuty
ALS, DLC:GW.
Mary Nicholls (d. 1797), widow of Thomas Tucker (see , 4:56, and , 5), had married Samuel Auchmuty, an Episcopal minister affiliated with Trinity Church in New York City, in December 1749. Samuel, a Loyalist, and Mary had seven children. The family suffered large personal losses with the destruction of their New York home in late 1776. Samuel Auchmuty died months later, in March 1777; Mary died in England. For genealogical details, see Annette Townsend, The Auchmuty Family of Scotland and America (New York, 1932), especially 56–74.
1. For information about British prisoners in Lancaster, Pa., during this period, see , 106–19.
Richard Harrison Auchmuty (1756–1782) graduated from King’s College (now Columbia University) in 1775 and became an assistant surgeon in the British 17th Regiment of Foot. Apparently exchanged after a period in captivity following his capture at Stony Point, N.Y. (see Andrew Sutherland to GW, 18 July 1779, and notes 1 and 2 to that document), Auchmuty surrendered with the British forces at Yorktown, Va., in October 1781.
2. GW wrote Mary Auchmuty from Morristown on 1 April: “I am pleased to have it in my power to comply with the request in your letter of the 27th of last month.
“The commissary of prisoners has received orders to signify to Mr Auchmuty that he has permission to go into New-York for three weeks; and I hope it will reach him in time to see you before your sailing” (LS, in James McHenry’s writing, NNMus; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
GW’s assistant secretary James McHenry wrote John Beatty, commissary general of prisoners, from Morristown on the same date: “Mrs Auchmuty has solicited of his Excellency an indulgence for a few days for her son to come into New-York that she may see him before her departure for Europe. The general desires that you may signify as soon as possible to Mr Auchmuty his permission for three weeks residence in New-York. You will be pleased to do what is further necessary on the occasion, and inclose him the within letter” (DLC:GW). The enclosure, likely the same item that Mary Auchmuty sent with her letter to GW, has not been identified.