To George Washington from Edmund Randolph, 13 March 1795
From Edmund Randolph
Philadelphia March 13. 1795.
Sir
The vessel, which is to go to the West Indies for the papers, respecting British captures, being ready to sail, I have the honor to request a warrant on your contingent fund for eight hundred dollars to be paid to the agent, who will embark in her, on account of his expences and trouble, and seven hundred dollars, to defray the charges of records &c.; making in the whole fifteen hundred dollars.1 I have the honor to be sir with the highest respect yr mo. ob. serv.
Edm: Randolph
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State.
1. GW wrote to Treasury Secretary Oliver Wolcott, Jr., on this date: “Pay to the Secretary of State out of the Fund appropriated to defray the Contingent charges of Government Fifteen hundred Dollars; to be paid to an Agent about to be sent to the West Indies to procure documents respecting british Captures, on account of his compensation & other expenses attending the said mission” (LB, DLC:GW).
The agent was John Gardiner, Jr., possibly the Philadelphia merchant (Randolph to Hammond, 15 March, DNA: RG 59, Domestic Letters; , 2:161). , Foreign Relations