From George Washington to Samuel Athawes, 25 September 1773
To Samuel Athawes
Mount Vernon Septr 25th 1773
Sir,
Your Letter of the 30th of March to Colo. Fairfax, never came to my hands (as his Attorney in Fact) till the middle of this Month1—So much thereof as relates to the mismanagement of his Tobo I shall communicate to his Steward—the other parts respecting his Affairs in England you, doubtless, long before this have had an oppertunity of communicating yourself, as he with his Lady Imbarkd for London about the 10th of last Month.
According to his desire, I take the liberty of addressing the Inclosd Letter to your care2 & am Sir Yr Most H: Servt
Go: Washington
Copy, in hand of GW, from the collection (1982) of Mr. Vincent E. Edmunds, Staten Island, New York. GW dockets it: “Copy Letter to Saml Athaws Esqr. 25th Sep: 1773.” Samuel Athawes was the son and successor of Edward Athawes, a prominent London merchant in the Virginia trade and a friend of the Fairfaxes. The family firm had long acted as agent for the Fairfax family.
1. The letter of Athawes to George William Fairfax has not been found.
2. GW wrote Fairfax on 25 Sept. and sent a copy of that letter in his letter to Fairfax of 15 October. On 10 Jan. 1774 Fairfax acknowledges the receipt of GW’s letter of 15 Oct. enclosing a copy of his letter of 25 Sept., but he had not received the original sent under cover to Athawes. See also Samuel Athawes to GW, 12 Feb. 1774.