To George Washington from Captain William John Darby, 22 February 1780
From Captain William John Darby
Philadelphia Feby 22d 1780—at Mr Thos Franklin’s1
corner of Pine & 2d Streets.
From the hopes Your Excellency gave me in your obliging favour of the 21st December I again venture to renew my application for a parole to go to New York2—my private business is of that consequence to oblige me to be urgent in the request and more troublesome than my delicacy approves; but humanity which Your Excellency possesses in the highest sense of the word must befriend me and operate in my favour.3 With great solicitude for the success of my wishes I remain with great respect Your Excellency’s most obedient humble servant
Wm John Darby
Captn 17th Infy
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Thomas Franklin, Jr. (1734–1797) was a Quaker merchant.
2. Darby had written GW about his parole on 4 Nov. 1779 (see GW to Darby, 21 Dec. 1779, n.1; see also Darby’s letter to GW of 11 Jan. 1780, in GW to Darby, 21 Dec. 1779, n.2).
3. No reply from GW has been found, but on 2 March, GW’s assistant secretary James McHenry wrote a letter to John Beatty, commissary general of prisoners, reading in part: “Capn Wm John Darby of the 17th Light Infantry has requested of his Excellency the General, leave to go into New-York on parole for the purpose of making certain arrangements in his company accounts &c. which were destroyed or lost at Stoney point. The General wishes you to communicate to him his permission for two months stay in New-York. He desires when you signify this, to direct him to Elizabeth Town where he is to give the parole usual on such occasions. The Capn dates his letter at Mr Ths Franklins corner of Pine & 2d Streets” (DLC:GW).