From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, [11 July 1794]
To George Washington
[Philadelphia, July 11, 1794]
The Secretary of the Treasury presents his respects to the President. The state of health of his little boy1 & the situation of Mrs Hamilton in consequence of it, oblige him to request the President to excuse him from attending the interview with the Indians today2 & also to ask the President’s permission to make an excursion into the country for a few days to try the effect of exercise & change of air upon the Child.
Arrangements will be made that the business of the Department may suffer no interruption in the mean time.
LC, George Washington Papers, Library of Congress.
1. John Church Hamilton. H’s fifth child, was born on August 22, 1792.
2. The interview with the Indians is described in for July 11, 1794, as follows: “Met Piamingo chief of the Chicasaw nation, & other chiefs &c. of the same nation, at 12 oClock deliv’d a short speech to them—smoak’d the peacepipe, eat, drank &c—and then retir’d” ( , 301).