To George Washington from John Hall, 14 February 1758
From John Hall
Suffolk in Virga Feby 14th 1758
Dr Sir
I have yr acceptable favr from Mt Vernon—& I sincerely rejoyce at yr beginning to master the Indisposition Mr Boyd acquaints me you have long labour’d under—I hope to meet you perfectly recover’d & I shall impatiently wish to hear of yr being at Wmsburgh.
Will you excuse the Liberty of intruding a Subject not so agreable as many others—I’ve this day receivd a Lr from Col. Gage & There cite his happy Paragrh (I must acquaint you of a Resolution lately taken to raise a regt of light Infantry under my command & in wch Corps Ld Loudoun has appointed you a Lieut.)1 with a Grace truly becoming that Gn he waves the honour of the Obligation & throws it on another—& dont think I flatter you when I say to the more happy Influence of a third Person I owe my present rise.
him I look upon as my Patron & Benefactor—Accept the kind Wishes of a heart replete with Gratitude for evr’y future blessing—I am in great haste to send of[f] my recruits—heres a Captain 3 Subs. & recruiting Partys from this new Chore now moving to this Place. I am Yrs sincerely.
Jno. Hall
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. John Hall intends the sentence in parentheses to be his quotation of Thomas Gage’s “happy” paragraph. After Lieutenant Hall left the Virginia Regiment in late spring 1757 he became an ensign in the 44th Regiment and then became a lieutenant in the 80th Regiment (see Hall to GW, April–May 1757). Hall inserted “it” in the word “Resolution” after the “t.”