Major General Philemon Dickinson to George Washington, 2 May 1781
From Major General Philemon Dickinson
Philadelphia 2d May 1781
Dear Sir,
Doctor Jones, a relation, & very particular Friend of mine, who has the honor of being known to you, & whose Principles in the present controversy, have been uniformly in favor of the Liberties of America—has a Brother Mr Evan Jones, who made a very considerable Settlement at Pensacola, before the commencement of this Dispute—The whole of which, he has lately sacrificed to the American cause.
He is a Gentleman, & a Man of honor, & has given the most convincing proofs, of his inviolable attachment to our cause, by his late sacrifice.
He wishes, to have his Principles, & Connections made known, to Lieutenant General Don Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish Governor & Commander in Chief, by your Excellency, who Mr Evan Jones say’s, would think himself honor’d, by the receipt of a letter from you.1
My personal & intimate acquaintance with Mr E. Jones, whom I esteem as a relation & Friend, must apologize to you, for this Liberty.2
If you are of Opinion, there is no impropriety in a compliance with this request, I shall esteem it a favor conferr’d on a Person, who has the honor to subscribe himself, With the greatest respect, Dear Sir, Your most Obt Servt
Philemon Dickinson
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Evan Jones (1739–1813), brother of the prominent physician John Jones, worked after the French and Indian War for a mercantile firm in New York City with trading partners in Florida, where he obtained lots at Pensacola from British authorities in 1766. Jones subsequently purchased land in Louisiana and eventually processed sugar at his vast plantation, Evan Hall. The New-York Evening Post for 21 June 1813 printed a notice after his death in New Orleans: “Mr. Jones was a native of New-York, but had been upwards of 40 years a resident of Louisiana. During the Presidency of Mr. Adams, he was appointed and served as Consul for this city—Since the cession of Louisiana, he has been Director and President of the U. States Branch Bank.”
2. GW replied to Dickinson from headquarters at New Windsor on 15 May: “You may be assured that nothing would give me greater pleasure than to interest myself in a matter which concerned you or your friend, could I do it with propriety, but unfortunately, the request which you make cannot, from the present circumstances of Affairs, be complied with by me. As I have never had the least correspondence with Don Galvez or any of the spanish Commanders, except a complimentary letter from the Governor of the Havannah, you will readily perceive that it would appear strange should I interfere in a measure of the kind you mention. I however think the thing of serious importance to individuals who are friendly to the interests of the United States, but who may have invested property in the Floridas previous to the Rupture with Great Britain, and I have no doubt but could the matter be properly stated to His Excellency the Minister of France and those individuals pointed out, He would concert Means with the spanish Commanders to grant indulginces if not perfectly secure the Estates of such persons should those Governments fall to the spanish Arms” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; the draft is addressed to Dickinson at “Trenton or Philada”). Struck-out material follows “mention” on the draft: “and more particularly as there has been yet no alliance.” GW presumably refers to his correspondence with Spanish captain general and governor of Cuba Diego Joseph Navarro following the death Juan de Miralles (see GW to La Luzerne, 28 April 1780, source note).