George Washington Papers

From George Washington to Thomas Mifflin, 21 April 1789

To Thomas Mifflin

City-Tavern [Philadelphia]
Tuesday morning April 21st 1789.

General Washington presents his compliments to the President of the State, and requests his Excellency to communicate the General’s best thanks to the Officers and Gentlemen of the several Corps who did him the honor to form his escort to Philadelphia1—General Washington having made his arrangements to be at the place of embarkation for New York, at a particular hour, will find himself under the necessity of leaving this City about ten o’clock—But, as the weather is likely to prove unfavorable, he must absolutely insist that the military Gentlemen of Philadelphia will not attend him in the manner they had proposed—He is so perfectly satisfied with their good intentions, that it will be impossible for them, by taking any unnecessary trouble, to make any addition to the proofs of their attachment, or the motives of his gratitude.

LB, DLC:GW.

1See GW to the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati, 20 April, source note. When GW left Philadelphia in the rain on the morning of 21 Aug., at least some of the Philadelphia troops accompanied him beyond the city limits in spite of his remonstrances. See Parsons, Extracts from the Diary of Jacob Hiltzheimer, description begins Jacob Cox Parsons, ed. Extracts from the Diary of Jacob Hiltzheimer, of Philadelphia. 1765–1798. Philadelphia, 1893. description ends 152. According to one newspaper account, at 10:00 A.M. “the city troops of light horse paraded, in order to accompany him to Trenton; but his Excellency had left the city before that hour, from a desire to avoid even the appearance of pomp or vain parade” (Virginia Herald and Fredericksburg Advertiser, 7 May 1789).

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