George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Rudolphe Ernest Hartmann, 16 November 1795

From Rudolphe Ernest Hartmann

Amsterdam le 16 Nov. 1795

Monseigneur

Votre Excellence, le plus gracieux, & bienfaisant Seigneur voudra agrrer mes tres Soumises remercimens, pour le gracieux Diner a mon fils, & Son Epouse; j’enhardis de reclamer du plus profond Respect a Sa Bonté de Coeur, & facon genereuse de penser Si reconnue par toute l’Europe Suppliant tres instamment de me faire la Grace & honorer mon fils de Sa Protection tres importante, & lui accorder un Employ pour gagner Sa Vie honorablement Soit dans la Ville, ou Sur Ses terres Considerant d’un regard de Compassion mon Age avancé de 75 Ans, abattu de Vieuillesse & infirmitées tres malheureux Sans ma faute par la Perde considerable du Baaron Zedwitz,1 & par ma Chude funeste, ou pendant 11 Ans ne pouvant marcher que Sur 2 Crosses ni descendre l’escalier Votre Excellence voudra faire un Oeuvre de Charité, & favoriser mes Supplications, en donnant un Employ a mon fils, & de faire trouver un Pere puissant a Votre Excellence, au lieu que je Suis impuissant de trouver un Pain a mon fils. Pour ce Bienfait tres extraordinai[re] je ne cesserai faire des Voeux pour la precieuse Conservation de Sa Vie & Santé tres heureuse pour les Provinces unies damerique ayant l’honneur d’etre avec la plus haute & la plus grande Veneration Votre Excellence le plus humb. & Soumis Serv.

Rudolphe Ernest Hartmann

ALS, DLC:GW.

Hartmann requests GW’s assistance for his son in America.

1According to his court-martial defense, Herman Zedwitz was a former Prussian cavalry captain who was hired to recruit German riflemen for the British service during the Falkland Crisis of 1770–71. He was not paid, and, after returning to Germany, he made his way to New York about 1773. In July 1775 he was appointed a major of the 1st New York Regiment. Injured in the attack on Quebec, he was promoted, but in August 1776 he was tried by a court-martial on charges of conducting a treasonous correspondence with Gov. William Tryon. Zedwitz claimed his correspondence had been a ruse to obtain the money he was owed from the British, but he was found guilty and cashiered. He was imprisoned until July 1779, when Congress allowed him to leave the country (Force, American Archives, description begins Peter Force, ed. American Archives. 9 vols. Washington, D.C., 1837–53. description ends 5th ser., 1:1159–62; JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 14:826). After hearing of Zedwitz’s court-martial, Hartmann wrote to GW in 1778 and to Benjamin Franklin in 1778 and 1779, asking for assistance in recovering the losses incurred when Zedwitz had disappeared with some diamonds that Hartmann had given him in London to sell (see Hartmann to Franklin, 15 June 1778, Franklin Papers, description begins William B. Willcox et al., eds. The Papers of Benjamin Franklin. 42 vols. to date. New Haven, 1959–. description ends 26:624). Whether Hartmann’s earlier letter reached GW is unknown, and neither it nor any reply has been found.

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