To George Washington from Richard Williams, 13 May 1798
From Richard Williams
Gwennap, near Redruth [Wales], May 13 1798
The inclosed Sheet is most humbly presented to your Excellence, for publication (if counted worthy) in the United States of America. Grace will render it profitable and pleasurable to its believing readers wheresoever circulated—although penn’d by a poor tinner among the moor-stones in Cornwall!1 assuming the honour of subscribing himself Your Excellency’s most obedient humble servant
Richard Williams
ALS, DLC:GW. The docket reads: “From Richd Williams of Cornwall in Engd ⟨with⟩ a parcel of Nonsense.” Written on the cover: “Per favour of Captain King of New-York.”
1. The enclosed manuscript sermon, which Williams entities, “There was war in heaven!” and dates 22 April 1798, runs to three large manuscript pages. On the back of the manuscript Williams wrote: “The preceding ‘gift of God,’ (dated as it is) was sent to London for publication. The Editor of the London newspaper printed answer at the closing page of his papers of May the 2nd and 9th, says, ‘R.W. is received’—but ‘necessarily delayed.’” No record of GW’s responding has been found, but on 18 Nov. 1798 Williams writes, in much the same style as his sermon, another letter, either to GW or to President Adams, which has been included in CD-ROM:GW.