From George Washington to Lewis Murarius, 9 August 1798
To Lewis Murarius
Mount Vernon 9th Augt 1798
Sir
I have had the honor to receive your favour of the 16th Ulto and thank you for your politeness in offering to become a member of my Military family.1 But as I do not mean to form One until the time is near at hand when I shall take the Field, and then a variety of circumstances must combine in my choice—It is my wish that you may not forego any other prospects in expectation of being admitted therein. I am Sir Your Most Obedt Hble Servt
Go: Washington
ALS (letterpress copy), DLC:GW.
1. Writing to GW from New York on 16 July, Lewis Murarius expressed the wish “to receive according to my rank an employment in your Excellency’s Suite.” Murarius’s letter reads in part: “from my youth I have dedicated myself to a Military Life, and have from the year 65 till the beginning of the Year 84 Served His most Serene highness the Landgrave of Hesse Cassal. In the same year I quitted the Service with the rank of Major, and returned from Europe to this Country the Year after where I have since resided in the City of New York. I take the Liberty to observe that in the Year [17]83 just before New York was evacuated by the English Troops, I had the honor in Company with Major l’Enfant of the Corps of Engineers in the Service of the United States to pay my respects to your Excellency at Head Quarter’s Rocky hill” (DLC:GW). The complete text of Murarius’s letter is in CD-ROM:GW.