Autograph Document Signed

Letter from George Washington to James McHenry on the Western Lands; James Monroe; supposed harmony in the representative body, relations with France

George Washington refers to the war office as having an agency in the Western Lands and he encloses a letter for General Putnam and Colonel Sargent under cover to McHenry. Makes reference to a Mr Massey, a surveyor in the Northwestern territory, whose business Washington believes, is with the War Office. Washington asks that McHenry furnish information respecting the claim upon Washington's land. Inquires about the calm and apparent harmony in the representative body. Asks if there are any accounts from the envoys to France. Asks why the envoys are silent when the newspapers report accounts of them. Asks what the public sentiment is regarding Monroe's voluminous work. Asks about Fauchet, presumably referring to the French Minister.

1798

01

28

Mount Vernon

Philadelphia

James McHenry

George Washington

James Monroe

French minister Fauchet

Congress

General Putnam

Colonel Sargent

Alexander Hamilton

Commissioner of Revenue

Tench Coxe

Philadelphia

Mount Vernon

France

Paris

Northwestern Territory

Virginia

Gazettes

Newspapers

Quasi War with France

Washington and land in Northwestern territory

Congress

1798012840001

1

4

Geo. Washington
Jany 29th 1798
Private
James McHenry Esqr
Secretary of War
Philadelphia
Mount Vernon 28th Jany 1798
Dear Sir,
Knowing that the War Office has an agency in the Western Lands, I take the liberty of putting the enclosed letter to General Putnam and Colo. Sargent under cover to you, open. By doing so, it supercedes the necessity of a repetition of what is therein mentioned. Another reason for giving you this trouble, is, that if Mr. Massey is a Surveyor in the Northwestern Territory, it is highly probable that his business in Philadelphia is with your office. In which case, let me pray you to obtain what information he can give, respecting the claim upon my land, & transmit the same to me; and to request, after sealing my letters to the Gentlemen abovementioned, that you would be so kind as to put them into the safer channel of conveyance, that is afforded from Philadelphia What
What means this calm, & apparent harmony in the Representative body? Is it because no collisive subject has come on? or does it proceed from a change of sentiment in the opposition members? Are there no accounts yet from our Envoys? If not, to what is their silence attributed, when the News Papers are filled with accounts of them, as late as the middle of November, from Paris; where they must have been at least six weeks?
What, as far as it can be guessed at, is the public sentiment relative to Monroe's voluminous work? which I have not yet seen, but have sent for it; and what of Fauchets? Another elaborate work, I presume, will appear soon, from the late Commissioner of the Revenue; the cause of whose dismission has never (that I have seen) been hinted at in the Gazettes. What has been, or is it supposed will be done, by the house of Representatives in consequence of the extraordinary application which was made to them on that
that occasion, by the ex-commissioners.
I have exhibited a long string of questions, but if you have not leisure, or if any of them are embarrassing, I require no answer to them. Mrs. Washington and Nelly Custis unite with me, in every good wish for Mrs. McHenry, yourself & family, and I am always, and Affectionately Yours
Go Washington
[stamped: MANUSCRIPTS DEPARTMENT Tulane University Libraries, may not be reproduced without permission]