Genl. Schuyler, his lady and daughter (Mrs Van Renselear) Mr Dalton and his lady, the Secretary of the Treasury and his lady, General Knox and lady, Mrs Green, Baron de Steuben, Col Osgood (Postmaster-General) and the Treasurer Majr. Meredith. Friday Dec 4. A great number of visitors (gentlemen and ladies) this evening to Mrs Washington. The Governor of New Jersey, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly of that state, presented an Address from the legislature thereof, and received an answer to it, after which they dined with me. Saturday, Dec 5. Exercised on horseback between ten and twelve o'clock. The Vice-President (John Adams) and lady and two sons, Col Smith and lady, and his sister, and Mrs Adams neice, dined here. Sunday, Dec 6. Went to St Paul's Chapel in the forenoon. Tuesday Dec 8. Finished my extracts from the Commissioners Report of their proceedings at the Treaty with the Creek Indians—and from many other papers respecting Indian Matters and the Western Territory. A full Levee to-day. Wednesday Dec 9. Walked round the battery. Thursday. Dec 10. Exercised on horseback between ten and twelve o clock. The following company dined here to-day, viz: Mrs King, Mr and Mrs Few, Mr and Mrs Harrison, Mr and Mrs Wolcott, Mr Duer, his lady, and Miss Brown, Mr Griffin and lady, and Lady Christina and her daughter. Friday Dec 11. Being rainy and bad no person except the Vice-President visited Mrs Washington this evening. Saturday. Dec 12. Exercised in the coach with Mrs Washington and the two children (Master and Miss Custes) between breakfast and dinnerwent the fourteen miles round.* Sunday, Dec 13. Went to St Paul's Chapel in the forenoon. Monday, Dec. 14. Walked round the Battery in the afternoon. Tuesday Dec 15. Exercised on horseback about ten o'clock-called on the Secretary of the Department of War, and gave him the heads of many letters to be written to characters in the Western Country, relative chiefly to Indian affairs. Visitors to the Levee to-day were not very numerous, though respectable. "The fourteen miles round," to which Washington refers, was over the old picturesque Bloomingdale road on the west side of Manhattan Island, leaving what is now Riverside Park near the high bluff where General Grant's tomb attracts the world, by a cross-road, to the Kingsbridge and old Boston roads in returning. [The pew in which Washington worshiped in St. Paul's Chapel is on the north side of the chapel under the gallery about half way between the chancel and the vestry room. Directly opposite it on the south side of the chapel is the pew then occupied by Governor George Clinton.] Wednesday Dec 16. Dined with Mrs Washington and all the family, (except the two children) at Governor Clinton's-where also dined the Vice-President, his lady, Col. and Mrs Smith, the Mayor Col Varick, and his lady, and old Mr Van Berkel and his daughter. Thursday Dec 17. The following company dined here, viz: the chief justice of the United States and his lady; Mr King, Col and Mrs Law rence, Mrs Gerry, Mr Egbert Benson, Bishop Provost, and Doct. Lynn and his lady. Friday, Dec 18. Read over and digested my thoughts upon the subject of a National Militia, from the plans of the militia of Europe, those of the Secretary of War, and the Baron de Steuben. Saturday, Dec 19. Committed the above thoughts to writing in order to send them to the Secretary of the Department of War, to be worked into the form of a Bill, with which to furnish the Committee of Congress which had been appointed to draught one. Sunday, Dec 20. Went to St Paul's chapel in the forenoon. Monday Dec 21. Framed the above thoughts on the subject of a National Militia into the form of a letter, and sent it to the Secretary of the Department of War. Sat from ten to one o'clock for a Mr Savage to draw my portrait for the University of Cambridge in the State of Massachusetts at the request of the president and governors of the said University. Tuesday Dec 22. A pretty full and respectable Levee to day-at which several Members of Congress, newly arrived, attended. ton. Wednesday, Dec 23. Exercised in the Post chaise with Mrs Washing Thursday Dec 24. The Secretary of War coming according to appointment, he was instructed, after conversing fully on the matter, what answers to return to the Executive of Virginia, and to the Representatives of the frontier counties. Friday Dec 25. Christmas Day. Went to St Pauls Chapel in the foreThe visitors to Mrs Washington this afternoon were not numerous but respectable . . noon. Monday Dec 28. Sat all the forenoon for Mr Savage, who was taking my portrait. Tuesday. Dec 29. Being very snowing not a single person appeared at the Levee . Wednesday, Dec 30. Exercised in the carriage . Saturday Jan 9. Exercised with Mrs Washington and the children in the Coach the 14 miles round. In the afternoon walked round the Battery. Sunday, Jan 10. Went to St Paul's Chapel in the forenoon-wrote private letters in the afternoon for the Southern mail. . . Thursday Jan. 14. . The following gentlemen dined here to-day. viz: Messers Henry and Maclay, of the Senate, and Messers Wadsworth, Trumbull, Floyd, Boudinot, Wyncoop, Seney, Page, Lee, and Matthews, of the House of Representatives; and Mr John Trumbull. Friday Jan 15. Snowing all day—but few ladies and gentlemen as visitors this evening to Mrs Washington. Saturday Jan 16. Exercised in the coach with Mrs Washington and the two children, about 12 o clock. Saturday Jan 23. Went with Mrs Washington in the forenoon to see the Paintings of Mr John Trumbull. Sunday Jan 24. Went to St Paul's Chapel in the forenoon. Friday Jan 29. Exercised on horseback this forenoon; during my ride, Mr Johnston, one of the Senators from North Carolina, who had just arrived, came to pay his respects, as did Mr Cushing, one of the Associate Judges the latter came again about 3 o'clock, introduced by the vice President. The visitors to Mrs Washington this evening were numerous and respectable. Saturday. Jan 30. Exercised with Mrs Washington and the children in the coach in the forenoon. Walked round the Battery in the afternoon. Sunday. Jan 31. Went to St Paul's Chapel in the forenoon. Mr Wilson one of the Associate Judges of the Supreme Court paid his respects to me after I returned from church. Spent the afternoon writing letters to Mount Vernon. Wednesday Feb 10. Sat from 9 until 11 o'clock for Mr Trumbull to draw my picture. Thursday. Feb. 11. Exercised on horseback in the forenoon. The following dined here: Messrs Leonard and Grout of Massachusetts; Huntington and Sturges, of Connecticut; Silvester, of New York; Sinnickson, of New Jersey; Gale, of Maryland; and Bland, Parker and Moore of Virginia. Friday Feb 12. Sat from 9 o clock until 11, for Mr John Trumbull, for the purpose of drawing my picture. A good deal of company (gentlemen and ladies) to visit Mrs Washington this afternoon. . Thursday February 18. Sat for Mr Trumbull from 9 o'clock until 10; after which exercised in the post chaise with Mrs Washington. On our return home called on Mrs Adams, lady of the Vice President. The following company dined here to day, viz: Judge Cushing and his lady; the. Postmaster General and his lady, and Messers Boudinot, Griffin, Coles, Gerry, and White, and their ladies . . VOL. XIX.-No. 2.-8 Martha I Lamb UNPUBLISHED WASHINGTON LETTERS It gratifies the pride of the patriotic American to find in that representative institution, the British Museum, that a most conspicuous place is accorded to everything relating to Washington, as it affords satisfactory evidence that his fame is cherished in the mother country as a part of the common heritage of the great English-speaking race. Every written or printed word is preserved with scrupulous care, and fills the chief place in the large collection of Americana in the museum. In some respects this Henry Bouquet Engraved from portrait in collection of Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet. is superior to anything we have in this country, and purchases of new material are constantly being made. Doubtless the time will come when our government, less influenced by demagogy and false notions of economy, will be engaged in collecting material relating to the origin, establishment and growth of the Republic, but then the originals will be in Europe, and copies only will be available. When that time comes, and governmental takes the place of individual effort, one may hope for a general depository |