Washington, George, First President

Autograph letter signed ("Go: Washington"), 2 pages (8 1/4 x 7 3/8 in.; 210 x 187 mm), Mount Vernon, 20 August 1786, to George Morgan, notation at lower left corner of second page in an unidentified hand: "(Addressed to Col. George Morgan of Prospect near Princeton)"; marginal browning and chipping, dampstaining at lower right corner affecting 16 characters of 6 words of text, cropped at foot of page.

Frank T. Siebert (Sothebys New York, 21 May 1999, lot 200)

cf. Papers, ed. Abbot, Confederation Series 4: 222 and Writings, ed. Fitzpatrick, 28: 525  for identical text sent to Thomas Hutchings.  

Autograph letter signed ("Go: Washington"), 2 pages (8 1/4 x 7 3/8 in.; 210 x 187 mm), Mount Vernon, 20 August 1786, to George Morgan, notation at lower left corner of second page in an unidentified hand: "(Addressed to Col. George Morgan of Prospect near Princeton)"; marginal browning and chipping, dampstaining at lower right corner affecting 16 characters of 6 words of text, cropped at foot of page.
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An extraordinary letter in which Washington articulates the interest in the language of Native Americans by the Empress of Russia as relayed by Lafayette.  Washington writes to George Morgan, Indian agent at Fort Pitt during the Revolution and author of scientific articles, at his farm Prospect, near Princeton, New Jersey.  Forwarding a request  for native American vocabulary from the Empress of Russia, as relayed by the Marquis de Lafayette, Washington writes: "You will see by the enclosed letter [not present] from the Marqs de la Fayette to me, that the Empress of Russia is desirous of obtaining some authentic documents respecting the languages of the natives of this Country, for the purpose of compiling an universal Dictionary."  Convinced his correspondent is the finest to provide such vital information, Washington continues: "As I have thought no person was more in condition to accomplish that essential service for the republic of letters than yourself, I have taken the liberty of transmitting a specimen of the vocabulary to you, together with a request that you will do me the favor of paying early & accurate attention to the completion of the matter, as your avocations will admit  . . . & that the greatest possible precision & exactitude will be indispensable in committing the Indian words to paper by a just orthography . . . ."