Ibid., p.229
To Abigail Adams
... to Let Miss Smith come to dance with Nelly & Washington
WGW, vol. 28, 6-26-1785. To Reverend Stephen bloomer Balch. “Sir: My nephews are desirous of going to the Dancing School in Georgetown kept by Mr. Tarterson (I think his name is), and as it is my wish that they should be introduced into life with those qualifications which are deemed necessary, I consent to it. Sometime ago I expressed my approbation of their learning French, and a wish that when you had got your House in order to receive them, they might again board with you: Altho’ I have no occasion [ sic ] the care, attention and kindness of Mr. Bailey to them, I conceive they can board at no place so eligably as at their Preceptors; for it is my wish that their morals as well as education may be attended to; and tho’ I do not desire they should be deprived of necessary and proper amusements, yet it is my earnest request that they may be kept close to their studies.”
79 January 16, 1768. At home all day at Cards—it snowing. “The entries for gains and losses at cards and other play are as carefully entered in Washington’s accounts as all other income and expenditure. (1765, Jan. ‘By Cash set aside for Card money L5.’) Grouped through the years from 1772 to January 1, 1775, for cash won and lost at home, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, Annapolis, and other places, the entries show a total loss of L78.5.9 and a corresponding gain of L72.2.6; a loss at play of L6.3.3 in four years.” Diaries, I.246.) Washington had to worry of being addicted to gambling. Yet Washington was deeply concerned about Gambling in the military because of the many abuses it lead to.
80 Washington memorized the entire play of Cato—See Zall, Washington on Washington, p.8.
81 WGW, vol. 22, 7-19-1781. To Chevalier de Chastellux. “Dear Sir: You have taken a most effectual method of obliging me to accept your Cask of Claret, as I find, by your ingenious manner of stating the case, that I shall, by a refusal, bring my patriotism into question, and incur a suspicion of want of attachment to the French Nation, and of regard to you, [which. of all things I wish to avoid] I will not enter into a discussion of the point of divinity, as I [perceive] you are a Master at that Weapon. In short, my dear sir, my only scruple arises from a fear of depriving you of an Article that you cannot conveniently replace in this Country. You can only relieve me by promising to partake very often of that hilarity which a Glass of good Claret seldom fails to produce.” He owned and operated his own Distillery. He knew the Indian love of Rum (to Queen Alquippa). His military strategy included arguing for Rum rather than Wine for his soldiers due to the matter of issues of weight and transportation. He exchanged Slaves for Rum in his early years. History by Reverend Morse, written by Humphreys—mentions that he drank beer, wine at dinner. A story in GWP Custis about toast and American Officer’s misunderstanding. Whiskey Rebellion (Pres. W’s trip—it is whiskey country—no need to bring wine). Standard practice to give rations of rum to soldiers. Story of Franklin and men for prayers to chaplain—more would come if when chapel was immediately before rum was given. Celebration with extra gil of rum for army. Yet GW’s letters against drunkenness. Articles of war on drunkenness. There were examples of losses in battle at Brandywine due to sleeping drunken guard.
82 Between Jan 26th and Feb. 2nd the mutilated diary record says, “A Great Main of . . . . cks [Cock-fight] fought in Yorktown . . bween Glouster and York for 5 Pistoles each battle and 100 ye odd I left it with Colo. Lewis before it was decided and had part of his chariot to his house. . . .Fitzpatrick, Diaries, I. 36. There appears to be no other record of Washington indulging in this bloody sport after this one entry in his Diary from his earliest years.
83 Fields, “Worthy Partner, p. 177
84 Ibid., p.201
85 WGW, vol. 16, 10-17-1779. “As I do not at this time know where my Winter Quarters will be, or when I shall get into them. As I have little prospect of seeing my own home this Winter and Mrs. Washington desirous of coming to me before the Roads get bad and weather severe, I shall be obliged to you for enquiring and informing me, if she can hire lodgings in some genteel (but not a common boarding) house in Phila. till I know where I shall be fixed for the Winter.”
86 See Mount Vernon website under Martha Washington.
87 WGW, vol. 2, 9-20-1759.
88 Ibid., vol. 3, 6-18-1775 To Martha Washington.
89 Ibid., vol. 28, 5-23-1785.
90 Ibid., vol. 29, 10-25-1786. To George Augustine Washington. “...if Mrs. Washington should survive me there is a moral certainty of my dying without issue, and should I be the longest liver, the matter in my opinion is almost as certain; for whilst I retain the reasoning faculties I shall never marry a girl; and it is not probable that I should have children by a woman of an age suitable to my own, should I be disposed to enter into a second marriage.”
91 Fields, Worthy Partner, To John Dandridge from Mount Vernon April the 20th 1789. “My Dear John: I am truly sorry to tell that the General is gone to New York, —- Mr Charles Thompson came express to him, on the 14th —- when, or wheather he will ever come hom again god only knows, —- I think it was much too late for him to go into publick life again, but it was not to be avoided, our family will be deranged as I must follow him.”
92 Ibid., p. 219. To Fanny Bassett Washington from New York October the 23d 1789. “...I beg you will give me the worked muslin apron you have like my gown that I made just before I left home or worked muslin as I wish to make a petticoat of the two aprons —- for my gown —- Mrs Sims will give you a better account of the fashions that I can—- I live a very dull life hear and know nothing that passes in the town —- I never goe to the publick place —- indeed I think I am more like a state prisoner than anything else, there is certain bounds set for me which I must not depart from —- and as I can not doe as I like I am obstinate and stay at home a great deal -... my dear children has had very bad colds but thank god they are getting better....”
93 Ibid., pp.223-224. To Mercy Otis Warren from New York December the 26th 1789. “...for you know me well enough to do me the justice to beleive that I am only fond of what comes from the heart.... it is owing to this kindness of our numerous friends in all quarters that my new and unwished for situation is not indeed a burden to me. When I was much younger I should, probably, have enjoyed the inoscent gayeties of life as much as most my age; - but I had long since placed all the prospects of my future worldly happyness in the still enjoyments of the fireside at Mount Vernon-
I little thought when the war was finished, that any circumstances could possible have happened which would call the General into public life again. I had anticipated, that from this moment we should have been left to grow old in solitude and tranquility togather: that was, my Dear madam, the first and dearest wish of my heart; - but in that I have been disapointed; I will not, however, contemplate with too much regret disapointments that were enevitable, though the generals feelings and my own were perfectly in unison with respect to our predilections for privet life, yet I cannot blame him for having acted according to his ideas of duty in obaying the voice of his country. The consciousness of having attempted to do all the good in his power, and the pleasure of finding his fellow citizens so well satisfied with the disinterestedness of his conduct, will, doubtless, be some compensation for the great sacrifices which I know he has made; indeed in his journeys from Mount Vernon – to this place; in his late Tour through the eastern states, by every public and by every privet information which has come to him, I am persuaded that he has experienced nothing to make him repent his having acted from what he concieved to be alone a sense of indespensable duty: on the contrary, all his sensibility has been awakened in receiving such repeated and unequivocal proofs of sincear regards from all his country men. With respect to myself, I sometimes think the arrangement is not quite as it ought to have been, that I, who had much rather be at home should occupy a place with which a great many younger and gayer women would be prodigiously pleased. – As my grand children and domestic connections made a great portion of felicity which I looked indemnify me for the Loss of a part of such endearing society. I do not say this because I feel dissatisfied with my present station – no, God forbid: - for everybody and everything conspire to make me as contented as possable in it; yet I have too much of the vanity of human affairs to expect felicity from the splendid scenes of public life. – I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have also learnt from experianence that the greater part of our happiness or misary depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances; we carry the seeds of the one, or the other about with us, in our minds, wherever we go.
“I have two of my grand children with me who enjoy advantages in point of education, and who, I trust by the goodness of providence, will continue to be a great blessing to me, my other two grand children are with thair mother in Virginia. –...I wish the best of Heavens blessings....”.
94 WGW, vol. 36, 2-11-1798. To Sally Ball Hayne. “Miss Salley: I have received your letter of the 28th. of last month, and without enquiry at this time why you left Mr. Lewis’s family or how you employ your time, I have requested him to furnish you with ten pounds to supply you with such necessaries as you may be in immediate want.
“But as you have no fortune to support you, Industry, oeconomy, and a virtuous conduct are your surest resort, and best dependance. In every station of life, these are commendable. In the one in which it has pleased Providence to place you, it is indispensably necessary that they should mark all your footsteps. It is no disparagement to the first lady in the Land to be constantly employed, at some work or another; to you, it would prove, in addition to a chaste and unsullied reputation the surest means of attracting the notice of some man with whom your future fortune will be united in a Matrimonial bond and without which it would be in vain to expect a person of worth. I wish you well and am Your friend.”
95 Fields, Worthy Partner, p. 3. From Robert Carter Nicholas to Martha Custis, 7th August, 1757, “...how great Christian patience and resignation you submitted to your late misfortune;...”,
96 Ibid., To Burwell Bassett Mount Vernon December 22d 1777, “... she has I hope a happy exchange – and only gone a little before us the time draws near when I hope we shall meet never more to part- if to meet our departed Friends and know them was certain we could have very little reason to desire to stay in this world where if we are at ease one hour we are in affliction days....”
“... my dear sister in her life time often mentioned my taking my dear Fanny if should be taken away before she grew up- If you will lett her come to live with me, I will with the greatest pleasure take her and be a parent and mother to her as long as I live – and will come down for her as soon as I come from the northward, ...”
97 Ibid., p. 152. to Martha Washington from John Parke Custis from Kings-College July 5, 1773, p. 152. “I generally get up about Six or a little after, dress myself & go to chappel, by the time that Prayers are over Joe has me a little Breakfast to which I sit down very contended after eating heartyly. I thank God, and go to my Studys, with which I am employed till twelve then I take a walk and return about one dine with the professors, & after dinner study till Six at which time the Bell always rings for Prayers they being over college is broak up, and then we take what Amusement we please. Things My dear Mother were going on in this agreeable Manner, till last Thursday, the day I receiv’d Pappa’s melancholy Letter, giveing an account of my dear & only Sister’s Death. I myself met the Post, & brought the sad Epistle to Doctor Cooper who I beg’d to open his Letter immediately, the Direction I did not know, but the Seal I knew too well to be deceived. My confusion & uneasiness on this occasion is better conceiv’d that expresst. Her case is more to be envied than pitied, for if we mortals can distinguish between those who are deserveing of grace & who are not, I am confident she enjoys that Bliss prepar’d only for the good & virtuous, let these consideration, My dear Mother have their due weight with you and comfort yourself with reflecting that she now enjoys in substance what we in this world enjoy in imagination & that there is no real Happiness on this side of the grave. I must allow that to sustain a shock of this kind requires more Philosophy than we in general are (possest) off, my Nature could not bear the shock. (illegible) sunk under the load of oppression, and hindered me from administering any consolation to my dear and nearest relation, this Letter is the first thing I’ve done since I received the melancholy News, & could I think my Presence wou’d be condusive to the Restoration of your Tranquility neither the distance nor the Fatigue of traveling could detain me a moment here. I put myself & Joe into deep Mourning & shall do (all) Honour in my power to the Memory of a deceas’d & well belov’d Sister, I will no longer detain you on a subject which is painful to us both but conclude with beging you to remember you are a Christian and that we ought to submit with Patience to the divine Will and that to render you happy shall be the constant care of your effectionate and dutiful son. John Parke Custis”
98 WGW, vol. 2, 6-18-1769.
99 Custis, Recollections, p. 21.
100 WGW, vol. 3, 6-20-1773. “Dear Sir: It is an easier matter to conceive, than to describe the distress of this Family; especially that of the unhappy Parent of our Dear Patsy Custis, when I inform you that yesterday removed [ sic ] the Sweet Innocent Girl Entered into a more happy and peaceful abode than any she has met with in the afflicted Path she hitherto has trod. She rose from Dinner about four o’clock in better health and spirits than she appeared to have been in for some time; soon after which she was seized with one of her usual Fits, and expired in it, in less than two minutes without uttering a word, a groan, or scarce a sigh. This sudden, and unexpected blow, I scarce need add has almost reduced my poor Wife to the lowest ebb of Misery; which is encreas’d by the absence of her son, (whom I have just fixed at the College in New York from whence I returned the 8th Inst) and want of the balmy consolation of her Relations; which leads me more than ever to wish she could see them, and that I was Master of Arguments powerful enough to prevail upon Mrs. Dandridge to make this place her entire and absolute home. I should think as she lives a lonesome life (Betsey being married) it might suit her well, and be agreeable, both to herself and my Wife, to me most assuredly it would. It do not purpose to add more at present, the end of my writing being only to inform you of this unhappy change.”
101 Fields, Worthy Partner, p. 170. John Parke Custis wrote to Martha on August 21 1776, “My dearest Mamma, ... that the General may obtain a compleat Victory over his Enemys, which I sincerely pray God may be the Case.... I wrote to the General the last two Posts. I shall write you again next Post, and ask Him to stand with yourself for my little Lady.
102 Custis, Recollections, p. 255.
103 Fields, Worthy Partner, p. 221. To Abigail Smith Adams, November 4, 1789 “...I intended yesterday after the sermon to bring the children out with me on a visit to you, but the weather prevented me.”
104 Ibid., p. 217 n. 1. Worthy Partner, “Mrs. Washington was a strict disciplinarian with regard to “practice time,” and insisted on four or five hours of practice each day. Nelly rebelled and cried bitterly, but to no avail.”
105 WGW, vol. 28, 11-20-1785. To Lund Washington. “Before their marriage he and Fanny were both told that it would be very agreeable to Mrs. W. and myself, that they should make this House their home ‘till the squalling and trouble of children might become disagreeable.”
106 Moncure D. Conway, quoted in Rupert Hughes, George Washington: The Human Being vol. 1, p. 555.
107 The Prayer Book and Bible were important tools of education. Fields, Worthy Partner, p.217. To Fanny Bassett Washington July 1789 “...I wish you to take a prayer book yourself and give one to Hariot the other two to be given to Betty & Patty Custis- ...” WGW, vol. 2, 10-12-1761. An order for the needs of the Washington family included the following: “A Small Bible neatly bound in Turkey, and John Parke Custis wrote in gilt Letters on the Inside of the cover. A Neat small Prayer Book bd. as above, with &ca. A Neat Small Bible b’d in Turkey and Martha Parke Custis wrote on the Inside in gilt Letters. A Small Prayer Book neat and in the same manner.”
108 WGW, vol. 37, 12-30-1798. To David Stuart. “When the applications for Military appointments came to be examined at Philadelphia, it was pleasing to find among them, so many Gentlemen of family, fortune and high expectations, soliciting commissions; and not in the high grades.
“This, and a thorough conviction that it was a vain attempt to keep Washington Custis to any literary pursuits, either in a public Siminary, or at home under the direction of any one, gave me the first idea of bringing him forward as a Cornet of Horse. To this measure too I was induced by a conviction paramount in my breast, that if real danger threatened the Country, no young man ought to be an idle Spectator of its defence; and that, if a state of preparation would avert the evil of an Invasion, he would be entitled to the merit of proffered service, without encountering the dangers of War: and besides, that it might divert his attention from a matrimonial pursuit (for a while at least) to which his constitution seems to be too prone.
“But, though actuated by these ideas, I intended to proceed no farther in the business than to provide a vacancy in one of the Troops of light Dragoons, and to consult Mrs. Stuart and his Grandmother, as to their inclinations respecting his filling it, before any intimation of it should be given to him: But, Mr. Lear hearing the matter talked of, and not knowing that this was the ground on which I meant to place the appointment (if the arrangement met the President’s approbation) wrote to Washington on the subject, in order to know if it would be agreeable to him, or not, to receive it.
