The Martha Washington Collection, Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon Ladies' Association

Dear Madam                                 Mount Vernon January the 18 1788

I have now to thank you for the very polite and affectionate letter of December the 7th – we were exceedingly happy to hear by it and by the two Mr Morris's that you reached Philadelphia without accident, and without fright in crossing the Bay and that you had the happiness to find all your friends there well. The circumstances will be an inducement to you I hope, to visit your friends to the southward more frequently. I am my dear madam much obliged for your kind attention in getting the collars for the girls. They suite very well, for I prefer them to those with Backs; - and am well pleased that you laid out the remainder of the money in ribbon and sashes for them. My pretty boy is so pleased with the Book you sent him that he had read it over and over and over and says he will write to Mrs. Powel and thank her himself, for her kind remembrance of him.

Fanny returned much better of the cough, and a good deal better in health than when she went over the mountains; but not perfectly recovered. She left this about ten days agoe - with a design to lay in at her fathers. She expects sometime in March next; in her way down she called at a Mr. McCartys to see her Brother married to the daughter of that gentleman, which will make it sometime before I shall hear from her. She is a child to me, and I am very lonesome when she is absent. Her ill luck with her first child is the only reason of her wishing to change the place of her lying inn this time. If her child lives, it will be sometime in May before she can come up - and the distance is too farr for me to goe down to see her.

The moroco thread case you was so obliging as to send me, came safe with the other things, for which please to accept my thanks. I can assure you, my dear madam, that we were much mortified at not being able to prevail on you to stay longer with us as you returned - whilst you were on the road we thought of you often and as you find the ways tolerable, and the commencement (that is the preparation for a journey) nearly half the execution of it, we shall flatter ourselves with hopes of seeing you again in this state; change of air is always conducive to health; and tho we are not as gay as you are at philadelphia, yet in this peaceful retreat you will find friendship and cordiallity; which no one who does not go fully into all the gaities of the city, will I flatter myself, be quite as agreeable.

I do most truly sympathize with you on your sisters disappointments in life. These now come, in a greater or less degree, are what all of us experience. She is blessed however with a charming family of children, and providence has been bountiful in giving her resolution and strength of Body and mind to be able to undertake the care that have developed upon her. There are few women that would not sink under the load; to the entire ruin of their families.

Mrs Stuart has lately lost her father Mr Calvert which has distressed her exceedingly. She is now with her mother, the girls are with me. Miss & Miss Patty Custis say that I would thank you in their names for the collars. They will ware them with pleasure as you was so good as to take the trouble of providing them. My little Nelly is very well, and often asks when Mrs. Powel will come to see us again. Many thanks for your kind offer in rendering Fanny and myself service. Should I have occation, I will with much freedom, accept your kind offer

My warm wishes and affectionate regards attend you and Mr Powel, in which the General begs to be included - and believe me to be with

great esteem dr Madam
your affectionate Friend
and Hble Servant
M. Washington

Autograph Letter Signed

The Martha Washington Collection, Mount Vernon.

Phila. June 23d. 1775

My dearest,

As I am within a few minutes of leaving this City, I could not think of departing from it without dropping you a line, especially as I do not know whether it may be in my power to write you again till I get to the Camp at Boston - I go fully trusting in that Providence, which has been more bountiful to me than I deserve, & in full confidence of a happy Meeting with you sometime in the Fall - I have no time to add more, as I am surrounded with Company to take leave of me - I retain an unalterable affection for you, which neither time or distance can change. My best love to Jack & Nelly and regard for the rest of the Family concludes me with the utmost truth & sincerity,

Yr entire
Go: Washington

To
Mrs Washington
at
M Vernon

Mercy Otis Warren Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Massachusetts Historical Society

Dear Madam                                 Valley forge March the 7th 1778

I am now to thank you for the two very kind Letters which you have been pleased to favor me with. - the one written some time Last summer, and the other by Mr Bowdoin. It gave me a peculiar pleasure to hear by the gentleman that you and Genl Warren enjoyd good health - and this pleasure was not a little increased by hearing from yourself that you are so very happy in your state - noe traces of the enemy being left; but on the other hand, plenty of every thing usefull and necessary to be percured - indeed I think providence was very bountifull in her goodness to your state: even when the enemy was in it, we found then every article in plenty, and full sufficient for the use of the army - in virginia we have no British troops since the cruel Dunmore left us - but how soon we shall, is not at this time known; I hope, and trust, that all the states will make a vigorous push early this spring, if every thing can be prepard for it, and thereby putting a stop to British cruelties - and afford us that peace liberty and happyness which we have so long contended for -

It has given me unspeakable pleasure to hear that Genl Burgoyne and his army air in safe quarters in your state -would bountifull providence aim a like stroke at Genl Howe, the measure of my happyness would be compleat

I came to this place about the first of February whare I found the General very well - 1 left my Children at our House - Mrs Custis has lately had a fine girl, which makes the second since she left Cambridge; she is so much confined with her children, that she stays altogather with them

I left Mr Bowdoin in Alexandria he was a good deal distressed on account of Mr Blairne a french gentleman his partener - who was by accident drowned crossing the Potomack river; his Body was not found when I left home; his behavour and agreeable manners, rendered him a favourite with all that know him, and caused his death to be much lamented

The General is in camped in what is called the great Valley on the Banks of the Schuykill officers and men are cheifly in Hutts, which they say is tolarable comfortable; the army are as healthy as can well be expected in general - the Generals appartment is very small he has had a log cabben built to dine in which has made our quarter much more tolarable than they were at first.

It would give me plasure to deliver your compliments to Mrs. Gates, but she lives at so great a distance from me that I have not seen her since we parted at Newport two years agoe; the General joins me in offering our respectfull compliments to Genl Warren and yourself. -

I am Dr Madam with esteem
your affectionate Friend and
very Hble servt
Martha Washington

Massachusetts Historical Society

Recipe Take the wild or Indian Turnip when it is in blossom or has the fruit on it, wash and cut it in thin slices Run a thread thro it, and hang it in the chimney corner to dry quickly but do not let the fire come to it - when it is very dry power [sic] it in a mortar - the potion to take as much as will lay on the point of a knife when the difficulty of breathing or coughing come on make it in to a bolus with honey - it may be repeated as often as the stomack will bear till it gives ease.

American Antiquarian Society

Editors of The Ladies' Magazine to Martha Washington, May 18, 1793. Papers of Martha Washington, Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon

painting (watercolor)

My Dear Madam                             New York December the 26th 1789

Your very friendly letter of the 27th of last month has afforded me much more satisfaction than all the formal compliments and emty ceremonies of mear etiquette could possably have done. - I am not apt to forget the feelings that have been inspired by my former society with good acquaintances, nor to be insensible to thair expressions of gratitude to the President of the United States; for you know me well enough to do me the justice to beleive that I am only fond of what comes from the heart. - Under a conviction that the demonstrations of respect and affection which have been made to the President originate from that source I cannot deny that I have taken some interest and pleasure in them. - The difficulties which presented themselves to view upon his first entering upon the Presidency, seem thus to be in some measure surmounted: 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 predilictions 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 disintrestedness 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 unaquivocal 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 the felicity which I looked for in this world. - 1 shall hardly be able to find any substitute that would 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. -

The Presidents health is quite reestablished by his late journey - mine is much better than it used to be - I am sorry to hear that General Warren has been ill: hope before this time that he may be entirely recovered - we should rejoice to see you both, I wish the best of Heavens blessings, and am my dear madam with esteem and

regard your friend and Hble
Sert
M Washington

Mrs Warren

Autograph Letter Signed

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