Peter Stephen Du Ponceau

James L. Whitehead, ed.

Offprint from the Pennsylvania magazine of history and biography, April, 1939, through April, 1940

1940-00-00

published primary source

eng

Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen, and James L. Whitehead, ed. The Autobiography of Peter Stephen Du Ponceau. Philadelphia: Offprint from the Pennsylvania magazine of history and biography, April, 1939, through April, 1940.

“[November 1780]…We parted with General Greene somewhere in the State of Delaware and pursued our route to Richmond in Virginia. On our way the Baron paid a visit to Mrs. Washington at Mount Vernon; we were most cordially received and invited to dinner….The Baron having accepted the invitation we sat down to dinner. Mrs. Washington was accompanied by a young lady, a relative, whose name, I think, was Miss Custis. The table was abundantly served, but without profusion….After dinner was over, while the Baron and Major Walker in company with the young lady were viewing the grounds I had the honour of sitting in the parlour tete-a-tete with Mrs. Washington. I shall never forget the affability, and, at the same time, the dignity of her demeanour. Our conversation was on general subjects. I can only remember the impression it left upon my mind; she reminded me of the Roman matrons of whom I had read so much, and I thought that she well deserved to be the companion and friend of the greatest man of the age.”