Washington, George:

$275,000 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON TO JAMES McHENRY, ONE OF HIS CLOSEST CONFIDANTES, WRITTEN IN THE FINAL YEAR OF WASHINGTON'S LIFE AND CONCERNING THE RAISING OF A PROVISIONAL ARMY ... A lengthy and highly significant autograph letter, signed, from George Washington, written in the last year of his life, to then-Secretary of War James McHenry, addressing the various challenges and concerns associated with the ongoing effort to raise a provisional army amid America's "Quasi War" with France. The letter provides much insight into Washington's views on recruiting and appointing military officers, their compensation, and the difficulties of working with politicians in making appointments. It is also powerful evidence of Washington's lifelong and selfless devotion to the security and welfare of his country. James McHenry served Washington closely during the American Revolution, joining Alexander Hamilton as Washington's private secretary. He was appointed Secretary of War by Washington in 1796, and continued to serve in that position through most of the Adams administration. Though their alliance had helped win the American Revolution, by the late 1790s relations between the United States and France had deteriorated significantly. Earlier in the decade, the agitations of French consul Edmund Genêt had roused anti-French feelings among the American populace. Worse still was the attempt by the French government to procure bribes from American negotiators in a diplomat

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.