When are GW's intentions to run first known?
When GW's intentions to run again are known:
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I believe that it will not hurt Yr Interest as a Candidate for there are too many Witnesses for it to gain Credit in this County.
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Looks like GW's intentions were known as early as November 1757.
This the last sentence of Stewart's letter below:
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As for Election ⟨mutilated⟩ thing goes on in all Quart⟨mutilated⟩sfaction—no accots ⟨mutilated ne⟩w Governr.10
Here's the footnote to that sentence:
10. This mutilated postscript seems to suggest that GW had already decided, and that it was known that he had decided, to stand for election to the House of Burgesses from Frederick County (see also Nathaniel Thompson to GW, 20 Feb. 1758). It was by this time certain that Dinwiddie would be leaving soon, and it was expected that the new governor would promptly call for new elections to the assembly. Dinwiddie sailed 12 Jan. 1758, but his replacement Francis Fauquier did not arrive until 5 June and the poll was not taken until 24 July. For an account of the election of GW and Thomas Bryan Martin to the House of Burgesses from Frederick County, see Charles Smith to GW, 24 July 1758.
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See the full letter and footnotes here:
To George Washington from Robert Stewart, 24 November 1757
From Robert Stewart Fort Loudoun Novemr 24th 1757 Dear Sir When big with the hopes of your speedy Recovery indulging myself in the pleasing thought and impatiently expecting the agreeable accot Jenkins handed me your very obliging & affectionate Epistle of the 20th Inst.1 But how great was my Disappointment on Accot of the bad State your obstinate & deeply rooted Disorder has reduc’d you to? I easily conceive how disagreeable it must be to a person of sense to be laid under a necessity of paying a due deference to the Pompuous Grimace and formal Prescriptions of the Learn’d Faculty under whose hands you have the misfortune of being, but I hope My Dear Colo. that not only regard to Self Preservation but to your Country in general and the Regiment in particular will induce you implicitly to obey every order your Physicians may Judge necessary for the Conservation of that Life all Justly rate so high and for which you are undoubtedly in some measure answerable to your Country—I Beg you’ll Pardon this Freedom which proceeds from the deep Concern I’m under. By the Inclos’d from ⟨Mr Rut⟩herford you’ll observe his Success2—Capn Swearingen requests you’ll send him a Line signifying that the Rangers will not be Incorporated into the Regiment and if you cou’d limit the time of their Service it would greatly accelerate the Recruiting—Cunningham (of the Mill) says that Mr Ross Bargain’d with him for a qty of Flower to be Deliver’d here, and that the Contractor won’t receive it he begs to be inform’d what to do?3 Capn Trent wants to know if you’ll be Security for the Indian Goods Capn Gist wants from him? Bush says the things you order’d for the Artillery will amount to a pretty large Sum, he daily expects them and as he’s to pay ready money for them begs you’ll Please give orders for Paying him4—In consequence of the Inclos’d from Capn McKenzie I sent up the Dun[ke]r Docr which I hope you’ll approve off5—no accots of the Enemy since—The Works goes on here as well as can be expected, both your Smith & Trigg have been sick for several Days but are now got to work again6—Mr Boyd arriv’d some time since with four Months Pay 2 of which he has paid I Beg you’ll ⟨mutilated un⟩easiness from the affairs on the Frontier as they are in as good a Posture as can reasonably be hop’d for. Agreeable to your Desire I have wrote to Colo. Stanwix (who is now mov’d to Lancaster.) Inclos’d is a Copy thereof likewise of my last to the Governor and his answer by which you’ll observe he Orders me to send him a List of the Deserters that were brought back to the Regiment and to whom the Rewards were paid?7 this I cannot do unless you’ll Please send it me from your Cash or Rect Book His Honr has given his approbation to my going to the Northd and when I reflect how far the Season is already advanc’d how much time it will require to perform my part in the Event of Success the Difficulties Delays may occasion and how vastly improbable my ever having such another chance I begin to Dread I have stay’d too long, therefore requests you’ll be Pleas’d to give me your Leave and would it not fatigue you too much a Letter to His Lordship and another to Captn Cunningham would be of infinite Service to me as you must be suppos’d to know me (as a Soldier) better than any that have Recommended me I would ⟨mutilated⟩s give you so much trouble in your present Situation did not this seem to be my last Effort for being extricated out of that disagreeable uncertainty in which I have so long liv’d and were I not morally certain your Letters wou’d be of vast advantage to me.8 I Return you Mr Smith’s Letter, Magazine &C. with a List of what have and will beyond doubt Subscribe I will exert myself in getting all I can9—I’m vext I have tir’d you with the tedious length of this will only add my most fervent Wishes for your speedy Recovery which would make everybody here immensely happy particularly him who ever is With the most perfect Esteem & respect Dear Sir Your most Affectionate & Most Obliged hble Servt Robert Stewart As for Election ⟨mutilated⟩ thing goes on in all Quart⟨mutilated⟩sfaction—no accots ⟨mutilated ne⟩w Governr.10 ALS, DLC:GW. 1. GW’s letter has not been found. 2. See Robert Rutherford to GW, 22 Nov. 1757. 3. Stewart was presumably referring to Capt. Thomas Swearingen of the Frederick County militia rather than to his son Lt. Thomas Swearingen of Robert Rutherford’s rangers. David Ross had undertaken to supply the garrison at Fort Loudoun with provisions equal to those left at Fort Cumberland by the Virginia Regiment when Capt. John Dagworthy and the Maryland troops took over the fort in early summer. See particularly GW to Dinwiddie, 10 June 1757, n. 10. 4. William Trent was an Indian trader in Pennsylvania, but see also George Mason to GW, 13 Sept. 1756, n.2, and 4 Jan. 1758. This was perhaps Philip Bush, the Winchester merchant. 5. See Robert McKenzie to Stewart, November 1757 (Enclosure I). 6. John Trigg from King and Queen County and Benjamin Smith from Charles City County were both in GW’s company. Trigg, a 25–year-old Virginia farmer, joined the Virginia Regiment in November 1754, and Benjamin Smith, a 27–year-old Englishman who was a bookbinder by trade, joined in June 1756. 7. See Stewart to Dinwiddie, 9 Nov. 1757; Dinwiddie to Stewart, 15 Nov., and Stewart to John Stanwix, 24 Nov. 1757, are printed here as Enclosures II and III. An entry in GW’s Regimental Accounts, 9 Jan. 1758, indicates that he had paid out £64 “for apprehending Sundrie Deserters as ⅌ Receiptes at Sundrie times” (DLC:GW). 8. No letters from GW to Lord Loudoun and James Cuninghame supporting Stewart’s quest for a commission in the British army have been found. 9. See William Smith to GW, 10 Nov. 1757, n.1. 10. This mutilated postscript seems to suggest that GW had already decided, and that it was known that he had decided, to stand for election to the House of Burgesses from Frederick County (see also Nathaniel Thompson to GW, 20 Feb. 1758). It was by this time certain that Dinwiddie would be leaving soon, and it was expected that the new governor would promptly call for new elections to the assembly. Dinwiddie sailed 12 Jan. 1758, but his replacement Francis Fauquier did not arrive until 5 June and the poll was not taken until 24 July. For an account of the election of GW and Thomas Bryan Martin to the House of Burgesses from Frederick County, see Charles Smith to GW, 24 July 1758.
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To George Washington from Nathaniel Thompson, 20 February 1758
From Nathaniel Thompson Fort Loudoun February the 20th—1758 Sir I am very sorry that the Lies of Majr Baylis should give much Uneasyness to You or make You look upon Officers who are Willing to abide (in Respect of that Affair) by the severest Tryal in a disadvantageous Light. Majr Baylis has falsly aspersed our Characters—but he has not prov’d it nor can he—He has sayd it but where? in Prince William, the County in which he lives where he never expects to see one of the Persons that he has accused & where there is no one to contradict him.1 We did not imagine that You or the World would have believed him & therefore we did intend to have made ourselves easy by taking private Satisfaction. But we now think it incumbent on us to satisfy the Publick tho’ we can’t well find out the best Method. I talked with Mr Keith who saw his Advertisement & he says there is Nothing in it against the Officers that will bear an Action at Law but he says he believes he may be indicted for a Libel provided we can get one of them.2 We hear that You have one which we hope You will keep & let us have. I have wrote Baylis my Sentiments of the Matter & withal demanded a Copy of his Advertisement which I think he cannot well refuse3—for if he does the World must readily conceive that he has either advanced or affirmed a Falsity or that he is afraid to abide by the Truth. I shall be extremely obliged to You for Yr Advice in this Affair as soon as possible. Believe me, Sir, I know no Reason why he should say or even conjecture that I have behaved amiss. I believe that it will not hurt Yr Interest as a Candidate for there are too many Witnesses for it to gain Credit in this County.4 We can easyly I think acquit ourselves to Yr Satisfaction for there were Men enough by, Friends to Baylis & Strangers to us & therefore if they are prejudiced at all it must be in Favour of Baylis & I am much mistaken if those very Persons will not acquit us of any Thing to our Discredit. I am very sorry to hear that Yr Indisposi[ti]on continues—I am, my dear Colonel, Yr sincere Friend & very hue Sert Nathl Thompson ALS, DLC:GW. 1. See John Baylis to GW, 30 Jan. 1758. 2. This may be James Keith (1734–1824) who became clerk of the Frederick County court in 1762 and after the Revolution practiced law in Alexandria. 3. Thompson’s letter has not been found. Baylis enclosed a copy of his Advertisement in his letter to GW of 30 January. 4. For a discussion of GW’s early decision to stand for a seat in the House of Burgesses from Frederick County, see Robert Stewart to GW, 24 Nov. 1757, n.10.
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