Description
The scarce broadside of General Washington’s letter to President John Adams, accepting his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States, dated July 18, 1798.
This letterpress broadside, which was published for “General Information” of the public, was printed on laid paper, and measures 11.25″ x 18.5″. Previously folded along center line, faint browning along margins. Free of restoration or notable wear. Faint transference where previously folded, bold typeface. The letter from Washington at Mount Vernon is dated July 13, 1798, and delivered to the Senate on July 18, 1798.
(Sabin 101713) (Evans 34829) From ESTC, three other known copies held with the Library of Congress, the John Carter Brown Library and the Boston Athenaeum.
In 1798, as part of the Quasi-War with France, George Washington was appointed “Commander of the Armies of the United States,” by President John Adams, to bolster public confidence before a potential conflict. On March 3, 1799, Congress authorized the role of “General of the Armies” to be bestowed upon Washington, but Adams was concerned it would infringe on his executive duties as “Commander-in-Chief.”
Washington delegated much of the day-to-day preparations to Major-General Alexander Hamilton, who served as second-in-command, his influence was critical in structuring the provisional army, setting standards for discipline, training, and command hierarchy. As the crisis de-escalated, Washington remained at Mount Vernon but held the title until his death in 1799.
