Exceedingly rare ALS by First Lady Martha Washington, retaining its original free-franked address panel by President George Washington: ALS signed “M. Washington,” one page, 7.5 x 9, April 10, 1796. Letter to Catharine Brown in Chestnut Hill, Virginia, written from Philadelphia. In full: "I will with pleasure take your Daughter down with me when I visit Mount Vernon; and leave her, as you desire, in the Federal City with Mr. Scott. As it is possible, however, that you may be mistaken as to the time this may happen; it is but right I should inform you, that it not only depends upon the length of the present session of Congress, but upon other business which the President may have after it rises; that you may decide how far the time may suit your purposes. The first, according to the opinions of the members themselves, will not happen before June at soonest;—and the second depends upon circumstances which cannot at this moment be foreseen.—I hope however it will be soon after the Congress rises." The integral address leaf is addressed in George Washington's hand to "Mrs. Catharine Brown, Chestnut Hill, Virginia," and franked by the president in the lower left, "Post Office in Alexandria, President, U.S." In fine condition, with soiling and professional repairs to seal-related paper loss on the integral address leaf.
Although the relationship between the Washingtons and Catharine Brown appears to be little documented, it is alluded to in an advertisement for a runaway slave published on July 29, 1812. In it, a thirty-dollar reward is offered for a ‘Negro Woman named Hannah’ who ‘ran away from Chestnut hill, the residence of Mrs. Catharine Brown, in Fairfax County.’ As to her whereabouts, the ad suggests that she may be ‘among the Negroes left free by Gen. Washington.’ In his will, George Washington famously made provisions for his slaves to be freed following the death of Martha Washington. In December 1800, Martha signed a deed of manumission for her deceased husband’s slaves, and they finally became free on January 1, 1801. Catharine Brown’s slave was likely already acquainted with those of George Washington, and sought refuge among them upon running away.
The bulk of this remarkable letter refers to the scheduling and circumstances surrounding the first session of the Fourth United States Congress, which lasted from December 7, 1795, to June 1, 1796. The key achievements of the Fourth Congress were the ratification of the Jay Treaty to establish peace with Great Britain, and the ratification of Pinckney's Treaty to establish relations with Spain. Later in 1796, President Washington would publish his iconic ‘Farewell Address,’ a classic pronouncement of American values. An absolutely spectacular letter pairing the autographs of George and Martha Washington—the first such example we have ever encountered.
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