George Washington. George Washington

Library in San Marino, California. Because of the controversy surrounding it, it had never been publicly exhibited prior to September 1985, when it was resurrected from storage as a consequence of our researches.

      Apart from the technical difficulties touching the improbability of so fine a representation in marble having survived a fire without noticeable damage, the major obstacle to considering this the work of David is the possibility that the David statue was in bronze. Indeed, a committee of French artists and statesmen in 1904 replaced the “lost” statute with a bronze copy, which now rests in the rotunda of the Capitol. Further, records of the Library of Congress contemporaneous with the fire either refer to the original as bronze or make no mention of it at all. Nor are there any other extant records uncovered to this date which make any reference to the statue. The bronze copy of 1904 was fashioned from a cast model reportedly located at David d’Angers’ studio in France.

      The story of the marble bust (as well as the story of the original gift), therefore, remains inconclusive. One may nevertheless attest to the extraordinarily high merit of the bronze bust attributed to David and to the virtually pinpoint precision with which its dimensions and attitudes are reproduced in the marble version now in California.

      THE SOURCES OF THE TEXT

      The following is a list of sources for all materials that do not derive from the Fitzpatrick edition.

      Letter number 4, to Robert Hunter Morris, is from the Stanford University Library and contains minor revisions by the editor.

      Letter number 86, Washington’s “Circular Letter,” is edited from two versions: Fitzpatrick’s and the South Carolina copy (thirteen manuscripts were produced—one for each state), to which I referred courtesy of the Winthrop College Archives, Dacus Library, Rock Hill, South Carolina.

      Letter number 117, to John Jay, and letter number 132, to Henry Knox, are both in the collection of the University of Virginia Washington Papers Project, Alderman Library. Letter number 133, the summary Washington made of letters from Jay, Knox, and Madison, is reprinted from North American Review LVII, October 1827.

      Letter number 155 is taken from Noah Webster, A Collection of Papers on Political . . . Subjects, 1843.

      For letter number 167, the fragments of the discarded inaugural address, a full explanation of the sources of the fragments appears immediately after the reconstructed text. With the exception of the discarded first inaugural address and the “Farewell Address,” all the material in Chapter Eleven appears as it did in the first compilation of American State Papers, as ordered by Congress. This editor’s decision to follow those texts reflects Washington’s own decision in general not to allow the publication of his official papers prior to a specific order for that purpose being given by Congress.

      Letter number 188, to the Hebrew congregation, and letter number 189, to the Roman Catholics, are derived from manuscripts MH;ns70584 and 81529, respectively, from the Washington Papers Project.

      Letter number 190, to the Hebrew congregation in Newport, and letter number 191, to the Hebrew congregation in Savannah, are as printed in Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society (3), 1895.

Chronology

       1732

      February 22 (Old Style, February 11) Birth of George Washington

       1752

      November 6 G. W. becomes a major in Virginia Militia

       1753

      October 31 G. W. undertakes mission for Governor Dinwiddie to warn French off British territory

       1754

      March 20 G. W., now Lt. Colonel, assumes command of expedition to Fort Duquesne

      May 28 Death of Jumonville at hands of G.W.’s expeditionary force; international incident

      July 4 Surrender of Fort Necessity to French

      November 1 G.W. protests subordination to British regulars of lower rank; resigns commission

       1755

      May 10 G.W. appointed Aide-de-Camp to General Braddock, Commander-in-Chief of British forces in America

      July 9 Braddock’s army routed, with loss of the Commander; G.W. displays notable bravery

      August 14 G.W. appointed Colonel and Commander of Virginia forces

       1758

      July 24 G.W. elected to Virginia House of Burgesses for Frederick County

      November 23 Fort Duquesne abandoned by French; G.W. resigns commission

       1759

      January 6 G.W. marries Martha Dandridge Custis

       1761

      May 18 G.W. re-elected to House of Burgesses

       1765

      May 30 Patrick Henry delivers speech against the Stamp Act

      July 16 G. W. elected Burgess for Fairfax County

       1769

      May 18 G. W. carries articles of association drawn up with G. Mason—a non-importation agreement

       1770

      October 5 G. W. begins exploration of Ohio Territory

       1774

      May 24 Virginia resolves against Boston Port Act; Assembly continues meeting after being dissolved by Governor

      August 1 G. W. elected to attend First Continental Congress by Virginia Convention

      September 5 First Continental Congress, Philadelphia

       1775

      March 25 G. W. elected to Second Continental Congress

      May 10 Second Continental Congress, Philadelphia; G. W. attends in military dress

      June 15 G. W. appointed Commander-in-Chief of continental forces