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197

George Washington

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George Washington

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Auction Date:2010 May 12 @ 10:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Boldly penned ALS signed “Go: Washington,” one page, 6.25 x 7.5, September 25, 1773. Letter to to Samuel Athaws of London. In full: “Your letter of the 30th of March to Col. Fairfax, never came to my hands (as his Attorney in Fact) till the middle of this month – so much thereof as relates to the mismanagement of his tob[acc]o. I shall communicate to his steward – the other parts respecting his affairs in England you, doubtless, long before this have had an opportunity of communicating yourself, as he with his Lady embarked for London about the 10th of last month.

According to his desire, I take the liberty of addressing the enclosed letter to your care and am sir, your most obedient servant.” Washington has docketed the reverse, “Copy Letter to Samuel Athaws, Esqr. 25th Sep. 1773.” Letter is archivally sleeved in acid-free Mylar. In very good condition, with central vertical fold, toning along the extreme edges, a couple trivial edge chips, small tape repair to reverse, and light show-through from Washington’s docketing on reverse. Accompanied by a two-page letter from the associate editor of The Papers of George Washington at the Alderman Library at the University of Virginia, providing interesting biographical background on the Fairfaxes, Athawses, and their relation with Washington. This letter was originally purchased at Phillips in New York, Sept 30, 1982, lot 734.

Prior to departing for England to tend to family members, Colonel George William Fairfax, a Loyalist and prominent resident of late colonial Virginia, and his wife, Sally Cary Fairfax, granted his close friend, Washington, power of attorney—or attorney-in-fact, as identified here. Although six months had passed from the time that Fairfax’s representative sent his original correspondence to Washington and the date of the letter offered here, the future Father of Our Country nevertheless replies with a pledge to address any concerns over “the mismanagement” of tobacco—even though such conflicts had likely been addressed in the interim. Interestingly, Sally Fairfax is remembered by history as being the woman with whom Washington was in love with during his marriage to Martha Washington. Even though Washington took his wedding vows seriously and never acted upon this desire, historical data shows that Colonel and Mrs. Fairfax were the most frequent visitors to Mount Vernon. However, the Fairfaxes never returned to the US from overseas following the Revolution. Having expressed an allegiance to the British monarchy during the war, Fairfax’s fortunes in the colonies were crushed, preventing any type of reunion with its new president. It is worth noting that letters of Washington mentioning or alluding to Sally Fairfax are extremely rare. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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