ander-in-chief,
and to paint his inclinations as at variance with his professions and
his duty--another crisis in the affairs of America having occurred,
the same weapon has been resorted to, to wound my character and
deceive the people.

"The letters in question have the dates, addresses, and signatures
here following:

New York, June 12th, 1776.

To Mr. Lund Washington, at Mount Vernon, Fairfax county,
Virginia.

G.W.

June 18th, 1776.

To John Parke Custis, Esqr., at the Hon Benedict Calvert's
Esqr., Mount Airy, Maryland.

G.W.

New York, July 8th, 1776.

To Mr. Lund Washington, Mount Vernon, Fairfax county,
Virginia.

G.W.

New York, July 16th, 1776.

To Mr. Lund Washington.

G.W.

New York, July 15th, 1776.

To Mr. Lund Washington.

G.W.

New York, July 22d, 1776.

To Mr. Lund Washington.

G.W.

June 24th, 1776.

To Mrs. Washington.

G.W.

"At the time when these letters first appeared, it was notorious to
the army immediately under my command, and particularly to the
gentlemen attached to my person, that my mulatto man Billy had never
been one moment in the power of the enemy. It is also a fact that no
part of my baggage, or any of my attendants, were captured during the
whole course of the war. These well known facts made it unnecessary,
during the war, to call the public attention to the forgery by any
express declaration of mine; and a firm reliance on my fellow
citizens, and the abundant proofs they gave of their confidence in me,
rendered it alike unnecessary to take any formal notice of the revival
of the imposition, during my civil administration. But as I can not
know how soon a more serious event may succeed to that which will this
day take place, I have thought it a duty that I owed to myself, to my
country, and to truth, now to detail the circumstances above recited,
and to add my solemn declaration that the letters herein described are
a base forgery, and that I never saw or heard of them until they
appeared in print. The present letter I commit to your care, and
desire it may be deposited in the office of the department of state,
as a testimony of the truth to the present generation and to
posterity. Accept, &c. &c."

[Sidenote: John Adams elected president, and Thomas Jefferson vice
president.]

In February, the votes for the first and second