I will not give up the hope of seeing you at Mount Vernon, before I quit the stage of human action—the idea woud be too painful—I must indulge a contrary one.
" I will not give up the hope of seeing you at Mount Vernon, before I quit the stage of human action—the idea woud be too painful—I must indulge a contrary one. "
From George Washington to Chastellux | Friday, August 20, 1784
Editorial Notes
Following the American Revolution, George Washington continued to correspond with many of the foreign officers who had served under his command in the war. This letter was written in response to a short note from François-Jean de Beauvoir, Marquis de Chastellux, Lieutenant General in Rochambeau's expeditionary force. The note was hand-delivered by the Marquis de Lafayette, who was returning to the United States for the first time since the Battle of Yorktown. Chastellux, a cousin of Lafayette's wife Adrienne de Noailles, had confessed to being jealous of Lafayette's ability to visit Washington and Mount Vernon. Washington’s affection for Chastellux is obvious in his response.
