To George Washington from Juan de Miralles, 22 May 1779
From Juan de Miralles
Philadelphia May the 22d 1779
Honble Sir
I have been obliged to defer my returning Your Excellency my most respectful Thanks for all the favours with which you have honored me during the short stay I made at Camp in the visit which I had the honor to pay Your Excellency,1 as I expected daily an Opportunity to transmit you a few trifles which I destined for your acceptance and that of your worthy Spouse. Colo. Mitchell having at last told me that a safe opportunity presented itself, I make use of it to acknowledge the favours of Your Excellency. I dare hope from your Excellency’s goodness, as well as your Lady’s, that you will please to accept of the small Trifles which I take the Liberty to present you with, and of which a List is hereunto annexed.2
I beg Your Excellency will please to present my respects to your worthy & amiable Lady, in whose agreeable Company I wish you may always find the most Complete satisfaction May Heaven bless you with prosperity and prolong your precious Days. I have the honor to be with the greatest respect Honorable sir Your Excellency’s Most obedient and most humble servant
Juan de Miralles3
Translation, DLC:GW; LS, in Spanish, DLC:GW.
1. For the arrival in camp of Miralles, the Spanish agent to the United States, and Conrad-Alexandre Gérard, the French minister to the United States, see the source note for GW to Gérard, 1 May.
2. Miralles’s enclosed list of articles, in Spanish, is in DLC:GW; the contemporary translation, titled “A List of the Articles which have been Entrusted by Order of D. Juan de Miralles to the Care of Col. Mitchell to be by him transmitted by the first favourable opportunity to His Excellency General Washington,” reads: “1 Barrel of White Sherry Wine[;] 1 Bottle case with six Chrystal flasks, six of whom large, & six small—a Small Box with six gilt Vessels[;] 1 Small Box full of Sigarres of the Havannah (in the box marked M[);] 1 Box marked M with the following Articles[:] 20 Cakes of Chocolate without sugar for their better preservation in the hot season, and that Every Body might sweeten them according to his own Taste. 1 Farro of Guayava[;] 1 Do of Gicaca[;] 1 Small box of Sweetmeats of Guayava[;] 1 Lata of fine Havannah Tobacco[;] 1 Do for Mrs Greene” (DLC:GW).
3. The translation does not include the postscript to the LS, in Miralles’s writing: “La llave de la frasquera va adxunta. En el caxon va una Lata de Tavaco pra. Mrs Green que me Tomo la libertad de Suplicar av. Exa. Se Sirva mandar se la Entregue. El Todo va con la marca M.” GW replied on 10 July (DLC:GW).