In a letter dated December 30, 1799, Abigail Adams wrote her sister Mary Cranch that her nephew Will Smith Shaw (son of her sister Elizabeth Shaw Peabody and private secretary of John Adams) had set out for Mount Vernon some days earlier to deliver messages of condolence from President Adams and Congress to Martha Washington on the death of her husband. Abigail remarked that “It was thought most respectfull to send a special Messenger.”
Washington died quite suddenly of acute laryngitis on December 14. His doctors had given him a blister on his throat, an enema, an emetic to induce vomiting, and a mixture for soothing his throat. In addition, following standard practice at the time, Washington was bled—four times, losing a total of 32 ounces of blood; this huge blood loss probably caused his death.
Abigail wrote again to Mary in January of 1800, describing Shaw’s reception and Mrs. Washington’s reaction.

. . . . Mr. [William Smith] Shaw returnd yesterday from Mount Vernon. He was much gratified by his tour, tho regreeted that he did not see Mrs. Washington. She strove the whole time he was there, which was two days, to get resolution sufficient to see him, but finally excused herself. She had the painfull task to perform, to bring her mind to comply with the request of Congress, which she has done in the handsomest manner possible in a Letter to the President which will this day be communicated to congress. She wrote me in reply to my Letter an answer repleat with a sense of my sympathy, and expressive of her own personal Grief and anguish of mind. Mr. [Tobias] Lear [Washington’s secretary] told Mr. Shaw that she had not been able to shed a tear since the Genlls. death, untill she received the Presidents and my Letters when she was two hours getting through them, tho they were not Lengthy. . . .

Abigail’s letters can be found in The New Letters of Abigail Adams,1788-1801 edited with an Introduction by Stuart Mitchell (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1947), pp 224 and 226, online HERE. The illustration is an etching done in 1800 by an unidentified artist; it is at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

Robert Lewis, one of George Washington’s nephews, served as his secretary from 1789 to 1791. He escorted Martha Washington and her grandchildren from Mount Vernon to New York in 1789 and helped them get settled. The following passage is taken from Dining with the Washingtons: Historic Recipes, Entertainments, and Hospitality from Mount Vernon, Stephen McLeod, Ed. (Chapel Hill: Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, distributed by the University of North Carolina Press) p. 71. It includes a description of some amusing incidents which occurred during Mrs. Washington’s levées as recorded by Lewis in his diary.

As he came to the door to help several female guests out of their carriage, [Robert] Lewis heard “the screams and crys [of] a Lady who seemed to be in great distress.” The women reported that a member of their party had an insect in her ear. Lewis managed to get all the Ladies out of the carriage and into a private room in the president’s house, where, after pouring some oil in the sufferer’s ear, “the bug instantly run out—which was the cause of much rejoicing.”
Later, in his journal account of the evening, honesty compelled Lewis to record “another circumstance which has since cause much laugh[ter], when the bug ran out of . . . [the] . . . ear], it fell in her bosom and I plunged [my] hand into it involuntarily to catch the insect.” With all this excitement, one young lady . . . found herself “near fainting.” The young gallant was forced to “support her in my arms and to apply cold water to her face” in order to revive her. The ladies then rearranged their dresses, “which had been a good deal discomfited,” and went to make their greetings to Mrs. Washington,” who was all this while a stranger to what happened.” The story was told at the party, and Lewis was the hero of the evening. He also noted that “After . . . the company had nearly dispersed,” one of the female guests who “had observed my attention to the Lady whilst in distress invited me very politely to come and see her,” which Lewis thought he might do “so soon as time and opportunity will admit.”

Entry for Aug. 7, 1789, in R.L. diary (July 4—Sept.1, 1789, typescript, Library, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum and Gardens).

When the widowed Martha Dandridge Custis married George Washington she brought her two children to live at Mount Vernon: John “Jacky” and Martha “Patsy.” Sadly, her daughter died of consumption in 1773. Jacky was a bit wild, married young, joined the army and died of camp fever shortly after the battle of Yorktown, leaving his wife and four children. The two oldest children stayed with their widowed mother. The other two—George Washington Parke Custis, called “Wash,” and his sister Eleanor Parke Custis called “Nelly”—came to live at Mount Vernon. George Washington officially adopted his two step grandchildren.

G.W.P. Custis married Mary Lee Fitzhugh and their daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis, the only one of four children who reached maturity, married Robert E. Lee. In 1826, GWP Custis admitted paternity of a child born to a slave who had once resided at Mount Vernon where she served Martha Washington. During his lifetime GWP Custis put down his recollections of George Washington and life at Mount Vernon. After his death his daughter published them in a volume that can be read online. Here is an anecdote he recounts that occurred at one of Martha Washington’s levees.

Mrs. Washington’s drawing rooms, on Friday nights, were attended by the grace and beauty of New York. On one of these occasions an incident occurred which might have been attended by serious consequences. Owing to the lowness of the ceiling in the drawing room, the ostrich feathers in the head-dress of Miss [Mary] McIvers, a belle of New York, took fire from the chandelier, to the no small alarm of the company. Major Jackson, aid-de-camp [sic] to the president, with great presence of mind, and equal gallantry, flew to the rescue of the lady, and, by clapping the burning plumes between his hands, extinguished the flame, and the drawing-room went on as usual.

Custis wrote that George Washington attended his wife’s drawing-rooms.

[He] paid his compliments to the circle of ladies, with that ease and elegance of manners for which he was remarkable. Among the most polished and well-bred gentlemen of his time, he was always particularly polite to ladies, even in the rugged scene of war; and, in advanced age, many were the youthful swains who sighed for those gracious smiles with which the fair always received the attentions of this old beau of sixty-five.

Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington by his adopted son, George Washington Parke Custis, with a Memoir of the author, by his Daughter (New York: Derby & Jackson, 1860), pp 395-96 and 409. I promise you will spend time reading other stories from the Memoirs online HERE.

The first capital of the United states under the Constitution was New York City. After his inauguration, the President and MARTHA WASHINGTON moved into a mansion on Cherry Street. George Washington, concerned to project a dignified public image of the presidency and the new government, held a formal reception for men only on Tuesday afternoons. Lady Washington, as she was called by many, adopted the practice of holding her own reception, called a levee, every Friday evening. It was a more informal affair. ABIGAIL ADAMS described one that she attended in a letter of August 9, 1789, to her sister Mary Cranch.

[Mrs. Washington] has fix’d on every fryday 8 oclock. I attended upon the last. . . . I found it quite a crowded Room. the form of Reception is this, the servants announce—& col [David] Humphries or mr [Tobias] Lear—receives every Lady at the door, & Hands her up to mrs washington to whom she makes a most Respectfull curtzey and then is seated without noticeing any of the rest of the company. the Pressident then comes up and speaks to the Lady, which he does with a grace dignity & ease, that leaves Royal George far behind him. the company are entertaind with Ice creems & Lemonade, and retire at their pleasure performing the same ceremony when they quit the Room.

William Maclay (see previous post), a senator from Pennsylvania, kept a journal or diary of what transpired during each meeting of that legislative body. A committed Anti-Federalist, Maclay’s feelings are clearly apparent in his writings. He was appalled that certain practices more associated with European monarchies were being adopted by the new republic. One of these was the levee. Here is what William Maclay had to say on the subject in his entry for June 5, 1789, a Friday.

About two o’clock the words “levee” and “adjourn” were repeated from sundry quarters of the House. Adjourn to Monday? The Vice-President caught hold of the last. “Is it the pleasure of the House that the adjournment be to Monday?” A single “No” would not be heard among the prevailing ayes. Here are the most important bills before us, and yet we shall throw all by for empty ceremony, for attending the levee is little more. Nothing is regarded or valued at such meetings but the qualifications that flow from the tailor, barber, or dancing-master. To be clean shaved, shirted, and powdered, to make your bows with grace, and to be master of small chat on the weather, play, or newspaper anecdote of the day, are the highest qualifications necessary. Levees may be extremely useful in old countries where men of great fortune are collected, as it may keep the idle from being much worse employed. But here I think they are hurtful. They interfere with the business of the public, and, instead of employing only the idle, have a tendency to make men idle who should be better employed. Indeed, from these small beginnings I fear we shall follow on nor cease till we have reached the summit of court etiquette, and all the frivolities, fopperies, and expense practiced in European governments. I grieve to think that many individuals among us are aiming at these objects with unceasing diligence.

The excerpt from Abigial’s letter can be found HERE.The passage by Maclay is in his journal entry for Friday June 5th. Read more about the Washingtons’ levees HERE.

I thought I would continue in a lighter vein with some insights into the lives of George and Martha Washington. William Maclay represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1789 to 1791. The diary he kept during that time is one of the few records of what went on in that body—sessions would not become public until 1795. He was a staunch critic of the Federalist party as is clear from his journal entries. He also commented on his other activities, reporting that on June 11, 1789 he had dinner with Robert Morris and his family—Morris was the other senator from Pennsylvania. He recounted an amusing anecdote related by MARY WHITE MORRIS about an experience she had while dining with the Washingtons.

Dined this day with Mr. Morris. Mr. Fitzsimons and Mr. Clymer, all the company, except Mrs. Morris and three children. Mrs. Morris talked a great deal after dinner. She did it gracefully enough, this being a gayer place, and she being here considered as at least the second female character at court. As to taste, etiquette, etc., she is certainly first. I thought she discovered a predilection for New York, but perhaps she was only doing it justice, while my extreme aversion, like a jealous sentinel, is for giving no quarter. I, however, happened to mention that they were ill supplied with the article of cream. Mrs. Morris had much to say on this subject; declared they had done all they could, and even sent to the country all about, but that they could not be supplied. She told many anecdotes on this subject; particularly how two days ago she dined at the President’s. A large, fine-looking trifle was brought to table, and appeared exceedingly well indeed. She was helped by the President, but on taking some of it she had to pass her handkerchief to her mouth and rid herself of the morsel; on which she whispered the President. The cream of which it is made had been unusually stale and rancid; on which the General changed his plate immediately. “But,” she added with a titter, “Mrs. Washington ate a whole heap of it.”

Maclay’s Journal can be found HERE, pages 73-74. The portrait of Mary White Morris was painted by John Trumbull in 1790 and is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.