General George Washington on President Adams: “It is my wish to give him every proof of frankness, respect and esteem.” This Remarkable Letter Was Touched by Both Men

This letter was sent to Secretary of War McHenry, though its real audience was also President Adams himself: “You are at perfect liberty to communicate this letter to the President,” which McHenry did, meaning both Washington and Adams handled it

 

Washington assesses the case of President John Adams’s son-in-law, who had served the General well in the Revolutionary War, and now sought high military office

 

There was opposition to the appointment, and Washington felt “Candor is particularly due to him [Adams] in such a case.”

Washington shows, in standing up for Smith, his belief that not only military experience but also morality is required for elevation: “Had military qualifications alone been consulted the name of Colonel Smith would have stood singly and he would have been deemed a valuable acquisition to the service. Had there even been no other source of objection than the erroneous political opinions of late attributed to him, his honor and attachment to his country would have been relied upon.”

This letter was held personally in hand by both Washington and Adams, a virtually unique and highly desirable combination

From the Battle of Long Island in 1776 until the withdrawal of British military forces from New York in 1783, Major William Stephens Smith proved himself an exceptional military officer during the Revolutionary War. General George Washington pronounced him as “one of the best Battalion officers” of the Continental Army. Smith received a baptism by fire at the Battle of Long Island. Smith retreated across the East River in the same boat as Washington, who took him onto his staff for a time. Smith was wounded at the Battle of Harlem Heights on September 16, 1776 when dispatched by the Commanding General with orders to the troops. He continued in combat at Pell’s Point, New Rochelle, and White Plains in New York, and at the Battle of Trenton in New Jersey.

In recognition for his “gallantry intelligence & professional knowledge” during the New York-New Jersey campaign, William Stephens Smith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in one of the “additional” regiments of the Continental Army on New Year’s Day 1777. By year’s end, he joined the main army at Valley Forge. Over the next two and a half years, Colonel Smith led his regiment at the Battle of Monmouth, the Siege of Rhode Island, the expedition against the Iroquois Confederacy in Upstate New York, and the Battle of Springfield. After the last engagement, he was promoted as the inspector and adjutant general of the Marquis de Lafayette’s light infantry division.

Vacancies in George Washington’s military family led to Smith being selected as an aide-de-camp on July 6, 1781, in time for the Yorktown Campaign. When the Continental Army returned to the Hudson River Valley in 1782, the Commander-in-Chief relied heavily on Smith, assigning him to be both commissary of prisoners and entrusting him with the command of the forward post at Dobb’s Ferry to watch and report on the enemy in New York City. When the Treaty of Paris ended the war, Washington appointed Smith one of three commissioners to supervise the British withdrawal from New York City. In March of 1785, Smith became secretary to the American legation in London, headed by John Adams as U.S. minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain. While residing in London, Smith courted the daughter of John and Abigail Adams, Abigail “Nabby” Amelia Adams, and the two were married in London on June 11, 1786.

Smith’s life as a civilian after the war, particularly in the 1790s, was not as distinguished, as he struggled to balance civic service with private gain. On September 26, 1789, President George Washington appointed Smith the first U.S. Marshal for the State of New York, and two years later, Supervisor of the Revenue for the District of New York. He resigned both positions after about a year in each of them in favor of the lucrative pursuit of land speculation in Western New York, with which he became enamored. But by late 1798, the land bubble had burst, leaving Smith humiliated and mired in debt for the rest of his life.

During the Quasi-War with France, on July 2, 1798, George Washington was appointed by his successor as president, John Adams, as Lieutenant General and Commander of America’s newly-augmented army. Washington insisted for active command to be vested in Alexander Hamilton, whom Adams appointed Major General and Inspector of the Armies.

Washington put forward the name of William Stephens Smith, whom he thought so highly of during the Revolution, as a candidate for the post of Adjutant General of the Provisional Army. On July 18, 1798, Adams nominated Smith Adjutant General, but citing his bankruptcy, Secretary of State Timothy Pickering successfully lobbied senators to vote against Smith’s commission. The Senate rejected the nomination of the son-in-law of the President of the United States. In December of 1798, Washington wrote the Secretary of War, James McHenry, about filling the post of Adjutant General of the Provisional Army. Smith had already been rejected by the Senate, so he was not an option for that office. But as this letter makes clear, Washington still had a high opinion of Smith, and praised his service to the country. But he had to acknowledge that Smith had some negatives, including accusations of misconduct (which Washington did not himself believe).

Letter signed, Philadelphia, December 13, 1798, to James McHenry, discussing the difficulties of appointing Smith to office and making it clear that McHenry could show the letter to President Adams, which was done. ״You will observe that in the arrangement of the officers allotted to New York there is an alternative of Wm. S. Smith or Abijah Hammond for Lt. Colonel Commandant. Various considerations demand that the motive of this hesitation should be explained. Had military qualifications alone been consulted the name of Colonel Smith would have stood singly and he would have been deemed a valuable acquisition to the service. Had there even been no other source of objection than the erroneous political opinions of late attributed to him, his honor and attachment to his country would have been relied upon. But as well myself as the two generals whose aid I have had in the nominations have been afflicted with the information well or ill founded that he stands charged in the opinion of his fellow citizens with very serious instances of private misconduct; instances which affect directly his integrity as a man. The instances alleged are various but there is one which has come forward in a shape which did not permit us to refuse it our attention. It respects an attempt knowingly to pledge property to Major Burrows by way of security, which was before conveyed or mortgaged for its full value to Mr. William Constable; without giving notice of the circumstance, and with the aggravation, that Major Burrows had become the Creditor of Col. Smith through friendship to an amount which has proved entirely ruinous to him. While the impossibility of disregarding this information forbade the selection of Col Smith absolutely, the possibility that it might admit of some fair explanation dissuaded from a conclusion against him. As it will be in your power to obtain further lights on the subject it has appeared advisable to leave the matter in the undetermined form in which it is presented and to assign the reason for it. You are at perfect liberty to communicate this letter to the President. Candor is particularly due to him in such a case. It is my wish to give him every proof of frankness, respect and esteem. Lest it should be suspected that Major Burrows has officiously interfered to the prejudice of Col Smith, it is but justice to him to declare that such a suspicion would be entirely without foundation.” The body is the hand of Tobias Lear.

McHenry reported all this to President Adams. McHenry also took the position that Smith could and would be approved by the Senate to take some position or other. He wrote Washington, “I shewed your letter relative to Col. Smith to the President—and sent a copy of it to Smith. I shall as soon as it can be spared from this quarter forward you his answer. The pith of it is, that in the agitation of his mind he brought a certain deed with others from Mr Wm Constables house to Col. Troop’eds office, where the business between him & Majr Burrow was transacted, that the mistake was soon discovered and as soon rectified. That it was impossible he could have intended a deception, the mortgage in question being on record…Upon a deliberate weighing of all circumstances as they may affect the public concerns, it may be expedient his name should be presented to the Senate, Something must be yielded to obtain harmony, and yet I do not know that this will secure it. If presented I think he will be appointed.”

On January 8, 1799, Smith was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Twelfth Regiment of Infantry. Thus, in the end, Adams, Washington and McHenry secured a position for Smith, but the best that could be attained was a lieutenant colonelcy and command of a regiment.