“ my transcripts of the state-papers, I wish to proceed to the copying of many of the enclosures, which I omitted at first to insert in their proper places. I cannot indeed help regretting, that so many of the originals are missing, &, I fear, irrecoverably lost, unless the President has preserved copies of them. The want of them will oblige me to omit the resolutions of Congress, to which they gave birth--it being my intention to add the resolutions, at the bottom of the page, by way of note to each letter, on which they were founded.”

On April 23 Carey wrote: “I have the honor of presenting, for your inspection, the remainder of what I have been able to copy of general Washington’s correspondence. The whole of those 808 pages, & the best part of what has been copied by two of the gentlemen in your office, has been carefully compared with the originals. One of the original letters, of a particular nature, I take the liberty of enclosing. The index, that accompanies the papers, will shew where to find my copy, if you wish to cut it out: and if this be the case, I presume I will not do amiss, in striking out every passage (for several occur in other letters) pointing out even the existence of such pieces. I am extremely sorry, that it is not in my power to complete the correspondence of the commander in chief, as I expect to embark on Sunday next. However, if I might, without impropriety, request your interference, I am confident that a single word from you, would considerably expedite the business, and induce the two gentlemen in your office to hasten the part they have in hands--which was undertaken on a presumption that I was to sail by the first of April,--is already paid for in advance--& not yet finished . . .

"Before I conclude, Sir, I would beg leave to remind you of the utility of a certificate, under the seal of your office, purporting in general terms, that I have, under the proper authority, had access to the original papers . . . and that my copies have been compared with, & corrected by the originals . . .”

On April 27, in view of Carey’s intended departure for England, Jefferson wrote to Thomas Pinckney [Minister Plenipotentiary in London]: “ M ^r. John Carey having had permission to copy & publish such parts as might be interesting to the public, of the correspondence of the Commander in chief, the officers commanding in separate departments &c and proposing to print them in Europe, it has been thought safer to put the M.S.S. books under cover to you. there go with this letter about 12. or 13. packets of them. I have to ask the favor of you to recieve and keep them till he shall apply for them in person, and then to deliver them to him, should any accident happen to him be pleased to retain them till further orders as it is not meant to trust the publication to persons unknown. ”

Carey did not sail for some months. On May 1 he wrote to Jefferson from Philadelphia: “I have the honor of presenting to you the remainder of my manuscripts; & beg leave to observe, that there are a few of the concluding books of each of the two parcels, which you have not yet inspected . . .”

On July 13, Carey from Philadelphia: “having amended my proposals in conformity to the ideas you were pleased to suggest, permit me (with sincerest thanks for the favors conferred on me in the commencement of my undertaking) to enclose you a few copies, on the eve of your departure in hopes they may come into the hands of some of your friends in Virginia.”

Carey eventually went to London where the book was published, and a copy sent to Jefferson on April 6, 1795 (see above).

On September 1 of the following year, 1796, Carey wrote from London to Jefferson: “It may appear presumptuous in me to address you, since I have not been honored with any reply to a letter which I took the liberty of writing to you about April, 1795. However . . . I venture to trouble you with a few lines on a subject, which, in my feeble judgment at least, appears entitled to some ”