Debit Side Annotation

Line 9 - In a letter of 30 Jan. 1793, GW informed Nicholas Van Staphorst, who had been acting for several years as a financial agent for the United States in Holland, that he was enclosing a bill of exchange for 2,310 "Guilders Holland Curry at 30 days," drawn by Philadelphia merchant George Meade on Hendrik Gildemeester in Van Staphort's favor. GW, who had transferred this money to a banking firm in Holland, later sent Van Staphorst a second and third bill of exchange. The purpose of the first bill was to assist the marquis de Lafayette's wife and family during his imprisonment by Austrian and Prussian forces. In a letter of 31 Jan. 1793, GW in fact informed Lafayette's wife, Marie-Adrienne-Françoise de Noailles, marquise de Lafayette, of the first bill of exchange that he was sending Staphorst.  See GW to Nicholas Van Staphorst, 30 Jan. 1793 [Rotunda | Founders | Print (Presidential Series, Volume 12, page 65)]; see also GW to the marquise de Lafayette, 31 Jan. 1793, printed as enclosure to GW to Van Staphorst, 31 Jan. 1793 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Presidential Series, Volume 12, pages 75-76)]; and GW to Van Staphorst, 15 March 1793 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Presidential Series, Volume 12, page 330)].

Credit Side Annotation
Line 8 - As early as 1784, the marquis de Lafayette had apparently offered to obtain breeding stock for GW, and in April 1785 Lafayette first informed GW that he was sending two jackass, one from Cadiz, Spain, and the other from Malta. In October of the following year, Lafayette offered more specifics on his gift, advising GW that it consisted in a jackass, "two females," as well as pheasants and partridges. See Lafayette to GW, 16 April 1785 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Confederation Series, Volume 2, pages 503-5)]]; and Lafayette to GW, 26 Oct. 1786 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Confederation Series, Volume 4, pages 311-13)]. In early November 1786, James McHenry advised GW of the arrival of the animals at Baltimore aboard the ship Iris. McHenry, writing from Baltimore on 5 Nov., wrote in part: "I have just received from L’orient by the Iris, a present from the Marquiss de la Fayette for your Excellency, of a Jack ass two mules some pheasants and partridges, which I shall after some days rest forward to your Excellency." The jackass and jennies arrived at Mount Vernon on Thursday, 16 Nov. 1786. In GW's diary for that date, he wrote in part: "On my return home, found Mons. Campoint [Jacques Campion] sent by the Marqs. de la Fayette with the Jack and two She Asses which he had procured for me in the Island of Malta and which had arrived at Baltimore with the Chinese Pheasants &ca. had with my Overseer &ca. got there before me. These Asses are in good order and appear to be very fine. The Jack is two years old and the She Asses one three & the other two. The Pheasants and Patridges will come round by Water." See McHenry to GW, 5 Nov. 1786 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Confederation Series, Volume 4, pages 330-31)]; Diaries, 5:68 [Rotunda | Founders Online]; and GW to Lafayette, 19 Nov. 1786 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Confederation Series, Volume 4, page 385)].