Credit Side Annotation

Line 3 - Prior to GW's retirement from the presidency and return to Mount Vernon, Secretary of State Timothy Pickering had assured him that he would forward to Mount Vernon certain volumes of the journals of Congress and of the U.S. statutes, as well as a "copying machine" that GW had used to make copies of his letters, and that Pickering was having repaired for GW. On 24 Aug. 1797, Pickering informed GW that his "journals and acts of Congress in one box, and the copying press in another, with the press board and lever tied together" would be placed on board a packet ship bound for Alexandria. In a letter of 29 Aug. 1797, GW advised Pickering that he enclosed with the letter "$35 in bank notes of the United States," which was to be used to pay for rollers for the "copying press." GW also gave directives concerning the repair of the copying device. GW wrote in part: ". . . it would add to my convenience if Mr Tayler [George Taylor, Jr.] would be so obliging as to have the press fixedfor copying: for as the use of one was not practiced by me, I may be at a loss in doing it. I do not mean that it should be accompanied by a Table, but board only between the Rollers, as the screws which I have to a small press, will, I presume, answer for the other. I would pray him also (if the Press is still with you) to use it a little, that if there be any imperfection therein, that it may be corrected before if comes hither, as I should be unable to do it afterwards." GW acknowledged receipt of the press on 30 Oct., though it apparently did not function properly. See GW to Timothy Pickering, 28 June 1797 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 1, page 222]; Pickering to GW, 1 July 1797, and n.1 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 1, page 225)]; Pickering to GW, 24 Aug. 1797 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 1, pages 317-18)]; GW to Pickering, 29 Aug. 1797 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 1, pages 327-29)]; Pickering to GW, 8 Sept. 1797 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 1, pages 343-44)]; and GW to Pickering, 30 Oct. 1797 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 1, pages 444-45)].