General Hamilton, General Pinckney, Bushrod Washington, Colonel W. A. Washington, Lawrence Lewis, G. W. P. Custis, George S. Washington, Samuel Washington, Colonel Ball, Captain Hammond; also to John Lewis, desiring him to inform his brothers George, Robert, and Howell. The letters were sent by the following conveyances: to the President, General Hamilton, and John Lewis, by the mail; to Colonel W. A. Washington and to B. Washington, by express to Colonel Blackburn, requesting him to forward them by same conveyance; to L. Lewis, G. W. P. Custis, by express; to General Pinckney, Colonel Ball, Samuel Washington, G. S. Washington, and Captain Hammond, by my own servant Charles, with my riding horse.
Mrs. Stuart was sent for. In the morning about ten o'clock, Mr. Thomas Peter came down, and about two o'clock, Mr. and Mrs. Law, to whom I had written on Saturday evening. Dr. Thornton came down with Mr. Law. Dr. Craik tarried all day and all night.
In the evening I consulted with Mr. Law, Mr. Peter, and Dr. Craik, on fixing a day for depositing the body in the vault. I wished the ceremony to be postponed until the last of the week, to give time to some of the General's relations to be here; but Dr. Craik and Dr. Thornton gave it decidedly as their opinion that considering the disorder of which the General died, being of an inflammatory nature, it would not be proper nor perhaps safe to keep the body so long; and, therefore, Wednesday was fixed upon for the funeral, to allow a day (Thursday) in case the weather should be unfavorable on Wednesday.
I directed the people to open the family vault, clean away the rubbish from about it, and make everything decent; ordered a door to be made to the vault, instead of closing it again with brick, as had been the custom; engaged Mr. Inglis and Mr. McMunn to have a mahogany coffin made, lined with lead, in which the body was to be deposited.
Dr. Craik, Mr. Peter, and Dr. Thornton left us after breakfast, and Mrs. Stuart and her daughters came in the afternoon. Mr. Anderson went to Alexandria to get a number of things preparatory to the funeral; the mourning was ordered for the family domestics and overseers. Having received information from Alexandria that the militia, Free Masons, etc., were determined to show their respect to the General's memory by attending his body to the grave, I directed provision to be prepared for a large number of people, as some refreshment would be expected by them. Mr. Robert Hamilton wrote me a letter informing that a schooner of his would be off Mount Vernon to fire minute-guns when the body was carrying to the grave.
Gave notice of the time fixed for the funeral to the following persons, by Mrs. Washington's desire, viz., Mr. Mason and family, Mr. Peake and family, Mr. Nickols and family, Mr. McCarty and family, Miss McCarty, Mr. and Mrs. McClanahan, Lord Fairfax and family, Mr. Triplet and family, Mr. Anderson and family, Mr. Diggs, Mr. Cockburn and family, Mr. Massay and family, Mr. R. West. I wrote also to the Rev. Mr. Davis to read the service.
Every preparation for the mournful ceremony was making. Mr. Diggs came here in the forenoon, also Mr. Stewart, adjutant to the Alexandria Regiment, to view the ground for the procession. About one o'clock the coffin was brought from Alexandria in a stage. Mr. Inglis and Mr. McMunn accompanied it; also Mr. Grater, with a shroud. The body was laid in the coffin, at which time I cut off some of the hair.
The mahogany coffin was lined with lead, soldered at the joints, and a cover of lead to be soldered on after the body should be in the vault; the whole was put in a case lined and covered with black cloth.
About eleven o'clock numbers of people began to assemble, to attend the funeral, which was intended to have been at twelve; but as a great part of the troop expected could not get down in time, it did not take place till three. Eleven pieces of artillery were brought from Alexandria, and a schooner belonging to Mr. R. Hamilton came down and lay off Mount Vernon to fire minute-guns.
About three o'clock the procession began to move. The arrangements of the procession were made by Colonels Little, Simms, and Dencale, and Dr. Dick. The pall-holders were Colonels Little, Simms, Payne, Gilpin, Ramsey, and Marsteler. Colonel Blackburn preceded the corpse.
