THE SALEM GAZETTE, Massachusetts, July 24, 1783

• General George Washington - Farewell to the Army
• Commander-in-Chief - American Revolutionary War

The entire front page and most of page 4 are taken up with one of the more noteworthy letters from General Washington during the war.
It is headed: "His Excellency General WASHINGTON'S LETTER to the several States which compose the American Republic - CIRCULAR" datelined at Head Quarters, Newburgh, June 11th, 1783.
This famous letter begins: "The great object for which I had the honour to hold an appointment in the service of my country being accomplished, I am now preparing to resign it into the hands of Congress and return to that domestic retirement which, it is well known, I left with the greatest reluctance...".
It closes with a fervent prayer: "...I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline that hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the field; and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion; without an humble imitation of whose example, in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation." Signed in type: G. WASHINGTON.
Great to have this letter consuming the entire front page & most of page 4, so it can be displayed opened so the entire letter can be read.
Four pages, never-trimmed margins, archival strengthening at the spine.

Background: This July 24, 1783 issue of The Salem Gazette is an exceptional historic printing of George Washington’s "Circular Letter to the States" (datelined Newburgh, June 11, 1783), which served as his nation-defining political testament and tentative resignation as Commander-in-Chief ahead of the war's formal conclusion. In it, Washington sets forth the fundamental pillars essential for the Republic’s survival—namely, an indissoluble federal union, strict adherence to public justice (including honoring war debts to veteran officers), a formal national defense, and civil harmony—before closing with his famous, heartfelt prayer for unity and divine favor. Original 1783 newspaper printings of this landmark "Farewell to the Army" are scarce and prized early Americana; what makes this specific four-page issue uniquely desirable for display is its physical imposition, as the text spans the entirety of page 1 and wraps directly around to most of page 4, allowing the entire manuscript to be viewed seamlessly from start to finish when framed or displayed lying flat open.