Greetings all. I am writing an article about gambling in Fredericksburg, Va., in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. (In particular, I am writing about George Carter (d. 1802), Landon Carter's grandson, and how he lost everything in a single card game.) As is well known, George Washington (GW) played cards now and again for small stakes bets. According to John T. Goolrick, GW made the following note in his diary: "Evening at the Rising Sun [Tavern]. Lost money as usual. The boys at Fredericksburg are too smart for me." (Goolrick, Old Homes and History Around Fredericksburg [Richmond, 1929], 27-28). Since part of my argument is that Fredericksburg was infested with card sharps during this period, I would love to use this quote, but only if it can be substantiated, of course. Jon Meacham, in his American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation (NY, 2007), repeats the statement word-for-word but cites only Goolrick as the source (314, n. 83). (One would think someone writing about GW in the 2000s would have used the long-since published GW Writings.) I have tried to verify this quote in the digital edition of GW's diaries and other writings, but am coming up empty. I even tried truncated versions of the quote, such as "too smart for me" and "lost money," but still I find nothing. Does anyone have any suggestions? My understanding is that all of GW's diaries have been transcribed in the UVA print and digital editions of his writings, but perhaps I am overlooking something? Many thanks. Thomas Katheder ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html