Lafayette writes to his fellow Cincinnati following his return from his tour on the United States in 1824-25, describing his domestic routine (“I generally live at La Grange with my family, but about the middle of winter we spend three months in town...)and his health (“I have been for several weeks secluded by an attack of the gout). He closes with regards to "all our military companions and other friends in New York" and his hopes that "the application of our brother officers to Congress [for their back pay] has been successful." With: Marius Willett’s autographed draft response on the inside of the integral cover (seal tear repaired, affecting a few words); Willett drafted a reply in which he recalls his first impressions of Lafayette ("You was [sic] then about 20 years and two months old) in 1777 and later at the battles of Monmouth and Brandywine. He writes "I have a likeness that was taken of your when you were last here, but it is so different from what you was when I first saw you that caused me to enquire of you the last time you was at my house whether you had not a likeness that was taken in your young days ..." For transcription, see case file. Accompanied by 6 portraits of Lafayette taken at various stages in his life (cataloged separately; call no. P&E L2011F213.1-6 MP)