July 17, 1798
Gentlemen of the Senate:
Believing that the letter received this morning from General Washington will give high satisfaction to the Senate, I transmit them a copy of it, and congratulate them and the public on this great event--the General's acceptance of his appointment as Lieutenant-General and Commander in Chief of the Army.
JOHN ADAMS.
John Adams, Special Message Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/203125