Answer: Tobias Lear

Tobias Lear (1762-1816) of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, served as President George Washington's executive secretary from 1786 to 1799. Lear developed a close relationship with the Washington's during his thirteen year tenure, which culminated in him being present at Washington's death. The diary that he kept contains an array of information on treatments and services given to Washington during his final days. Lear even recorded the president's final words in the passage as follows:

About ten o’clock he made several attempts to speak to me before he could effect it, at length he said, “I am just going! Have me decently buried; and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.” I bowed assent, for I could not speak. He then looked at me again and said, “Do you understand me?” I replied yes! “Tis well” said he.

Lear went on to serve President Thomas Jefferson as American consul to Santa Domingue, and he was later appointed consul general to Algiers. In this latter position, Lear helped bring about the end First Barbary War, establishing peace between the United States and Morocco, Tunis, and Algeria.

HSP possesses Lear's original diary with the account of the death of George Washington in its Treasures collection, and it may be viewed upon request. Among HSP's collections is also a collection of manuscripts from the Washington family (Am .001), which include legal papers, surveys, correspondence, loose accounts, Washington's pocket diary from 1796, a household journal dating from 1793 to1797, and  Martha Washington's "A Booke of Cookery."