"That all the letters said to be written by Washington to Lodges are spurious. This is rendered nearly certain: First, by the non-production of the originals: Second, by the absence of copies among the records of his letters: Third, by their want of dates: Fourth, by the fact that his intimate friend and biographer, Chief Justice Marshall,[81] (himself a Mason in his youth,) says that he never heard Washington utter a syllable on the subject, a matter nearly impossible, if Washington had for years been engaged in writing laudatory letters to the Grand Lodges of South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts."[82] The movement to elect General WASHINGTON a Grand Master over all the Brethren in the United States originated at a meeting of American Union Lodge, held at the encampment of the American Army at Morristown, New Jersey, December 15, 1779. This Lodge was a Regimental Lodge of the Connecticut Line, originally warranted by the Provincial Grand Master of Massachusetts. This movement continued to find favor amongst the craft, especially in Pennsylvania, and culminated in a motion to that effect at a General Grand Communication of the Grand Lodge, December 20, 1779. This resulted in a Grand Lodge of Emergency being convened January 13, 1780, when the following action was taken:[83] "This Lodge being called by Order of the Grand Master, upon the request of Sundry Brethren, and also in pursuance of a Motion made at the last General Communication, to consider the Propriety as well as the necessity of appointing a Grand Master over all the Grand Lodges formed or to be formed in these United States, as the Correspondence which the Rules of Masonry require cannot now be carried on with the Grand Lodge of London, under whose Jurisdiction the Grand Lodges in these States were originally constituted; The Ballot was put upon the Question: Whether it be for the Benefit of Masonry that 'a Grand Master of Masons thro'out the United States' shall be now nominated on the part of this Grand Lodge; and it was unanimously determined in the affirmative. "Sundry respectable Brethren being then put in nomination, it was moved that the Ballot be put for them separately, and His Excellency George Washington, Esquire, General and Commander-in-chief of the Armies of the United States being first in nomination, he was ballotted for accordingly as Grand Master, and Elected by the unanimous vote of the whole Lodge. "Ordered, That the minutes of this Election and appointment be transmitted to the different Grand Lodges in the United States, and their Concurrence therein be requested, in Order that application be made to his Excellency in due form, praying that he will do the Brethren and Craft the honor of accepting their appointment. A Committee was appointed to expedite the Business."