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Letters to Washington

Vol. I., 1752-1756. Vol. II., 1756-1758. Vol. III., 1758-1770. Vol. IV., 1770-1774. Each 8vo, $5.00, net.

HOUGHTON, MIFFLON & COMPANY, BOSTON AND NEW YORK.

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Letters to Washington AND ACCOMPANYING PAPERS

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA

EDITED BY

STANISLAUS MURRAY HAMILTON

Editor of the Writings of James Monroe

VOL. IV 1770–1774

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY

The Riverside Press, Cambridge

1901

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COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Published November, 1901

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CONTENTS OF VOLUME IV

1770PAGE

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQRE., MARCH 12TH Exchange of land.1

FROM THE HONBLE G. W. FAIRFAX, ESQRE, MARCH 12TH Land disputes.3

FROM THE REVEREND MR. COOPER TO THE REVEREND MR. BOUCHER, MARCH 22ND Feud between Episcopalians and Presbyterians of New York— Terms of King's College.5

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, APRIL 2ND Indebtedness—Navigation of Potomac.9

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQRE., APRIL 5TH Opinion on land disputes.11

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQRE., APRIL 8TH Inability to keep appointment.12

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQRE., APRIL 11TH Illness of Mrs. Marshall.13

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., APRIL 16TH Mrs. Savage's annuity.13

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, MAY 5TH Survey of land—Quitrents—The Indian traders' land.15

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQRE., MAY 7TH Survey of land.17

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, MAY 9TH Projected European tour of John Parke Custis.18

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, MAY 21ST Plan of projected tour.20

FROM WILLIAM PEARETH, ESQRE., MAY 25TH Legacy from Colonel Thomas Colville.28

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, AUGUST 18TH Samples of coating—Navigation of Potomac—Walpole's grant.29

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS, AUGUST 30TH Samples of coating—Mr. Christian's dancing-school.31

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQRE., SEPTEMBER 17TH Exchange of land.32

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FROM WILLIAM GRAYSON, ESQRE., SEPTEMBER 23RD Purchase of land.33

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, SEPTEMBER 23RD Mrs. Marshall's illness—Exchange of land.33

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, OCTOBER 1ST Uncertain movements—Inoculation of John Parke Custis— Loss of watch.34

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., DECEMBER 6TH Washington's journey to the Ohio—Death of Rockwood—Mrs. Savage's annuity—Suit against Mr. Mason.35

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, DECEMBER 6TH Purchase of land.37

FROM MR. WILLIAM CARR, DECEMBER 17TH Shipment of Flour—Land disputes.38

FROM COLONEL GEORGE MERCER, DECEMBER 18TH Mrs. Savage's annuity—European war—Soldiers' lands—Intention to return to America.39

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, DECEMBER 18TH Character and associates of John Parke Custis.41

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., DECEMBER 20TH Mrs. Savage—Appointment to come to court.47

1771

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE, JANUARY 12TH Sale of estate—Asking loan—Estate of Alexander Spotswood.47

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., JANUARY 20TH Sale of land.50

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, APRIL 11TH Inoculation of John Parke Custis.50

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, APRIL 15TH Land disputes.52

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, APRIL 19TH Safe recovery of Mr. Custis from inoculation—Dr. Stephenson's charges—Price of flour in Baltimore.54

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, APRIL 20TH Description and survey of land on Ohio.56

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, MAY 3RD Displeasure with Mr. Custis—Marriage of Mr. Gough.58

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, MAY 9TH Recovery of Mr. Custis—Lawsuit of Mrs. Buckner—Mr. Custis's account—Exchange of house—Legacy from Colonel Thomas Colville —Physic for Miss Custis—Projected European tour—Personal plans—Captain Posey.59

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FROM CAPTAIN JOHN POSEY, MAY 25TH Land disputes—Lawsuits—Personal complaints—Asking assistance —Soldiers' land—Personal affairs.63

FROM MR. ROBERT ADAM, JUNE 24TH Shipment of herrings.67

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, JULY 4TH Projected European tour—Personal affairs—Cost of tour— Effect of tour upon Mr. Custis—Requests speedy decision—Tour through America—Mr. Custis's lack of progress—Mr. Lloyd Dulany —Walpole's grant.69

FROM ARTHUR LEE, ESQRE., JULY 10TH Requesting influence.75

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, AUGUST 2ND Colonel Croghan's land—Survey of land.76

FROM COLONEL GEORGE CROGHAN, AUGUST 18TH Offer to sell land—Walpole's grant.78

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS, AUGUST 18TH Excuses for poorly written letters—Business affairs—Mr. Boucher's offer of room for Annapolis races.80

FROM MR. JOSEPH VALENTINE, AUGUST 24TH Failure of crops—Runaway negro.81

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, NOVEMBER 19TH John Parke Custis's lack of progress in studies—Residence at Annapolis—Advice in regard to colleges.83

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, DECEMBER 9TH Desires situation as manager of the Custis estate.87

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE, DECEMBER 11TH Recommending Mr. John Pendleton.87

FROM EDMUND PENDLETON, ESQRE., DECEMBER 13TH Recommending Mr. John Pendleton.88

FROM MR. JOHN PENDLETON, DECEMBER 15TH Desires situation as manager of the Custis estate.88

FROM THOMAS ADDENBROOKE, ESQRE., DECEMBER 16TH Anne Broadhurst Washington—Estate of Walter Broadhurst.89

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQRE., DECEMBER 18TH Recommending Mr. John Hopkins.91

FROM MR. WILLIAM ARMISTEAD, DECEMBER 21ST Recommending Mr. James Hockaday.93

FROM MR. BURBIDGE, DECEMBER 21ST Recommending Mr. James Hockaday and Captain John Hopkins.93

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQRE., DECEMBER 21ST Recommending Mr. James Hockaday.94

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FROM MR. WILLIAM DANDRIDGE, DECEMBER 21ST Recommending Mr. James Hill.95

FROM BURWELL BASSETT, ESQRE., DECEMBER 21ST Candidates for vacancy of manager of the Custis estate—Meeting of Assembly.96

FROM BURWELL BASSETT, ESQRE., DECEMBER 21ST Recommending Mr. James Hockaday.97

FROM MR. JOSEPH DAVENPORT, DECEMBER 23RD Inventory of slaves and live-stock on the Custis estate.98

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE, DECEMBER 24TH Recommending Mr. James Hill.99

FROM BURWELL BASSETT, ESQRE., DECEMBER 25TH Character of Hill and Hockaday—Meeting of Assembly—Inventory of slaves and stock.100

1772

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQRE., JANUARY 10TH Opinion on land disputes—Dr. Savage—Appointment to office.101

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, JANUARY 15TH John Parke Custis's account—Increased charge for coming year —Personal affairs—Death of Lord Baltimore—Surmises of disposal of Province of Maryland—New map of Western America.104

FROM MR. HARRY PIPER, FEBRUARY 15TH Mrs. Savage's annuity.108

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, FEBRUARY 21ST Severe weather—John Parke Custis's accounts—Surmises of the will of Lord Baltimore.109

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, MARCH 5TH Abstract of will of Lord Baltimore—Surmises of effect of will— Governor Eden's attitude—Purchase of whaleboat—Chandler's appeal and Gwatkin's answer.113

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, MARCH 15TH Survey of land—Croghan's claim—Walpole's grant—Mode of securing land—McMahon's land—Impossibility of obtaining much land near Fort Pitt.117

FROM THOMAS JOHNSON, JR., MARCH 26TH Enclosing letter to Mrs. Washington—Court charges.119

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., APRIL 14TH Payment to Dr. Savage.120

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, MAY 1ST Difficulty in keeping possession of land—Walpole's grant— Action of Colonel Croghan.121

FROM THOMAS JOHNSON, JR., MAY 10TH Enclosing receipt for court fees—Navigation of Potomac.122

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FROM MR. JAMES BALFOUR, MAY 10TH Legacy from Colonel Thomas Colville.124

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE, MAY 11TH Sale of estate to discharge debts.124

FROM COLONEL BURWELL BASSETT, MAY 13TH Illness—Loan to Colonel Moore—Business affairs—Patsy Custis.125

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, MAY 14TH Payments—Sale of corn—Renting of fishing seines—Runaway negro—Hiring of laborers—Work-horses—Crops—Lawsuit.127

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, MAY 22ND Governor Eden—Mutton for Squire Calvert—Claret sent.130

FROM COLONEL JOHN CARLYLE, JUNE 28TH Shipment of flour.131

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., JULY 15TH Offer of land—Hannah Fairfax Washington—Hunting dogs.132

FROM COLONEL JOHN CARLYLE, JULY 21ST Excuses—Shipment of flour.133

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, JULY 24TH Estate on the Eastern shore—Shipment of tobacco—Sale of corn—Crops—Death of slaves.134

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., AUGUST 3RD Mrs. Savage's annuity—Sale of land—Hunting dogs.137

FROM MR. AMOS STRETTELL, AUGUST 4TH Shipment of flour.139

FROM MR. AMOS STRETTELL, AUGUST 18TH Insurance of shipped flour.140

FROM MRS. MARGARET SAVAGE, AUGUST 19TH Acknowledgment of money—Gratitude—Loss of annuity—Remittance of money—Disposal of slaves.141

FROM THOMAS EVERARD, ESQRE., AUGUST 29TH Enclosing deeds.142

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, AUGUST 30TH Shipment of tobacco—Inspection of tobacco—Change of overseers —Purchase of spinning-wheels—Slaves' spinning—Agreement of Stratton and Valentine—Clothing of slaves—Condition of mill—Crops—Sale of corn—Illness—Cloth and tools needed —Purchase of wheat—Disposal of oats.143

FROM COLONEL EDMUND PENDLETON, AUGUST 31ST Legal opinion—Progress of lawsuit.150

FROM MR. HUGH STEPHENSON, SEPTEMBER 12TH Deferred payment of debt—Part payment in wheat.151

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY, SEPTEMBER 18TH Enclosing gift of elephant's tooth—Description of Great Licks —Discovery of elephant's bones—Settlement of West Florida.152

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FROM JAMES DAVIDSON, SEPTEMBER 29TH Fishing seines.157

FROM GILBERT SIMPSON, OCTOBER 5TH Proposal to enter into partnership.158

FROM ROBERT MCMICKAN, ESQRE., NOVEMBER 13TH Delayed remittance—Exporting flour—Sale of flour in Jamaica —Current prices.159

FROM MR. JOHN BAYNES, NOVEMBER 14TH Lieutenant James Towers's portion of the soldiers' land.161

FROM MR. JOSEPH DAVENPORT TO LUND WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 22ND Sale of hemp—Weight of hogs—Harvesting grain—Arrival of tobacco—Failure to gather hazel nuts—Badly packed flour.161

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., DECEMBER 2ND Sale of land.163

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, DECEMBER 3RD Requesting advance of wages.164

FROM EDWARD JONES, DECEMBER 7TH Statement of discharge of duty as overseer for Mary Washington.164

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, DECEMBER 13TH Payment of money—Inspection of tobacco—Lost hogs—Shipment of corn—Sale of beef and mutton—Crops—Sickness of slave—Clothing of slaves—Replies to letters.165

FROM MR. FRANCIS BAKER, DECEMBER 15TH Schooling of Lawrence Posey.169

FROM COLONEL EDMUND PENDLETON, DECEMBER 19TH Payment for land.170

FROM GILBERT SIMPSON, DECEMBER 26TH Project of partnership.170

1773

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, JANUARY 1ST Unsatisfactory collections—Sale of pork—Harvesting—Settlement of plantations bought of Mr. Black—Difficulty in sending money.171

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., JANUARY 1ST Desiring loan.173

FROM MR. THOMAS NEWTON, JR., JANUARY 11TH Current prices at Norfolk.174

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, JANUARY 19TH Expediency of sending John Parke Custis to college—Refuting charges against William and Mary—King's College [Columbia] versus College of Philadelphia [University of Pennsylvania]—Controversy with patriots.175

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FROM MR. JAMES HILL, FEBRUARY 5TH Condition of mill—Unsatisfactory collections—Sale of pork and hogs—Sale of beef and mutton—Runaway negro—Quantity of corn—Weight and numbers of shipped tobacco—Counterfeit money.180

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQRE., FEBRUARY 12TH Ignorance of laws of Jamaica—Advice in regard to lawsuit.184

FROM COLONEL GEORGE WILLIAM FAIRFAX, FEBRUARY 22ND Severity of weather—Wishes for good hunting—Satisfaction respecting boundary of land—Gout.186

FROM MR. J. G. FRAZER, MARCH 16TH Requests deferred payment of debt.187

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR., ESQRE., MARCH 22ND Slow sale of flour—Markets abroad.187

FROM BENEDICT CALVERT, ESQRE., APRIL 8TH Engagement of Eleanor Calvert and John Parke Custis—Eleanor Calvert's marriage portion—Invitation to Mount Airy.188

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, APRIL 8TH Surprise at engagement of Eleanor Calvert and John Parke Custis —Justification of conduct—Praise of Eleanor Calvert—Congratulations —Effect of engagement on Mr. Custis—Dr. Myles Cooper —Invitation to dine.191

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON, APRIL 11TH Illness—Desire to return to Virginia.194

FROM REESE MEREDITH, ESQRE., MAY 5TH Recommending Captain John Harper.196

FROM COLONEL FIELDING LEWIS, MAY 8TH Collections and payments.196

FROM THE REVEREND WALTER MAGOWAN, MAY 9TH Lord Stirling's lottery.198

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, MAY 11TH Collections—Millstones—Damaged cotton—Shipment of Tobacco —Sale of corn—Land disputes—Runaway slaves.199

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON, MAY 20TH Dissatisfaction.201

FROM MR. EDMUND PENDLETON, MAY 23RD Estate of Colonel Bernard Moore.202

FROM COLONEL FIELDING LEWIS, MAY 24TH Collections—Accounts—Good wheat crop—Poor sale for tobacco —Lack of money.203

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON, JUNE 14TH Return to Virginia—Affairs on the Ohio—Accounts—Lund Washington.204

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FROM EDWARD CHARLTON, JUNE 19TH Accounts.205

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, JUNE 19TH Delay in receipt of letter—Shipment of tobacco—Illness of slaves.206

FROM HENRY HILL, ESQRE., JUNE 22ND Shipment of wine from Madeira—Acknowledgment of marriage congratulations.206

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY, JUNE 29TH James Wood—West Florida—Description of Falls of the Ohio —Description of an Indian fort—Suppositions respecting early civilization of Indian tribes—Soldiers' land.208

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR., JUNE 30TH Shipment of flour and herrings.216

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON, JULY Explanations for breaking contract—Condition of Ohio lands— Advice.217

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, JULY 2ND Shipment of tobacco—Overseer' apportionment of sales—Crops —Clothing for slaves—Letter delayed in post-office—Death of miller—Illness—Spinning.221

FROM THE REVEREND DOCTOR COOPER, JULY 2ND Death of Patsy Custis—John Parke Custis.226

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, JULY 3RD Mourning ordered—Sale of corn.227

FROM HIS EXCELLENCY LORD DUNMORE, JULY 3RD Condolence.229

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS, JULY 5TH Situation at King's College—Sale of horse—Riding—Death of Patsy Custis—Grief of Mrs. Washington.230

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS TO MRS. WASHINGTON, JULY 5TH Situation at King's College—Description of apartments and way of living—Death of Patsy Custis—Consolation.232

FROM COLONEL FIELDING LEWIS, JULY 7TH Collections—Mr. Mercer's affairs—Wheat crop—Condition of the markets—Advice—Madeira wine—Death of Patsy Custis.235

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR., JULY 22ND Shipment and insurance of midlings—Illness—Wine ordered.238

FROM MR. JAMES HILL, JULY 23RD Illness—Shipment of tobacco—Crops—Change of Overseers —Lawsuit on Eastern shore—Land disputes—Mourning sent —Salt needed—Lawsuit in New Kent.239

FROM THOMAS ADDENBROOKE, ESQRE., JULY 26TH Estate of Gerrard Broadhurst—Relationship.242

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FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER, AUGUST 2ND Toothache—Mr. Custis's account—Enclosure from John Parke Custis—Excuses.244

FROM CAPTAIN JOHN POSEY, AUGUST 9TH Asking assistance—Lawrence Posey.245

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR., AUGUST 13TH Collections.247

FROM EDWARD ANDERSON, AUGUST 13TH Legacy from Colonel Thomas Colville.247

FROM COLONEL JOHN ARMSTRONG, AUGUST 17TH Desiring confirmation at Virginia Land Office of surveys of soldiers' land made by Captains Thompson and Bullitt—Indian attack upon surveyors.248

FROM MR. THOMAS GLASCOCK, AUGUST 22ND Desiring to lease land on the Ohio—Asking employment.251

FROM BENEDICT CALVERT, AUGUST 25TH Purchase of indented servant—Friendly.252

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY, AUGUST 29TH Lord Dunmore's visit to Fort Pitt—Promise of land—Surveying—Schemes of Captain Bullitt—David Wilper.253

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON, AUGUST 31ST Payment of land tax—Requirements and plans for going to the Ohio.254

FROM DANIEL CARROLL, ESQRE., SEPTEMBER 1ST Recommendation of Irish families to settle the Western lands— Intention to purchase land in this section.256

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQRE., SEPTEMBER 8TH Apologies—Terms of proposed lease for Western lands.257

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQRE., SEPTEMBER 11TH Corrections in lease.259

FROM RODERT ADAM, ESQRE., SEPTEMBER 16TH Asking return of pall—Death of Mr. Joseph Wattson.261

FROM THE REVEREND DOCTOR COOPER, SEPTEMBER 20TH Certificate of conduct of John Parke Custis.262

FROM MR. JOHN VARDILL, SEPTEMBER 20TH Laudation of John Parke Custis.262

FROM MRS. SARAH BOMFORD, SEPTEMBER 27TH Situation of Mrs. Savage—Apologies.263

FROM MR. RICHARD THOMPSON, SEPTEMBER 30TH Dissatisfaction at terms of lease for Western lands—Proposal of new terms.265

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON, OCTOBER 1ST Cost of moving—Projected mill.269

0014xii

FROM THOMAS OLIVER, OCTOBER 2ND Order for flour.270

FROM GOING LAMPHIER, OCTOBER 16TH Carpenter work.270

FROM MR. WILLIAM MILNOR, OCTOBER 19TH Merchandise delivered—“State in Schuylkill” fishery.271

FROM THE HONBLE JOHN BLAIR, NOVEMBER 9TH Soldiers' land.273

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, NOVEMBER 12TH Excuses—Quality and advantages of land—Opinion of soldiers' title—Plans for settling land—Explanation of former letter— Promises.274

FROM WILLIAM BLACK, ESQRE., NOVEMBER 16TH Offer of land to be purchased for the Custis estate.277

FROM CAPTAIN PETER HOG, DECEMBER 11TH Partition of soldiers' land—Charter government not to take place —The Military Company of Adventurers—Asking information and advice.279

FROM GEORGE WYTHF., ESQRE., TO BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQRE., DECEMBER 15TH Legal opinion on title of Mr. Black's land.282

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQRE Title to Mr. Black's land.285

FROM GEORGE MASON, ESQRE., DECEMBER 21ST Colonel James Mercer's affairs—Value of land near Alexandria —Western lands—Delivery of corn.286

OM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY, DECEMBER 23RD Boundary controversy of Pennsylvania and Virginia—Lord Dunmore's appointments at Fort Pitt and in Augusta County.289

FROM COLONEL JOHN ARMSTRONG, DECEMBER 24TH Lord Dunmore's power to grant patents for soldiers' lands—Report of new government on Ohio laid aside—Contradiction of report —Soldiers' claim—Survey for Dr. Connolly and Mr. Campbell— John Armstrong, Jr.290

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, DECEMBER 29TH Land disputes on the Ohio—Mode of taking possession of land —Enclosure of draft of Colonel Croghan's Indian deed—Surveys disputed—Mode of establishing title—Rumor of abolishment of new government—Lord Dunmore's promise.293

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQRE., DECEMBER 30TH Difficulty in obtaining possession of Mr. Black's land—Mrs. Black's refusal to relinquish her dower—Probable enforced sale of land—Friendly.297

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD Soldiers' land—Surveys—Indebtedness—Difficulty in retaining possession of land.300

0015xiii

1774

FROM JOHN AYLETT, ESQRE., JANUARY 1ST Requesting information respecting deed of slaves to Mrs. Aylett.302

FROM ROBERT ADAM, ESQRE., JANUARY 7TH Mr. Young—Transportation of rum from one district to another.303

FROM MAJOR ANGUS MCDONALD, JANUARY 8TH Proposal to supply new tenant.305

FROM ROBERT ADAM, ESQRE., JANUARY 7TH Explanation of financial situation.—Execution of mortgage— Misunderstanding—Disposal of salt and barrels—Congratulation on sale of flour—Sale of bread.305

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, JANUARY 10TH Project of new government abolished—Difficulty in patenting Crawford's land—Surveys and patents—Colonel Croghan's grant —Washington's intention to visit Western lands—Ability to make canoe.310

FROM THE REVEREND DOCTOR COOPER, JANUARY 10TH Congratulations on marriage of John Parke Custis—Mr. Custis's accounts—Desire to visit Mount Vernon—Invitation—Severe weather.312

FROM ROBERT ADAM, ESQRE., JANUARY 12TH James Cleveland—Mr. Young—Capacity of overseer of improvements on Ohio lands—Mr. Young's reason for leaving employ of Dr. Ross.315

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, JANUARY 15TH Expenses of surveying—Colonel Muse's account—Order for John Hite—Valentine Crawford—Intention to keep a public house.317

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY, FEBRUARY 1ST Boundary controversy of Pennsylvania and Virginia—Appointments of Lord Dunmore—Arrest of Connolly—Lord Camden's opinion on the dispute between Connecticut and Pennsylvania— Scheme of the Proprietaries—Urging vigorous action of Virginia —George Mason—Released on parole.318

FROM CAPTAIN EDWARD SNICKERS, FEBRUARY 2ND Delivery of wheat—Sergeant Hughes.322

FROM THE REVEREND DOCTOR COOPER TO JOHN PARKE CUSTIS, FEBRUARY 5TH Intention to write sooner—Accounts—Compliments—Congratulations —Illness of Governor—Marriage of Miss Bell Auchmuty and Mr. Barton—Indisposition—Mr. Boucher.323

FROM THE HONBLE JOHN PAGE, FEBRUARY 14TH Purchase of land.325

0016xiv

FROM MR. ROBERT ADAM, FEBRUARY 14TH Importation of Palatines—Groceries and merchandise.325

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQRE., FEBRUARY 16TH Difficulty respecting purchase of Mr. Black's land—Mrs. Black's continued refusal to relinquish dower—Purchase of soldiers' land —Congratulations on John Parke Custis's marriage—Suspicions respecting Mrs. Black's motives.327

FROM MR. BENJAMIN C. STODDERT, FEBRUARY 17TH Lord Stirling's lottery.330

FROM MR. EMMANUEL JONES, FEBRUARY 18TH Appointment of surveyor—Advice to Captain Crawford—Expectation of arrival of Lady Dunmore.331

FROM ROBERT CARY & CO., FEBRUARY 18TH Accounts.332

FROM THOMAS EDEN & CO., FEBRUARY 19TH Tobacco sales.333

FROM ROBERT BRENT, ESQRE., FEBRUARY 19TH Apology—Begging acceptance of trust333

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS, FEBRUARY 20TH Expressions of gratitude.336

FROM MR. HENRY RIDDELL, FEBRUARY 24TH Importation of Palatines.337

FROM MR. HENRY RIDDELL, MARCH 2ND Importation of Palatines.342

FROM COLONEL WILLIAM PRESTON, MARCH 7TH Impossibility of signing land patent—Effect of signing Dr. Connolly's and Warrenstaff's patents—Advice how to secure the land until it can be legally surveyed—Entry of land on Salt River—Expressions of regret.345

FROM MAJOR ANDREW LEWIS, MARCH 9TH Survey of soldiers' lands—Illegal patents—Advice—Rumor of Indian uprising—Desire to discharge account in May—Surveys and patents.347

FROM JOSEPH CHEW, ESQRE., MARCH 10TH Requesting grant of land as heir to Colby Chew—Sir William Johnson—Misfortune—Indians and projected new government on Ohio.351

FROM SERGEANT WILLIAM HUGHES, MARCH 12TH Requesting assistance.353

FROM MR. WILLIAM MCGACHEN, MARCH 13TH Purchase of indented servants.354

FROM MR. HENRY RIDDELL, MARCH 18TH Importation of Palatines.355

0017xv

FROM DOCTOR HUGH MERCER, MARCH 21ST Desire to purchase land.356

FROM MR. JOHN DAVID WOELPPER, MARCH 23RD Importation of Palatines—Another project.356

FROM FRANCIS BAKER, MARCH 26TH Lawrence Posey's schooling.363

FROM MR. GEORGE FOWLER, APRIL Arrest of Mr. Crawford.364

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQRE., APRIL 2ND Perfecting of title to Mr. Black's place.365

FROM DOCTOR HUGH MERCER, APRIL 6TH Purchase of land.366

FROM SAMUEL ATHAWES, ESQRE., APRIL 8TH Purchase of property from G. W. Fairfax.367

FROM JAMES TILGHMAN, JR., ESQRE., APRIL 7TH Importation of Palatines—Illness—Intention to visit Mount Vernon.368

FROM ROBERT CARTER NICHOLAS, APRIL 9TH Duties on liquors in Virginia—Mr. Ramsey's taxes—Congratulations on Mr. Custis's marriage.371

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR., APRIL 19TH Sale of flour—Advice respecting sale of vessel.373

FROM MR. WILLIAM BLACK, APRIL 25TH Mrs. Black's unwillingness to leave present home—Offer to buy it again—Other land for sale.375

FROM MR. VALENTINE CRAWFORD, APRIL 27TH William Crawford—Preparing to start down the river.378

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY, MAY 1ST Beginning of Dunmore's war.379

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON, MAY 4TH Indian's declaration of war—Flight of the settlers—Skirmishes —Intention to build fort—Building of mill.380

FROM MR. ARTHUR ST. CLAIR, MAY 5TH Mrs. John Fraser's claim—Reason for not going to Virginia.382

FROM MR. VALENTINE CRAWFORD, MAY 6TH Plans interfered with by Indian outbreak—Flight of settlers— Disposal of goods and servants—Necessity of building fort—Offer to buy servants.383

FROM MR. VALENTINE CRAWFORD, MAY 7TH Indian attacks—Massacre of Logan's family—Flight of settlers —Intercepted plans—Sale of servants—Desires instructions.385

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD, MAY 8TH Enclosing surveys—Indian attack on surveyors—Logan massacre —Alarm of settlers—Need of commander—Indian grievances0018xvi—Conduct of Connolly—Dependence on Washington—Offer to purchase servants.387

FROM MR. VALENTINE CRAWFORD, MAY 13TH Return of settlers—Intention to proceed—Establishment of new county.390

FROM ROBERT ADAM, ESQRE., MAY 17TH Petitions respecting trade—Petition for extension of Alexandria— Value of Alexandria property—Damage to wheat—Flour market.392

FROM MR. EDWARD SNICKERS, MAY 20TH Sergeant Hughes.394

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQRE., MAY 21ST Mrs. Savage's annuity.395

FROM MR. VALENTINE CRAWFORD, MAY 25TH Reports on Indian war—Building of blockhouse and forts—Disposal of goods and servants.396

FROM MRS. SARAH BOMFORD, MAY 25TH Gratitude—Mrs. Savage's desire to continue correspondence— Apology for paper—Mourning seal on Washington's letter.397

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQ. 00191

MARYLAND, the 12th. March 1770.

SIR

Your's of the 10th. Inst. I. Recd. and have now before me, tho' was not at home at the time it was brought to my House. Am Verry sorry any Act of Mine should give the Least Surprize, or Concern, to any Gentn. Whatever, as it was not, or is, the Least of my Intentions so to do; As to any Testimony to make it appear there was no misapprehension, in Regard to the Proposals Made and agre'd to between us, Relative to the Slipes of Land, I have nothing more to say, than I am Possitive it was not my Intention, to make such an agreement as you mention, tho' make not the Least Doubt But you apprehended it in that light. I never had the least Doubt or Suspetion, that you would order the least Incroachment, on mine or any other Persons Property (Designedly) which was the Reason I Imputed the timber cut down on my Land, was owing to a Misapprehension, in our Bargain—I have not forgot (I think) any Material Part of the Conversation that Passed between us, Relative to the Land, Nor never denyed any Part to my knowledge. The End that a cash Price was agreed to (as I took00202it) was upon its being mentioned there was a possibillity of Mr. Alexander's never haveing it in his Power to Convey the Land in Maryland, I then said, should that be the case, I would then Receive a Certain Price in Cash pr. Acct. for them slipes, this was my Sense and Meaning of the Matter, and thought I was understood so—&c.

You signify that my Conuversation with Mr. Alexander and Manly is a Proof that I Looked on them slipes of Land to be sold to you, for a Certain sum of Cash. Beleeve me Sir, you know me not, If you think I would alter in the Least, from any Bargain I had made, (agreable to my Sense and Meaning) had it have been a Matter of much graver Consequence to me, than that now Between us,—As to the Conversation I had with Mr. Manly, If I Remember right was nearly this, At Poseys sale Manly was mentioning sumthing to me in Regard to the Slipe of Land of mine adjoining his plantation, that he would Ither Rent or Purchase, I Replyed that I was on a Bargain for the same with Col: Washington, or I might Possabilly have said I had bargained for it, As I at that time might not have had any Doubt but that the same Quantity of Land would be given up to me in Maryland, conveniant to my Plantation, &c.

As to what Mr. Alexander informed you, of his answer to my Letr. to him, said Answer will shew whether it is agreable to what you mention, And as to the Conversation Mr. Alexander said Passed Between us when he last saw me, I must absolutely Deny. As No such Conversation Ever Passed between me and the Tenant, Consequently could not (in Truth) pass between00213Mr. Alexander and me; However on the Whole I Declare I looked on our Agrement as I have already Expressed, That is, on the same Quantity of Land being given into my Possession, Adjoining my Plantation in Maryland (the Ruf Draft Mr Alexander has will shew the forme) I was then to give you up them slipes of Land, Between the Road and River, and in case Mr. Alexander should not be able (Hearafter) to make a good Right to the Land in Maryland, so as to make convey to me, then and in such Case, I was to Receive a Certain Price of you pr Acct for them Slipes of Land above mentioned, this I was Ready to Comply with; My Letr. to Mr Alexander will shew the application I made to him. Pressing him to let me be on sum Sertenty, the Answer to which I have already given you; I never had the least Doubt but Mr Washington could at any time Pay a much Larger sum than them Slipes of Land would have cum to had I agreed for Cash, but as I did not nor now do Look on our agreement in that Light, That Matter never once Entered my thoughts.

I am your Verry Hble servt. THOS. HAN. MARSHALL

FROM THE HON. G. W. FAIRFAX, ESQ.

BELVOIR, March 12th. 1770

DEAR SIR

I think you are extremely right in not submitting to Mr. Barrys1 terms, and I wish it was in my Power00224to give you a more Satisfactory Accot. of what you desire, not only to oblige you, but to flusterate Barrys intentions for I despise such.—All I know about Mr. Russels1 Claim to the Chaple Lands, is from a Will now in my Possession of Mr. Johnstons,2 wherein he devises all his Real & Personal Estate to Mr. Russell, who particularly desired me to litigate the matter with the present Possessor, and to take Possession of the Place on Bull Skin where Patrick Mathews lived.3 the latter I did, but did not choose to take up a dispute of that sort with a neighbour, and since I have heard that Mr. Waller4 or some of the Gentn. below are employ'd to Prosecute it.

1 John Barry

1 William Russell, of Fairfax County.

2 Captain George Johnston, of Fairfax County.

3 Washington in his Ledger describes this land as “552 Acres of Land on the south fork of Bullskin.”

4 Benjamin Waller, of Williamsburg?

When Doctor Cockburn5 wanted to purchase the Land, I remember the bar to it was from Mr. Johnstons not being willing to join in the conveyance unless they would pay him a hundred pounds, and the Doctor shew'd me old Mr. Mercers opinion which was clear in Johnstons favor, and since it has been corroborated by that of the Attorney Genl. in England, but how just I cant pretend to say, I suppose you know that Jonston administered on Browns Estate and has paid several Sums of Money, not only for the Principal, but to his Widow in lieu of Dower, &ca. and that the Act of Limitation will not run against Mr. Russell in this Case. Tho I must confess I wish it was determined one way or another, if00235in Mr. Russells favor I am to have the refusal, and in that case you should be soon accomidated, and I Question whether you cannot do it now, for you must know your and the Chaple Corner Tree near the Road, which is also my mine and I believe yours, for upon running my Line it takes in a slipe of Land joining along the Creek. However Sir, I will look over some Papers, and perhaps may give you a better insight to this affair, shortly.

Colo. & Mrs. Fairfax joins in their Compts. to you Mrs. Washington and Miss Custis, with

5 Martin Cockburn was from the West Indies, and Mrs. Cockburn was a Miss Bronaugh, a relative of the Masons, of Gunston.—BISHOP MEADE.

Dear Sir Your Most Obedt. humble Servt. G. W. FAIRFAX

FROM THE REV. MR. COOPER TO THE REV. MR. BOUCHER.

KING'S COLLEGE,1 NEW YORK, 22d. Mar. 1770.

1 A bill was ordered, October 22, 1746, to raise £250 by lottery towards erecting a college, and from that humble start Columbia College, known at first as King's College, has grown.—ROBERTS' New York.

MY DEAR SIR,

I hold myself much obliged to you for good will, as well as good offices, towards this College, as instanced in your Conduct respecting Mr. Custis: and I am under still weightier Obligation, when I consider your very friendly Suspension of Belief, with Regard to some Reports, which, You tell me, have been circulated in your parts to our prejudice. I am conscious that we have Enemies in Abundance—that every Dissenter of high principles, upon the Continent, is our Enemy—that many of their Missionaries,00246from the northern into the southern provinces, make it their Business, nay, have it in Charge from their Masters, to decry this Institution by all possible Means; because they are convinced, from its very Constitution—(being in the Hands only of Churchmen,—which is very far indeed from being the Case of any other College to ye. northward of Virginia,—and I know of none to the southward of it—they are convinced) that it must eventually prove one of the firmest Supports to ye. Church of England in America:

Hence there arose an Opposition coeval with ye. College itself—or, rather, with the very first Mention of an Institution so circumstanced; which hath been continued, without Interruption, to this very Day, with much Resentment, Inveteracy, and Malice.1 The College of New Jersey—and those of New England—were already in their own sole Direction, and yet they could not be satisfied that ye. poor Church should have any Influence in one: not that Dissenters of any Denomination are excluded from00257either Learning or Teaching; nay, we have educated many, and have several at this very Time, who do Honour both to us and themselves.

1 Trinity Church gave the college a part of its estate in 1752, and over an effort to place the control under Episcopal supervision a controversy arose which divided parties and arrayed partisans, so that in politics as well as in religion Presbyterian and Episcopalian served as distinctive titles.—ROBERTS' New York. This dissension began even before the gift to King's College in 1752. Trinity Church rented from Governor Fletcher in 1697 a tract of sixty-two acres of land known as the King's Farm and Garden, situated north of the present Fulton Street, between Broadway and the Hudson River. Originally this land had belonged to Anneke Jans Bogardus, and by her heirs was sold to Governor Lovelace in 1667, but the deed transferring the property was not signed by her grandson, Cornelius Bogardus, or his mother. In 1746 the descendants of this Cornelius Bogardus laid claim to the property, and a long contest with the Church was begun. As the Bogardus family were Presbyterians, this continued dispute, enhanced by the controversy over the control of the college, led to such bitter partisanship that it entered even the politics of the day, until the contending political parties in New York became known as the Episcopal or Aristocratic party and the Presbyterian or Livington party.

However, owing either to the very Opposition, or to our own Care & Circumspection,—which may, perhaps, have arisen from the former, our numbers yearly encrease, and our present Apartments overflow. It would ill become anyone, to boast of the Advantages enjoyed by a Seminary over which he himself presides: but I will venture to affirm, that, with Respect to Discipline (which, it seems is one heavy Accusation exhibited against us,) we are far from being outdone by any College on the American Continent: and I know of none in Europe, to which, in this Article, we are really inferior. Add to this, that the Expence—however such Things may be magnified by our Adversaries, is not half so much as at any of the latter; and, I believe very little, if at all, more, than at most of the former. Our Tuition is only five pounds—one Dollr. passing for 8 Shillings—New York Currency; Room-rent four; and Board, including Breakfast, Dinner and Supper, at ye. Rate of eleven Shillings a Week, for ye. Time each Student is actually in College. Those, (saving Firewood, Candles, & Washing, which must be had every where) are the principal Expences, indeed almost the only ones, of the truly Collegiate kind: Others, indeed, may run higher—as in Dress, and sometimes in Company, than they do at Colleges in the Country; tho' even these will not be materially different to a Student of real gentility: For such a one will chuse to appear handsomely-habited in all Situations; and00268when he does go into Company, he will chuse the best for his Associates.

With Regard to our plan of Education, it is copied, in the most material parts, from Queen's College in Oxford; with the whole System of which (having been for many years both Learner and Teacher in that Seminary, with the Character of which you are by no means unacquainted,) I looked upon myself as perfectly acquainted familiar:

The young Gentleman's Guardian may rely on every Thing in my Power for his Ward's Emolument: but as to my turning private Tutor, as it were—it seems to me so inconsistent with my Office (whatever others in my situation may think of it) that I must beg to be excused. But I repeat—That I will shew Mr. Custis every Mark of Care & Attention, and see that his other Teachers shall do the same.

I have only to add, that I wish he may be here in June, as we do not admit enter pupils when absent—that I beg my best Respects to Coll. Washington, whom I shall be exceedingly happy to wait upon in New York (yourself, I hope, in Company)—and that I am, Dr. Sr. yr. affe. Friend

and very obedt. servant &c M COOPER.

I hope you will have patience with me,— at present I suffer much by a severe Fit of the Gravel.

00279

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

CAROLINE April 2d. 1770.

DR. SIR

I felt so strongly the Truth of your Remarks, that I took Shame to myself for having reduc'd You to so distressing a Dilemma. Believe it however, Sir, that it was Necessity & not Inclination, that urged Me to the Step, which yet I shd. hardly have taken, at last, cou'd I have supposed the Circumstances of Mastr. Custis's Estate to have been as you represent them.

I have now the Pleasure to inform You that I trust my present Difficulty will be surmounted, witht. laying my Friends under a Contribution—I am almost sure it will, if Mr. Claiborne will only be punctual in paying his £50, which I was Security for. A Debt, of long standing, & which I had almost despair'd of, fortunately for Me, has just been paid: & This, with some Collections I have made from the Estate of a deceased Friend, on wc. I administered, have enabled me to make up my sum of £230. this last, indeed, was an Expedient I very unwillingly had Recourse to; but I now learn, by Experience, that real Distress is very Effectual in teaching a Man to get the Better of certn. delicate Qualms of Conscience—& let This teach Me to view, wth. Candor, the Peccadillos of Others in similar Circumstances. I purpose replaceing This with what I am to receive of You on Mastr. Custis's Acct., &, therefore, if not highly inconvenient to You, wou'd this Year prefer a Bill to Cash. And shou'd I again be obliged to call on You before it is due, as I hope I shall not, I flatter myself with being again excused.

002810

—Might not your proposed Improvemts. of ye. Navigan. of the Potomac to the Wtward be accomplished on some such Plan as This? I mean by obtaing. an Act of Assembly, empowering certn. Commissioners to be therein named to borrow the Sum supposed to be wanted, at a high Interest (suppose 10 pr. Cent) & this Interest to be rais'd fm. a Tax proportioned thereto, on all ye Vessels makg. Use of sd. Navigan.? Or, if ye Navigan. wd. bear it, wc. tho pr.haps it might not at first, yet, undoubtedly it soon would, might not this Tax be rated so, as to produce a considerable Surplus, enough not only to sink the original Loan, but to raise a Fund for still farthur Improvemts.—Are not some of the Canals in Engld., & ye. Turnpike on this System? &, if I mistake not, the very grand Canal now carrying on in Scotland is so too.—You, doubtless, have heard long ago wt. was done on this Matter by the Maryland Assembly; but, as I fear, fm. ye. Acct. of Things, our Assembly wd. not easily be persuaded to advance any Cash towards the Scheme, tho' I can have no immediate Interest in it, I shd. be grieved so beneficial a Project shd. be dropp'd.

I guess my Friend Mr. Addison1 met with some Difficulties in ye. Bargain He proposed to make for Me, as I have never heard from Him nor about the Boy.

1 Rev. Walter Dulany Addison, of Annapolis, a lifelong friend and warm admirer of Dr. Boucher.

Custis, who, as well as myself, is but just return'd from a Trip I took Him into Richmond County, is gone to write to his Mamma, to whom, & to Miss002911Custis, with many Thanks for thr. obliging Helps to my Garden, I beg my affectionate Compliments.

I am, very respectfully, Sir, Yr. Obedt. Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQ.1

1 Robert Hanson Harrison was born in Maryland, 1745; became Secretary to Washington, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, November 6, 1775; was made Chief Justice of the Maryland General Court, March 10, 1781; and declined an appointment to the United States Supreme Court in 1789. He died at his home upon the Potomac in Charles County, Maryland, April 2, 1790.

Aprill 5th. 1770.

SIR

I am of Opinion that by the Common Law, you cannot divert the natural course of the Run by cutting of a Race through your own Land; It being stated by Mr. Washington that thereby J Barry would be deprived of Water necessary for his Cattle &c.…As on the authorities … 1 Bar Abgt 45–54-Carth 117-Com 69—5 Mod &c.2

2 Barnardiston, Carthew, Comberbach, and Modern Reports.

I also am of Opinion that was a Jury by an Order of Court founded on a petition preferred by you, agreable to the Directions of the Act of Assembly made in 17483 ch. 26 (Vid the Act) to report that introducing a Race thro your Land, would deprive J Barry or the person Intitled to the Land from necessary water, that the Court would Reject your petition; and should they not do It, that Barry might maintain an Action upon his Case against you for any Damage or Injury sustained by means of your diverting003012of his water; and that for every new Injury which would probably happen once every year, he might maintain a New Action—I must therefore Advise you to obtain his consent by an Instrument of Writing for that purpose—If you should, you will still be Subject to the same Inconvenience from the Heir at Law or person Intitled to The Land after Barry's death unless you can procure his or her consent then or now, If of full age, as no Agreement of Barry can bind longer than his life he being Tenant by the Courtesy only

3 Hening, vol. vi. p. 55.

I am, Sir Yr most Obedt H Servt ROB H: HARRISON

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQ.

MARYLAND the 8th. of April 1770

SIR/

Your's Acquanting me that Mr. West had Promised to be at your house this Afternoon, In order to Run the Dividing Line between Washington & Spencer, came to hand, tho' am afrade shall not be able to give my self the Pleasure of Wating on you in the Morning, Owing to a Verry severe Cold, which affects me in such a Manner, that I can scarsly git a Moment's Rest Should I be Better in the Morning will wate on you Arly. However should I not, don't Doubt but you and Mr. West will Lay the dividing Line of, agreeable to the True Intent and Desine thereof

I am yr. Most Hble serv. THOS HNA MARSHALL

003113

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQ.

Wednsday Evening 11th. April 1770

SIR/

Am greatly obliged to you, for the Trouble you have Given your self in Leting me no Mr West is to be Down this Evening, or in the Morning; tho cannot at this Time Promis my self the Least Prospect of Joining you, As Mrs. Marshall (who has been much aleing for sum time Past) is this day so Ill, (that without a Great amendment) cannot by any meens Leve her, Should that be the Case, Weather &c. Permiting you may Depend I will be over in the Morning Arly,

I am Sir Yr Most Hble servt. THO HAN. MARSHALL

NB. Should I not be at your Hous by Eight oClock, in the Morning you may take for Granted I cannot Leve home—

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

April the 16th. 1770

DEAR SIR

Having been travelling five days and not getting home till 11 oClock last night, I find myself & Horses rather too much fatigued to go to Court as I intended—

Mr Montgomerie informed me at the last Court003214that he shd. be up at this in order to have his power of Attorney fully proved—and I wrote to Colo. Mason desiring to be informed of the date of his power of Attorney, the one to Mr. Montgomerie being dated the 6th. of October 1769—

I have directed Joe to enquire for a Letter from Mr. Mason and deliver it to You, and I shall be obliged to You to open it, and if the date is not posterior to that of Mr. Montgomerie's and you incline to receive from him as Mr. Savage's Attorney the three years Annuity due, being £300, and pay it to him as Mrs. Savage's, I am also willing, and your Receipt will be as effectual as a joint one from us both. Mr. Montgomerie receiving the money as her Attorney will be answerable to her for it, and this may be a speedy way of getting the money paid to her—for Mr. Montgomerie told me he would settle it in that manner if agreeable to you.

I proposed to have spoke to you in person upon the Subject but being much fatigued I am in hopes this Letter will answer the same End.

I am Dr SirYour most obedt. BRYAN FAIRFAX

I shall be obliged to you to excuse my not coming to Mr Montgomerie to whom I made a promise of being at Court, and I have hurried myself too much in order to perform it—

003315

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

May ye 5th 1770

DR SIR

Inclosed is a Rough Draft of your Land and Calculated with the alowence of ten per cent in the hundred.

I did not Enter that Land for you on they teen Mile Creek as it Epear to me from the new Map Don by Mr Scull1 that the Monogahalia will be left out when they back Line is Run at that bent at the Mouth of they teen Mile Creek or at any Rate where the Land Lyes.

1 George Croghan, writing to Thomas Wharton, November 11, 1772, says: “Scull's Map is a very fraudulent one & has been published with a view to D'ceive the publick here, wh. they have done effectually & rob'd ye. people of vast sums of Money & phaps they had in view likewise to get a line settled with ye. proprietors of ye. New Colonie by that Map.”

I ofard to pay the Office fees if they would Return me the Purches money if that Land did not fall in Pensilvania the would not agree to Return me the money at any Rate

But told me if I did not think it in Pensilvania not to enter it as such Presedents would be attended with Confusion and Trouble to them

Therefor I thought proper to Refair2 it till I went up and Run a Line from Fort pitt till it Entersects the Line now Run which will Determine the matter without dout and if it should be in Pensilvania then the Clark will send me a Warrant sending to him as we have agreed on it3 I shall have the other Peace003416at the mouth of the River Run out as soon as I go out as they survayor will be there again I go out

2 Defer.

3 Warrants of survey were issued by the secretary of the board of property at Philadelphia subject to the direction of the commissioners. This board of property, organized in 1765, consisted of the governor, the secretary, the survey or general, the receiver general, and the auditor-general; the latter official being added to the board in 1769.

There is no sertenty about the Quit Rents what they will be and it is suposed they will Open the Office on the former Terms as no Land from Over the mountain has bin Enter since they new manner of opening of it nor will any be fond of it which will oblidge them to Open on the former Terms1

1 The quitrents at that time in Pennsylvania were one penny sterling per acre.

The Endien Traders Land2 is to be laid on the north side of the Little Khanaway from the mouth to the head and by they Lalarel3 hill till it falls in with the Pensilvania Line and then with it till it falls to the head or as far as it goes and so a straight Line West till it Entersects or stricks the Ohio which will Leve out great part of all the Land on the west side of the Monongahalia to the Ohio from the Proprieter Line as According to the Opinion of Such as Judge the matter the Western Bounds will [be] a Crooked Line agreed to the Meanders of Dolawar River

2 During hostilities with the western Indians in 1763-64, known as Pontiac's War, a number of traders met with serious losses at their hands. A the treaty of Fort Stanwix, in the autumn of 1768, grants of lands were made to several of these traders by the tribes there represented. These lands were located between the Kanawha and Monongahela rivers. Titles, however, to be valid, needed confirmation by the crown.—BUTTERFIELD.

3 Laurel

The Endien Traders have not got there Land Confirmd to them yeat from any Account they have had yeat Capt Trent is still in Ingland wating to have it Setled4

4 William Trent, a native of Pennsylvania, was early engaged in the Indian trade. He also took an active part in the Seven Years' War; and during Pontiac's War saffered the loss of a trading-house near Fort Pitt. He was allowed a grant of land by the Indians, at the treaty of Fort Stanwix, in 1768, along with other Indian traders; these grants he was seeking to have confirmed.—BUTTERFIELD.

003517

I shall do Every thing in my Power to inform my self in Regard to the Lands where the are to be Laid of till I see or hear from you I am your most Humble Sarvant

W. CRAWFORD

N B When you com up you will see the hole of your Tract finisht and have it all Patent in on[e] Tract I spook to Mr Thilman1 and told him you wanted to Command som part of the River and he Agreed the Survayor should Run it out and you pay all under one and have a patent for the hole in one

1 James Tilghman, Secretary of the Land Office at Philadelphia.

Colo Carlyle has promised me to show you Mr Sculls. Map just Dun from the best intelligents som Actual Survays Som from Report or best Accounts he cold get—

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQ.

MARYLAND THE 7th. of May 1770—

SIR/ You have hearwith the Counts & Distances of Mr. Alexanders Land (Corrected). Viz

S39[???] W, 280 Pole, S 40 E, 199, East, 140,—

N N W, 128, N 60 E 57, N N W to the Begg.2

2 Beginning.

I am yr. Verry Hble serv. THOS. HAN. MARSHALL

003618

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

CAROLINE, May the 9th. 1770.

SIR

There are some particular Circumstances in my Affairs, at this Juncture, which make Me desirous to know your & Mrs. Washington's final Resolution respecting Mr. Custis's Visit to Europe. Should You think it adviseable for Him to go, & I be thought a proper person to accompany Him, I still am willing to accompany do it, & on Terms which, I can hardly think, You will judge unreasonable.—I mean not to take upon Me to advise You in the Matter: Yet, I cannot help giving it You as my Opinion, that, from what I know of Him, Travelling will be of peculiar Service to Him. And as He is now advancing fast to that period of Life, much the most hazardous, this Expedient, if ever adopted at all, should be resolved on Early, & put in Execution, at least, in two Years from this Time. The Expectan. of it will engage his Attention, & divert Him from what I think a very wrong System, tho a very common one, with the Youth of Virginia: it is to be hoped too, that it will stimulate Him to pursue his Studies with greater Earnestness, when He recollects how often He must be put to the Blush, if He appears illiterate amongst Men of Letters, into whose Company, in Travelling, He will often fall. Surely, it will not be thought that I can possibly have any interested Views in this Matter. It is true, indeed, I wish to revisit my native Country, & I have too a strong Inclinan. to see the difft. parts of the World. In point of Prudence,003719however, I believe it were better, for Me to remain contented as I am: I consider it in this Light, that I am unconnected in the World, with no very violent Passion, but that of increasing my slender Stock of Knowledge, which I persuade myself I shall most effectually accomplish by a Tour thro' those Countries where Arts and Sciences have been most successfully cultivated. These, believe Me, are all the interested Motives I feel the Influence of: & if I have either heretofore or now, recommended it to Mr. Custis to travel, it was from a full Conviction how necessary & how useful it wd. be to Him. I have many Reasons for this Opinion, Some of which, I believe, are not unknown to You.

Happening, at present, to be a good deal hurried, I have only Time to add, that I wou'd by no means have mentioned this Matter to You now, had not my own Affairs required it: & that I can never consent to his leaving Virga. unless He is first innoculated, which therefore should be resolved on as soon as ever You can be advised of a good Opportunity.

I beg my respectful Compts. to Mrs. Washington & Miss Custis, & am, very truly, Yr. most obedt. Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER.

P. S.

I have shewn Jack what I have wrote, & desir'd Him to think of the Project calmly & coolly, & then sit down, & write You fully his own Sentiments on the Subject.—

003820

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ST. MARY'S May the 21st. 1770.

SIR

So hurried as You know Me to be at present, I flatter myself You will not even now expect more of Me than the Outlines of a Plan of Travelling: the filling it up may be the Work of further Leisure, & mature Consideration. And, as I have Nothing to lay before You, but mere Conjectures & Opinions, unsupported by any experience of my Own, let Me again have Leave to remind You not to pay any greater Deference to These, or to any Opinions, than They are found fairly to deserve. It is a Project of sufft. Importance to warrant yr. collectg. ye. Opinions of All who may be suppos'd to have ever attended to, or thot. of the Matter.

Travelling, You are well aware, is still and long has been much in Vogue in our Mother Country; yet has it so frequently been attempted & executed in so absurd & preposterous a Manner, that it is now become a Question, whether, rationally considered, it be really useful or not. And as warm an Advocate as I profess myself for this Method of completg. an Educatn., I yet readily own that it is only some Persons to whom Travelling can possibly be useful & that there are perhaps equally many to whom it cod. certainly be pernicious. The light, giddy, fantastical frothy & frivolous Characters amongst Us, Wd. only be made worse, & rendered incurable: but, let Sedentary Men talk as much as They please of ye. Loss of Time, ye. Expence, & ye. unsettled & roving Habits acquired by Travel, to Me it is beyond a Dispute, that to an003921observant Mind, & to a Person Enducd wth. Judgmt. to draw profitable Knowledge fm. ye. various Objects wc. various Countries are perpetually presentg., there is not anor. so eligible a System to be taken to form & polish ye. manners of a liberal Youth, & to fit Him for ye. Business & Conversan. of ye. World. And if You will be pleased to apply this Remark to some living Instances to be met with Even here, I am mistaken if it will not account for that Objecn. so often started by the Opposers of this Plan—that such, & such an one have travelled without being any better for it. Depend upon it, They were either originally unfit for the Experiment, or it has been conducted on wrong Principles. Let This be sd. witht. any Suspicion of my aimg. to reflect on any Individuals: the Reflexion is not confin'd to Virginia. But there is a certn. Captiousness in some of yr. Countrymen wc. I sincerely cannot but lament, tho I very freely pardon as being but ye. ebullitions of Zeal for thr. Country, wc. will hardly allow a Foreigner (& such I must be called in Spite of my sincere Attachmt. to Virga. & Virginians) to censure find Fault wth. any Thing belonging either to Them or to their Country. But, as I am well convinced This is not ye. Case wth. you, I return to my subject.

It being then agreed, at least by You & Me, that, generally speaking, Travelling is useful & necessary, to young Persons in all Countries, let Us, as more immediately interesting Us, now more particularly enquire, if it be not particularly so to a Virginian & to Mr. Custis. The peculiar Advantages we result to Youth from Travel, are sd. to be first, an Easy Address, ye. wearing off004022national Prejudices, & ye. findg. nothg. ridiculous in national Peculiarities; & above all, that supreme Accomplishmt. wc. we call a Knowledge of ye. World. A Service so useful as to supersede or disgrace all ye. Rest: for I understand not ye. Phrase in ye. sense in wc. Fops or Rakes use it, but mean by it that easy that elegant that useful Knowledge wc. results fm. an enlarged observan. of Men & Things, fm. an Acquaintance with ye. Customs & Usages of various and distant Countries, fm. some Insight into their Politics, Governmt., Religion and Manners, in a Word, fm. ye. Study & Contemplan. of Men, as They present Themselves on ye. grt. stage of ye. World, in various Forms, & under Difft Appearances. This is that Master Science, wc. every G-man shd. know, & wc. yet no school nor College can teach Him. To apply this to ye. Country We live in where will You point out to Me another so circumscrib'd in its Intercourse wth. Mankind at large, as Virga.? Saving here & there a needy Emigrant from Gt. Britain, an illiterate Captn. of a Ship, or a Mercht. subaltern Mercht. to a Mercht, to whom can a Virga. Youth apply, for a Speciman of ye. Manners &c of any other People? Thus limited in ye. Oppty. for Observan., must not his Ideas necessarily resemble Those of a Carribee Indian, mentioned by Lafitan, who, offended at being called a Savage, exclaimed, I know no Savages but the Europeans, who adopt none of our Customs; or Those of ye. Inhabitants of the Marean Islands, who, being persuaded that Theirs was ye. only Language in ye. Universe, concluded from thence that all other Men knew not how to speak? He finds his Lot cast in a Country amazingly fertile,004123& thence learns to conclude that even ye. rich Plains watered by ye. Nile, the Grecian Temple, the Roman Campania, the Spanish Andulusia, are all mean & contemptible wn. compar'd wth. his low Grounds; & pursuing this train of Reasoning, soon supposes also like the Baron of Thonder ton Tronck; that both his Country & Countrymen, are the finest of all possible Countries, & People. Now, if it were only for ye. Sake of Truth & Decency, if it were only to avoid ye. Ridicule to wc. these palpable Absurdities expose Them, one cannot but wish our Youth cd. be taught to open thr. Eyes, & extend Them beyond thr. own foggy Air & dirty Acres. But, This is not all: there is not a Country in ye. World, where a Man of Capacity cd. be more eminently useful by promotg. & encouraging ye. Arts, than in Virga. Till very lately You cd. hardly any where see a piece of Land tolerably plough'd, or a person who cd. be persuaded that plowing made any difference: & even yet it is more than probable, even Those who have made ye. greatest Improvmts. in this most natural, most useful, & most amusing Art, fall infinitely short of some other Countries. In a political View then, Travelling appears to be exceedingly necessary: since a Man may thus learn to double ye. value of his Estate.

I mentioned too ye. Improvemt. of Manners; by wc. I mean an Ability for ingenious, manly, & useful Conversn. For a Traveller who makes a proper Use of his Opportunities, will be all of a piece, & return as polished in his Mind & Understanding, as in his Person. To this it is frequently objected yt. wt. is gain'd in Civility & Politeness, is lost in real004224Goodness & Virtue, by ye. various temptg. Scenes of Vice to wc. a Youth must be exposed in ye. course of his Travels. In Ansr. to This, let Me observe that there are some Tempers who cd. not possibly be preserved fm. ye. Taint of Vice, even wth. ye. Benefit of a private Educan. Or, grant it were practicable to retain ye. Purity of their Morals by such narrow Regulans., do not You think that if, by this Means, They shd. chance to have fewer Vices, They wd. also have fewer Excellencies? And it shd. be remembered that solitary Virtue, however pure & immaculate, is but imperfect Virtue: We are formed for Society, & ye. Business of ye. World is a Duty we owe to Society: & it is therefore our Duty to qualify ourselves for ye. performance of these Duties in ye. best Manr. wc. is by prudent & well conducted Travel.

Let Us now, if You please, as a Contrast to This, for a Moment figure to Ourselves ye. future History of our Pupil, shd. this Expedient not be approv'd of. The chief failings of his Character are that He is constitutionally somewhat too warm, indolent, & voluptuous. As yet these propensities are but in Embrio: Ere long, however, They will discover Themselves, & if not duly & carefully regulated, it is Easy to see to what They will lead. At best, He will soon lose all Relish for mental Excellence—He will unwillingly apply to any Improvemts. either in Arts or Sciences—. Sunk in unmanly Sloth, his Estate will [be] left to ye. Managemt. of some worthless Overseer; & Himself soon be entangled in some matrimonial Adventure, in wc. as Passion will have much to say, it is not very likely Reason will be much listened to. I appeal to You,004325Sir, if this Acct. be exaggerated, & if it be not sadly verified by many living Instances yt. have fallen under yr. own Observan..

The Contrast is so striking, to Me, at least, it seems so, that I cannot think it possible for any one to hesitate a Moment in determing. Let Me then hasten just to repeat wt. I yesterday mentioned to You of ye. Manner in we. I cou'd wish my Scheme to be executed.—In the first Place then, I wou'd have Him make the Tour of N: America, at least, ye. Northern Colonies, wc. might very well be done in six months. And This chiefly to avoid ye. Absurdity of going so far to get acquainted wth. other Countries, ere He knew any Thing of his own. After This, He shd. go to Engld., & there immediately to be enter'd in One of ye. Universities, not so much fm. any Prospect of Advantages to be gain'd by Study in ye. little Time He wd. stay there, as that it wou'd be by much the safest Place for Him. After a Winter or so spent there, He shou'd be conducted thro' ye. principal Countries & Towns of the three Kingdoms, which wou'd possibly take up nearly a Year; After This He might conveniently spend six Months in the Metropolis, & from thence set out on his Tour thro' some of ye. principal Countries on ye. Continent, wc. He shd. travel thro' not as a Virtuoso to collect Rarities, or as a Connoisseur, to gaze at excellent Pictures or magnificent Buildings, but rather like a Really sensible & Sentimental Traveller, such as Horace intimates Ulysses was, who travell'd thro' many Cities to see ye. Manners of many Men.—These are the Outlines of my Plan; which however I no otherwise recommend004426to You, than as my first Thoughts, wc. I shall be proud to see improv'd by Yr. self or others. The Expence of the Undertaking yet remains to be spoken of, in estimating of which, I am even more at a Loss than in what I have heretofore mentioned. However, as I had much rather have my Judgemt. called in Questn. than my Inclinan. to comply wth. every Request of Yours, I hesitate not to give You my Opinion, such as it is. I cannot then believe that it can possibly be undertaken excuted in any such Manner as You wd. wish, or as it ought, for less than sterg £1000 per ann: if so little: which I calculate in this Manner. It cannot be thot. unreasonable that my Appointmt. if finally I shd. be pitch'd upon to accompany Him, shd. at least be equal to wt. I relinquish here; as I take not into Acct. ye. Injury I may thus eventually do to my Prospects in Life, since This, I think, ought to be charg'd to ye. Pleasure I propose to Myself fm. ye. Scheme. This then I set down at £250: My Expences & those of a servt. & a pr. of Horses, at as much more: His own, & servt. &c. at £250—the remaining £250 I allot to Cloathg. Him & sundry other unforeseen Expences, such as Purchasg. Curiosities, visitg. public Places, &c &c. For Aught I know, This may be too much—tho' I hardly think it is: shou'd it be so, as I know his Circumstances, it shd. be my Study to proportion his Expences, as far as They possibly could, to his Income. And, whoever be his Preceptor, shd. have it strictly in Charge Punctually to render You a faithful Acct. of every Disbursemt., that so You might have it in yr. Power004527to subject Him to whatever new Regulans. You might judge expedient.

I am much ashamed to lay before You so confused & ill digested a Letter, wc. I beg You to impute to my Hurry, & my being constantly interrupted by Company: If, however, You can only collect from it ye. Substance of my Plan, & if that only appears tolerably plausible to You, I am not very anxious for ye. Rest, relying so entirely as I do, on yr. Candor to excuse any Inaccuracies You may meet wth. in wt. I have wrote. This only I have to request of You, that wn. You consult any of yr. Friends on this Matter, You will be so good as not to produce this Letter, which tho' I am not afraid to trust to You, I am yet unwilling shd. be perused by Strangers.

As to Mr. Custis's living wth. Me in Annapolis, shou'd I resolve to remove thither, as I suppose I shall, I have not anything to add to what I yesterday told You. I purpose calling on Mrs. Washington in my Way to Maryland, & shall then request Her immediately to write to You her Sentiments, so that I shall hope to be obliged wth. your final Resolution before I leave Annaps., which will hardly be before the Middle of next Month.

I am, with much Esteem, very truly Sir, Yr. most Obedt. & most Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

004628

FROM WILLIAM PEARETH, ESQ.

LONDON the 25 May 1770

SIR/

In my last I troubled Coll. Hunter to get forwarded to you Messrs. Colvill & West as Ex rs to the late Mr. Colvill a letter from Newcastle, covering the Pedigree of Dulcibella Stott & Certificate of her then residing there, which has been formed in consequence of an Advertisement put into the News Papers by the direction of the Will of the said Mr. Colvill.1

1 The following extract from Thomas Colville's will is bound with the Washington manuscripts: “Paragraph of the Will of Thos. Colvill decd. And whereas my Mother Catherine Colvill had several near relations in Durham of the Names of Stott, Wills, Richardson and a Woman called Catherine Smith—it is my will & desire that the overplus or residue of my estate when sold as aforesaid (if any surplus there be) be divided into four equal parts and that each of the before mention'd Stott, Wills, Richardson & Smith have one fourth part of the overplus of my Estate my meaning is that those of these Names the nearest related to my said Mother or their direct descendants have each their fourth parts of the said residue after having made sufficient proof of their respective relationship to my said Mother—And that they enter their several claims & make proper proofs as aforesaid to my executors within five years after my decease as in and by the said Will reference being thereto had will more fully appear”—

I then represented to you the distressed Circumstances this poor Woman was laboring under & how salutary a speedy relief would be to her, but above all beged to have some answer to satisfy her about her great Expectations, which I fear by Coll. Hunter's Account given me will never profit her much.

I can hardly suppose my letter has miscarried as it was forwarded by one of this Gentleman's friends: I have seen him since I came to Town & he has assured me that if I could write to you, you would have the goodness to enquire if my letter was ever received, & to send me an answer thereto.

004729

If there is a possibilty of getting anything for this poor old woman, I hope you will be so charitable as to use your Interest in her Behalf; I however flatter myself that you will very soon favor me with an answer to this, directed to Newcastle upon Tine, setting forth the State of the Case, that I may satisfy her how Things are, which Coll. Hunter say'd I might depend upon your doing, if I made use of his name, the same as if he had given me a Line to you himself, to desire you would take this Trouble.

I do assure you I have no other Interest in the affair than a desire of getting this poor woman who now lives upon Charity a certain Information whether she is or is not to expect any advantage from the Will of the late Mr. Colvill, for without some advice from one of you Gentlemen concerned there will be [no] satisfying her or making her easy about it.

You will excuse the Liberty I take in troubling [you] with this letter, if you will favor me with a speedy answer to it, you will very much oblige

Sir/ Your obt. hble Servt. WM. PEARETH.

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS Aug: 18th. 1770.

SIR

Jack comes a Day or two sooner than I intended, in Consequence of an Invitation from Mr. Galloway, & Mr. Magowan, to go to West River, which He does this Day.—He brings you some Samples, which004830I hardly expect will please. Mr. Antho. Stewart1 has a Cargo just arrived, not yet opened, in which, He says, are Assortmts. of Coating: Shou'd You rather incline to wait for a Choice out of These, if You will be so good as to give Me Yr. Directions, I will endeavour to attend to Them.—Their common Rate of selling, for ready Money is at 100 per Cent, which I think is cheaper than with You.—A Vessel will clear out from hence for London, in abt. a Week or ten Days. I will be careful of any Letters You may want to put on Board.

1 Anthony Stewart of Annapolis, proprietor of the brig Peggy Stewart, burned by the owner at Annapolis in October, 1774, for carrying tea.

They are still going on wth. thr. Subscripn. for clearg. ye. Potomac, &, as I am told, wth. Spirit. Four hundred pounds are subscribed in this City; nor have They yet got all They expect. Messrs. Jacques & Johnson set off for Frederick to-morrow, & talk of fixing a Day for a general Meeting, before They return. Will it be convenient & agreeable to You to attend—about a Month hence, if You have Notice in Time—at the Spot, i: e: at, or near Semple's?

Dr. Ross yesterday shew'd Me a Letter He had just recd. from Croghan at Pittsburg, which informs Him that a new Government is certainly determin'd upon in that Western World2 & that either Coll: Mercer3 or one Mr. Wharton4 are to be appointed Governor. He speaks of its Boundaries &c wth. Certainty, as a Matter of Fact. Have You heard of it—& the Particulars? It will be an immense Acquisition, if not immediately to the Wealth, certainly to004931the Strength of these Governments—& a fine Field for a projectg. Spirit to advertise in.

2 Walpole's grant.

3 George Mercer.

4 Samuel Wharton.

I am, Sir, yr. most Obedt. Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS.1

1 Born in 1755, died November 5, 1781.

[A Copy.]

August 30 1770

MY DEAR SIR

I have sent you according to your directions patterns of all Mr. Stewarts beaver Coating with the lowest ready money prices fixed to each of them, which I have directed the boy to leave with Mr. Ramsay. When I crossed the River I saw Mr. Mason who told me that Mr. Christian had been at his house, and told him that he was to teach 4 days at our house the next time; 2 therefore I should be glad, if convenient, to know before the time, whether I must come over, & likewise whether I shall have the lace taken off my green coat, I think it had better be turned by which means it will serve me very well this winter. I have nothing new to tell you of. Mr. Boucher has sent your letter by George Buchanan. My love to005032Mama & sister, and my compliments to all who enquire after me.

2 There are several entries in Washington's journal for 1770 showing that the young people from time to time assembled at the different houses in the neighborhood to attend a dancing class, conducted by Mr. Christian.

“May 9. Mr. Christian danced here, who, besides his Scholars, and those already mentioned to be here. Mrs. Peake & Neice Mr. Massey—Mr. Piper & Mr. Adams dined here.”

“10. Mr. Christian and some of his Scholars went away this afternoon.”

“18. Patsy Custis & Milly Posey went to Colo. Mason's to the Dancing School.”

“Sept.12. Mr. Christian & his Scholars came here to Dancing.”

With the greatest respect Yr. obedt. Son JOHN PARKE CUSTIS

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQ.

MARYLAND the 17th. Sepr. 1770

SIR/

The Tenant's on Mr. Alexanders Land (on this side) Are Desirous of knowing what Part of the Lands will be Left, after Laying of the Quantity we are makeing an Exchange for; As you have all the Lands collected in one Plat (If I mistake not) that is in Dogue Neck; If you will be kind enuf to Let me know the Quantity of Land I hould (in slipes) on the South side of the Mane Road that Leeds from the head of Dogue Creek (That is, from the [mutilated] Landing Place) to the Gum Spring which I immagin you can Nearly do by your Plat, I can then satisfy the Tenants heare, by Strikeing and Sighting the Line, agreable to the Forme, have sighted in a Ruff Draft of Mr. Alexanders Land, sent you,

I am yr Verry Hble servt. THOS. HAN. MARSHALL.

005133

FROM WILLIAM GRAYSON, ESQ.1

1 Born in Prince William Country, Virginia, about 1740; died in Dumfries, Virginia, March 12, 1790.

[A Copy.]

SNIGGERS Sept. 23. 1770.

SIR,

We [?] have met here to day, and we [?] have your evidences agreeable to appointment, but only 2 commissioners have appeared which is not sufficient. Mr Scott is sent for, and on his arrival, we shall proceed to business, when you may depend I shall do everything necessary on your behalf.

Mr Thos Hite has this day acknowledged he has Thomas' bond for the money the land was sold for and offered to relinquish his claim to the land provided I would undertake to pay the amount of the bond which is about £12 & interest. This I did not incline to do, as I have no instructions from you relative to such a proposal; and my own opinion was against it; as I conceived Thomas & his heirs were liable for it, and that the land was not subject to it in the hands of an asignee.

I am, Sir, yr Most Obedt. WM GRAYSON.

FROM THOMAS H. MARSHALL, ESQ.

MARYLAND the 23d. of Sepr 1770

SIR/I'm sorry it is not in my Power to appoint any Day (at this time) that I could wate on you in order to Ascertain the Quantity of Land of Woud2 on the005234South side of the Road, that Leads from your Stile to the Gum Spring, owing to the to the Declining state of health Mrs. Marshall still Labrs. Under, she being in such a Loe state, that I cannot Leve her Scarcely a Moment—

2 Wood?

Should be Verry Glad, could I be on sum Sertenty in Regard to the Quantity of Land, as I wanted the part (much) to have inclosed (off Mr Alexanders pt. Adjoining me heare) Arly this fall, On which Acct. should Mrs. Marshall's situation alter, so that I can Leve her, before the time you Propose Leveing home, I will Acquant you therewith, and wate on you in Order to have the affair setled as far as we now can do—

I am yr verry Hble servt. THOS. HAN. MARSHALL

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS 1st. Octr. 1770.

DEAR SIR

I much wish'd to have accompany'd Jack, but cannot: &, what is worse, We part on an Uncertainty, which may be disagreeable. I have some Thoughts of setting off for St Mary's this Week; & if I do get away, I can hardly expect to return again till I remove finally, which cannot well be sooner than the latter End of next Month. So that, if I do not come by Mount Vernon, Jack needs not come hither, till You or He hear from Me again.

A quondam Schoolfellow of Jack's wrote to Me last Week to apply to Dr. Stephenson of Baltimore to005335take Him to be innoculated. I have done so; & at ye. same Time mentioned Custis to Him. He seem'd particularly desirous of having an Opportunity of testifying his Esteem for You by shewing Civilities to any person connected with You. And, cou'd You by any means resolve on this Measure, I cannot but think the present a favorable Time, as there are now, or soon will be, many of his Acquaintances there on the same Errand.

Probably, ere long, You will find out that He has lost his Watch; & He deserves to be severely reprimanded for his Carelessness. I have the Watch, but do not care soon to put Him out of Pain.

I heartily wish You an agreeable Tour thro' yonder Tramontane Regions, & am, very truly,

Yr. much obliged Frd. & Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

TOWLSTON Decr. the 6th. 1770.

DEAR SIR

I am very glad to hear of your safe Return1 which I had begun to doubt of—

1 Washington set out on his journey to the Ohio on October 5, and reached home December 1, 1770.

Poor Rockwood died on his way Home—

I have inclosed a Letter which I received this Fall from Mr. Montgomerie. Please to let me know your Determination, and if you should be inclinable (which I doubt of) to receive a payment from him, and make005436one to him as Mrs. Savage's Attorney, and will inform me of the place it would be agreeable to you to meet him I will endeavor to be there if possible and the Weather tolerable.

I am Dr Sir Yr. most obedt. BRYAN FAIRFAX

I think Mr. Montgomerie will be answerable to Mrs. Savage—

I had almost forgot to inform you that Mr. Harrison could not undertake the Suit vs Mr. Mason as he had been retained by him and no Suit has been yet brought as I expected to have seen you soon after I received Mr. Harrison's Letter: so that in Case you don't agree to Mr. Montogomerie's proposal, I hope you'll direct the Suit to be brought by any one you think proper; For tho' we can't refuse an actual payment from Mr. Montgomerie, we may one upon condition of repaying it to him1—

1 DR. SIR,

Having received your favour of the 6th. I profess myself at a loss to know what answer to give to it, and to consult a Lawyer every time we are puzzled by the duplicity of Mrs. Savage's Conduct woud sink a large portion of her Annuity, or entail a heavy expense upon ourselves.—

I think as you do, that it woud seem odd to refuse the actual tender of Mrs. Savage's Annuity from the Doctrs. Agent at a time when we are threatening his Security with a Suit on this Acct.;—And I am of opinion, that if we were to do receive the money from him, we coud can not legally withhold payment thereof from her Attorney (who is one and the same person) without submitting our Reasons for so doing to the Publick attention, and her Letters she has expressly required may not be seen—Without exposing these as the grounds of our refusal we can have no pretext to detain the money in our hands—to keep it there would contribute nothing to the relief of Mrs. Savage's necessities but very probably expose ourselves to Censure—and to pay the money to any Person not legally authoriz'd to receive it would I believe be equally Imprudent—In short, view the matter in whatever light one will, there is nothing but doubt & difficulties before us; and I see no effectual method of serving Mrs. Savage without falling into some snare which we may not easily extricate ourselves from for I must confess that I have no good opinion of Mrs. Savages honour on the one hand—On the [other] our attempts to serve her will give us little to expect from the Doctors Friendship if we should [several illegible words] on the whole, can we, do you think, avoid coming to a Settlement with Mr. Montgomerie without Incurring the Imputation of disengenuity on the one hand—or, being too particular in plain in our Reason's for it on the other; If this can be done I should be for letting the matter sleep awhile till we cou'd write a joint Letter to Mra. Savage informing her of the predicament in which her Affairs respecting the Bond stand & to beg that she will be steady & fixd to some point or no longer expect us to become the dupes of her fickleness and folly.—If you think this method can be adopted no time shoud be lost in putting it in execution, if you think it cannot or ought not I am willing to pursue any other you shall advise as I own that I am more per [manuscript torn], more I think of the matter.—

I am Dr. Sir

Yr. Most Obedt.

Go. W—N

Decr. 12th. 1770

(Washington's reply.)

005537

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

Decemr 6th. 1770

DR SIR/

Agreeable to your Desire I have Bought the Great Meadows from Mr Harrison1 for thirty Pistols to be paid to Mr. Jacob Hite and inclosesed is an order on you from Mr Harrison in faviour of Mr Hite, and the bill of Se'al filld. up by Mr MClaine2 and a Draft to be Run as you think Proper any alterations you want done Please to Let me now and I will see it done when Mr MClaine Coms up next Summer.

1 Lawrence Harrison.

2 McLain.

I intend to Fort pitt in a day or two the Snow that fell the time you Left my house Continued on the ground with the help of som more Ever Since so that there was no Looking at the Land with they Cation3 you Desired

3 Caution?

005638

I shall send you a full Account by My Brothers [w]ho is to be up by Christmass if I can have the ground Clear of Snow Long a nough to have it done, at any Rate I will see it next Weeke, Colo. Croughan is at Fort pitt still and I understand is to stay Chief part of the Winter

Sir I wish you a Mery Christmass and I am Sir your very Humb. Sarvant— W CRAWFORD

NB Mr. Hite has an order of the sam[e] on[e] is to be paid only WC

FROM MR. WILLIAM CARR.1

1 William Carr was in March, 1761, appointed one of the trustees of the town of Dumfries.

DUMFRIES 17th. Decr 1770

SIR

Your favour of the 12th. Currt. came to hand yesterday which confirmed what Mr Lawson told me regarding your wheat as you Manufacture yours it will not be in may power to procure a ship Load in this part of the country being only desird to ship from one to 200 Barrels of Flower & that on condition its of Equal Quality with the Baltimore & Philadelphia. I am empowerd by Mr Russell to Settle & adjust some of his affairs here amongst which are his claim to Mr Johnstonns Estate the tract of Land adjoining you will I am informd clearly appear to be Mr Russells Property of this I am not certain as I have not005739yet got the title Papers Mr. West1 wrote me lately I need not bring suit against him if Mr. Russells title should be thought good he woud not dispute the Point with me I have been so busy this Fall that I really coud not spare time to search Fairfax County office where all the papers relative to the Land may be found I shall look into this Matter immediately then let you know how it stands you may be sure Sir your inquiries shall remain with me & Mr. Russells claim to the Land when the papers are proved shall be forwarded to you so that if you are inclinable to Purchase from Mr West or Mr Russell you may be on a certainty Should I have any orders to Buy Flower you shall know I am Sir

1 John West, of Fairfax County.

Your most Obt hble Servant WILLIAM CARR

FROM COLONEL GEORGE MERCER.

DUBLIN Decr. the 18th. 1770—

DEAR COLONEL

I wrote you from hence about two Months since, at the Request of Mrs. Savage, praying you to do, what her own Letter now she says repeats, and enforces. I believe the poor Woman has but a bad Time, as she is amongst other Things, at the tender Age of three score & ten, denied the Use of Pen Ink Paper & Romances, and a frequent Use of the Strap is substituted in the Place of these Amusements—this she tells me herself, and an old Lady who visits me with her assures me—it is—but—too—true.

005840

This Country affords no News—various are the Opinions concerning War—all the Officers who had Leave of Absence are ordered to join their Regiments—every Pacquet boat imports Us at least half a dozen—and if We may judge by the Appearances at the Castle, all the Country seems to have got into his Majesty's Livery—as ¾ of the Levee is always composed of red Coats.

I wrote you several Letters on the Subject of the Lands We were promised by Govr. Dinwiddie's Proclamation—in my last, before I left England, I mentioned my having agreed with, or I may rather say prevailed with, the great Land Company there1—that the 200,000 Acres claimed by the officers of the Virginia Troops, should be allowed, out of their small Grant; but I wish however the Affair might be settled in Virginia, and I hope it is over by this, as the 25th. of Octr. is past.

1 Colonel Mercer was the agent for the Ohio Company in England, which had been merged into Walpole's Company.

I hope to kiss your Hand in our native Country the Beginning of the Summer, as I shall go to England in a few Days, & put myself on Board the first Spring Ship bound to the Land of Promise. My Compliments wait on Mrs. Washington. I am

Dear Colonel Your obliged Friend & hble Servt. GEO. MERCER.

005941

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS, Dect. 18th. 1770.

SIR

I thank You much for your Intimations respecting Master Custis. Were all Those who have the Care & Direction of Children as attentive to their real Interests, We shou'd not have so many Complaints of Children spoil'd by Parental Indulgence.

It is not without much Concern I own to You, that your Sentimts. of this young Gentleman have, for some Time, been my own. I have observ'd his growing Passions taking this unpleasing Cast, without the Power of preventing it. To a Youth, brought up in the calm, easy, & rational Manner that He has, the ordinary Means of violent Restraint or Controll, wou'd, I believe, rather defeat, than promote a Reformation. The System, we set out with, that of tender persuasion, must still be pursued: and tho' it may not, perhaps, work a speedy Cure, it certainly will in the End. I consider his rising Passions as some little Streamlet, swelling by successive Showers, into Something like a Torrent: You will in vain oppose its Course by Dams, Banks, or Mounds: & the only certain Means to prevent its becoming Mischievous, is to lead it gently along by a Variety of Canals, lessening its Force, by dividing it.—There are but two Cases in which I can foresee much real Danger to this young Gentleman; & if He can be preserved from These, I shall not be greatly apprehensive as to others. I mean, his Love of Ease, & Love of Pleasure—Pleasure of a Kind exceedingly006042uncommon at his Years. I must confess to You I never did in my Life know a Youth so exceedingly indolent, or so surprisingly voluptuous: one wd. suppose Nature had intended Him for some Asiatic Prince: Against these two insinuating & most dangerous Foes to all that is truly valuable in a Character I have exerted all my Opposition: and I trust not altogether without Success. For, in a Contest of this Sort, not to suffer a total Defeat is in some Measure to gain a Victory. There is a Period in Life when these Passions will wage a War with Reason: and, if You can but keep Them [at] a Stand perhaps a reasonable Man will be contented. It could not be but that at one Time or other Mr. Custis must have been introduc'd into Life, as 'tis call'd; and is it not almost too much to expect from one brought up in so very guarded a Manner as He has, that He shou'd pass the fiery Trial unhurt? He knows even now extremely little of the various Enjoyments of social Life; & yet He is peculiarly susceptible of Them. Is it not better then, think You, that He shou'd be suffered occasionally to mix in Company, unreserved, while He can have the advantage of a Monitor at Home, even tho' He shou'd, as indeed is too often the Case, go farther than One wou'd wish? It is, possibly, a Misfortune to Him, that every where much Notice is taken of Him. Whether This may be owing to his Family, his Fortune, his Manners, or his Connexions, or all together, I will not now enquire: But This is certain, that tho' I am often pleas'd with it, yet it is the Source of infinite Disquietude to Me. It is here, as with You: He has many Invitations to006143Visits, Balls, & other Scenes of Pleasure, to which neither You nor I can refuse his going—more especially, if We go ourselves. Indeed, I do not know that it wou'd be right to refuse, even if good Manners wou'd allow it. Yet so it is, He seldom or never goes abroad without learning Something I cou'd have wish'd Him not to have learn'd. There are not, that I know of, more idle or pleasurable People in Annaps, than there are in any other Town containing an Equal Number of Inhabitants: yet somehow or other He has contriv'd to learn a great deal of Idleness and Dissipation amongst Them. One inspires Him with a Passion for Dress—Another for Racing, Foxhunting &c—Even the grave Coll: Sharpe, You see, led Him to talk of Guns & Rifles, with much more Satisfaction than I can persuade Him to talk of Books, or literary Subjects. In Truth, it is one of the worst Symptoms that I know of in Him, that He does not much like Books: & Yet I have been endeavouring to allure Him to it, by every Artifice I cou'd think of. I hoped that Cargo of Books wou'd have done it.1—Let Me, however, do Him the Justice to own, that He has labour'd under some Disadvantages in this Place: My late unsettled manner of Living has been unfavourable to Him. He dislik'd the House We lodg'd at, & wth. some Reason. I cou'd not always be with Him, nor He always at his Book; & at such Times, there was no Body in the House, with whom He could, spend a leisure Hour but006244tolerably agreeably. Unluckily too, there lodged a Youth with us, of a Character exactly calculated to spoil such a Lad as Custis. He is sensible, wild, volatile, idle & good natured. You will know that I allude to a Son of Mr. Sam: Galloway's. I by no means aim to reproach the young Gentleman, whom really I like exceedingly myself, yet can I not help giving it as my Opinion that He has done your Ward more Harm than He or his Family can Easily make Amends for. You cannot conceive wth. wt. Delight Custis Wd. listen to his droll Tales, & Accts. of his Pranks at School in England.—There is another Particular too which perhaps Discretion wou'd bid Me suppress, but which I think I cannot honestly conceal from You. Sam: Galloway has also a Daughter, young & pretty. Out of Respect to You, as I suppos'd, He frequently invited Custis to his House: it was disagreeable to Me to be oblig'd to refuse Him, because it gave offence; but I believe He never was with them but twice—once when I was, & once when I was not. It was about the Time of the Players being here. Miss Galloway came to Town. Jack has a Propensity to the Sex, which I am at a Loss how to judge of, much more how to describe. I observ'd somewhat of a particular attention, exceeding bare Civility to this young Lady. I took such Steps as I judged most likely to wean Him in Time—and it was done, I believe, effectually. I am asham'd to add, because it is but a mere Conjecture of my own, & imparted to You in great Confidence, that I cou'd not help thinking This gave some Disquiet to the Family. I wou'd not willingly suspect People without Cause:006345but, however absurd & foolish such a Project must have been, were I to give You a Detail of all my Reasons, I am inclined to believe You wou'd think as I do. I am mistaken, if You or Mrs. Washington have not also had an Opportunity given You of penetrating thro' such a Design; there are here, besides Me, who think Them capable of it; tho' I do not know that there are Any, besides Myself, who have suspected Them in this Instance. But, be my Suspicions well or ill-founded, I have very peremptorily refused an importunate Application, repeatedly made to Me since my last Return, to admit this sd. Son of His into my Family.—Let Me have Leave to request, that these Surmises of mine, which perhaps I have view'd in too serious a Light, may never transpire. I can hardly need to say to You, that were it known, I shou'd have the whole Family on my Back.

1 It will be remembered that poor Dr. Boucher, in expressing his appreciation of the prospect of having John Parke Custis as a pupil, confessed that it was a source of mortification to him that, after teaching seven years consecutively, he had not had “the Honr. to bring up one Scholar.”

This is no pleasing Picture of his Conduct here: nor will it, I fear, make You much in Love with his Situation. I have so often said how unwillingly I shou'd part with the Boy, that I am afraid of being suspected of Selfishness, if after This, I still advise You to continue Him. Yet I do advise You, &, if I know my own Heart aright, with the most cordial & disinterested Sincerity. As I have already observ'd, He is now arriving fast to that Time of Life, when He must mix with Mankind: This He can no where do without Danger; & I think He will be in less Here, than almost any where Else, And for a Reason, which did I not well know your Candor, I wou'd hardly venture to assign. Because, I believe, there is not (nor is it likely that now there ever will006446be) another Person who has such Influence over Him as I have. I hope I am not deceiv'd in the persuasion, that He has a very affectionate Regard for Me: & I am sure I can have no Motive's that shou'd lead Me to wish to deceive You, in assuring You, that not the least of his Actions escapes my Notice—I watch his every Motion, & tho' He is perpetually doing something or other displeasing to Me, yet upon the whole, I still hope & believe, He will turn out, if not a very clever, what is much better, a good Man. That He may, I shall not cease to use my best Endeavours, as well as my fervent Prayers.

I am aware of the Expensiveness of his living here: to lessen it in some measure, I have resolv'd to return his Horses back to You. He agreed They shou'd not be sent to Him till Easter: nor then, indeed, unless You hear more promises. Let us try what this Winter's close Application will do: We are now well fitted for it, & I think have a prospect of spending it as We ought. Let Joe bring back all his Vols: of Cicero, Livy, & as many others as his Portmanteau will hold: as well as a Small Parcel of mine, which He brought up from Mr. Brook's, when We last came from St. Mary's.

I am, Dr. Sir very truly, yr. much obliged & most obedt. Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

006547

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

TOWLSTON, December the 20th. 1770—

DEAR SIR

I have received your Favor of the 14th. and now inclose a copy of my Last Letter to Mrs. Savage, wherein I have told her my Sentiments very freely—and if you disire we should write a joint Letter Letter when we have the pleasure of meeting I shall be agreeable to it. I can't conveniently go down till the middle of January so that at present I cant appoint any place of meeting even Mr. Montgomerie—I have some thoughts of being at Alexandria in January Court, but it will depend on the weather & Circumstances. But as to the payment of the Money, I am inclined for my Part, either to settle it as Mr. Montgomerie proposes, or to write to her to know whether she still objects to the payment of the Money to Mr. Montgomerie or not, and if she does to send over another power in room of the other to some other Person—

I am Dr. Sir Yr. most obdt. Servt. BRYAN FAIRFAX.

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE.

12th. Jany 1771

DEAR SIR

My Circumstances are so situated as to make it Necessary for me to sell my whole Estate to pay my debts, & I am sory to inform you it will take every006648shilling I have to effect that end, this will leave my Family (for whom only I feel) in a very distressful situation unless my friends will assist me in this my day of distress.

My long acquaintance with you and the Friendship that has ever subsisted between us, emboldens me to request the favour of you to join my other Friends in lending me money for a few years without interest, in which time, I hope to be able to work it out, as I have the advantage of working good Lands without paying Rent, but should I be mistaken I would not by any means have my friends suffer by me, I propose the Negroes should be bought in the name of the Gentleman who is so kind to lend the money & allways remain as Security to him for refunding his Principle.

My Nephew Mr. Aug: Seaton waits on you with this, who will inform you what my other friends propose doing, by whom I hope to receive your approbation of this Scheme & your kind assistance towards its execution.

I am sincerely Dear Sir Your Affectio: Servt BERD. MOORE

P:S: I had given a Mortgage to Mr. C. W. Claiborne for several things to the amount of a thousand pounds for his security for my Executorship to Spotswoods Estate1 besides several006749hundred pounds I had a wright to draw out of the' hands of the Speakers Administrators, all which (as I owe Spotswoods Estate not one farthing) I have Mortgaged to you and others, that you may assure yourSelf your Brothers Estate cannot suffer one Shilling was his debt much larger.1

1 Bernard Moore was one of the executors to the estate of John Spotswood, elder son of Governor Spotswood.

1 COLCHESTER Jany. 23d. 1771

DEAR SIR

Your Letter of the 12th. Ins. by Mr. Seaton was delivered to me at this place in my way to Dumfries where I was am going upon an Arbitration fixd to this day.—I am exceedingly sorry to hear of your unfortunate Circumstances and wish that my own affairs and the situation of my own Engagements, woud suffer permit me to subscribe more largely to your relief than they will; but having several pretty large Sums of my own to pay in a short time it is utterly out of my power (with any sort of convenience) to advance more than One hundred pounds for the purpose and on the terms you mention; this I am willing to do, and accordingly have wrote to the Trustees informing them thereof—I have no doubt but you will put of your putting me upon as good a footing as any of the rest other Subscribers & therefore I shall say anything do not condition with you for terms or further on that head but again beg that something effectual may be done to secure myself & Brothers from the payment of your Bond to Mr. Lightfoots Estate this woud not only be a hardship upon us to do but be exceedingly inconvenient to accomplish as I am sensible it would be attended with great Inconvenience to some of them to advance this money & be a hardship upon us all

I am Dr Sir

Yr. Most Ob

H Servt.

GO. W—

COLO. BERND. MOORE.

GENTS

Colo. Bd. Moore having informed me that he is endeavouring to make up a Sum of Money to purchase some Slaves for the immediate Support of his Family I do hereby agree to become Answerable to you you as his Trustees on this acct. for the Sum of One Hundd. pounds Curry payable a year hence.—

I am Gentn. Yr. Most Obt.

Go. W—

Jany. 23d. 1771

To

CARTER BRAXTON Esqr. &

the Gentn. Trustees of Colo.

B Moore.

B. M.

006850

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

ALEXANDRIA Janry the 20th: 1771—

DEAR SIR

I have just time to inform you by Mr. Henderson that I sent up to Mr. Smith and acquainted him that I had sold the Tract on little River provided he had not done so; and that he informed me that he had not, having been with some to look at the Land but as they had no Money he would not agree with them; so that you may depend upon having it if you don't dislike it when you come to see it.

With my Compliments to Mrs. Washington I remain

Dr Sir Yr. most obedt. & obliged hble St. BRYAN FAIRFAX.

I beg the favor of you to give the inclosed to Mr. Rind.1

1 William Rind.

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS 11th. of Apl. 1771.

DEAR SIR

I do very cordially sympathize with Mrs. Washington in the uneasiness I can easily suppose She must necessarily be under during this State of Suspence. Her Son was, last Monday Ev'ning, innoculated in Baltimore: and tho' there really be in his Favour Every Thing that could be wished for, yet, I know She will be anxious & impatient till it be over. All006951I can do to ensure Success She may depend on: & I can with Truth declare, that, at present, there is but a bare Possibility of his taking it unfavourable. In Truth, They make so very light of it in Baltimore, that one is almost ashamed even to mention a Suspicion of a Possibility of Failure.—We went upon the Monday; & for Fear of his possibly catching it in the natural Way, I had Him innoculated immediately; more especially as He was very eager for it, & in high Spirits. The Pill He took that Night made Him a little sick; & Joe complain'd that His purged Him very unmercifully. I left Him yesterday at the Doctor's, where every thing seemed agreeable to Him; I purpose being with Him again on the Monday, as his Fever will likely be a coming on, on the Tuesday or Wednesday, & Eruption on Thursday: all which Time I will be there. The Doctor promised to write to You as You requested. And should any occasion arise, You may depend on hearing from Me, ev'n by Express: So that, if You do not hear from Me, to the Contrary, Mrs. Washington may rest assur'd all is well—as I give You my Word & Honour that, if there be but ever so distant an Appearance of any thing unfavourable, I will not fail to communicate it to You immediately. There is a young Gentleman there (& but One, tho' more are daily expected) from Northampton County, of the name of Savage; a modest, well-behav'd Man, & I believe the Clerk of a County there. He promised to be a Companion to Jack, & I dare say will be an acceptable one.

007052

If any Thing should be the matter with His [word mutilated] They are to send Express to Me; & if They do, I shall have an Oppty. of letting You know of it by the Post—if I do not, conclude All is well.—Shou'd I not write [mutilated] Week from Baltimore, which yet I intend to do, be not uneasy.—This will be brought to You by Mr. Templeman, & being written in a Hurry in a crowded Store, must I fear be confused. All I am & wish is to make You & Mrs. Washington easy; & I hope You will be so, in Confidence that if there really were any Appearance of Danger, I wou'd not, from a mistaken Tenderness, Conceal it from You.

I beg my afft. Compts. (as Jack also does) to his Mamma, Sister, yr.self & Mr. Washington, & am, very truly

yr. most obedt. Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

SPRING GARDEN April 15th. 1771

SIR

I Receved yours. of March ye 11th and I am much suprised at Mr Brooks beheaviour in Regard to that Land he never had the Least Claim or pretentions to the Medows that I Ever herd of Mr Harrison maid use of the Name of Wm Brooks Expecting that Wm Brooks as his son in law would do him the faviour to give him an Asignment at any time, but as Mr Harrison has got a permit there was no Occasion of007153an Asignment or of an order of survay for any survayor would have survayd. the Land on the permit and Returnd it into the Office which would have bin Excepted of, any order of Survay that he cold have got would not do inclosed you have a bond from Mr Harrison for the Setling the Matter and Making good the Title he says if that you want it don it shall be Returnd in your own name as soon as the Survay is Completed it and he will Setle all Dispute in Regard to it.

There is one William Brooks here [w]ho has agreed to sign the Bill of Sail which is Equil as any man of that name will do as well as him, his having no claim or Right more then any other man of that name, he says that is all he can do at Present, any thing more that is Requeset he will do if Required and if not the Bargain must be Void and he have his papers again as he can sell it Emedatly to Several People who will pay no Regard to Brooks Claim Looking unpon it as nothing worth.

As the Bearer Moses Crawford1 is Obliged to go of Emedatly I shall Refair give2 a full Account of my Proceedings here for a few days longer as I have an [opportunity???] in a few days and then will give as full an account as I am able

1 Captain Crawford's nephew.

2 Defer giving.

I am Der sir in hast your most Huml. Sarvant—

W CRAWFORD

007254

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS 19th. Aprl. 1771.

DEAR SIR

I feel much Heart felt Satisfaction in having it in my Power to inform You that Mr. Custis is now out of all Danger of the Small-Pox, in Dr. Stephenson's own Phrase, He cannot now die if He would. I have been with Him all this Week, & shou'd not yet have left Him, but that I knew You wou'd wish & expect an Acct.—& I cou'd only give one, by coming down hither, to catch the Post that sets out this Ev'ning. Yesterday when He left Baltimore, no Pocks had appear'd; & I was unwilling to write, till I cou'd have something more certain to say. This Morning, I found three, & about five Hours ago, when We parted, I could but count Eight, which I believe will be his whole Number. His Fevers began on Monday, & were sometimes pretty high; yet never so much as to confine Him above now & then an Hour or so to his Bed. In short, I think I have now seen better Authority than ever to say, that the Small Pox, in this artifical Manner, is really nothing; its Virulence is so abated & subdued, that I now no longer wonder to find Men think so little about it as They do in Baltimore. And to Me, the whole secret seems to be in keeping Them cool: Custis, I believe, has not been within five yards of a Fire, since He went to Baltimore. I shd. wrong Him not to add, that He has been exceedingly manageable, & always in Spirits; much more so than his Country man Savage. The Doctor bestows many Encomiums on Him: I007355believe He wou'd hardly have had one Pustule, had not the Doctor, at my Request (for I thought, tho' in Point of real Usefulness, it seems it was a matter of no kind of Consequence, his Mamma wou'd chuse He shou'd have Some) given Him somethg. warm to provoke them out Joe, I fancy, will hardly have one; unless the same Means try'd this Morning may bring them out: it is, however, quite sufficient that the Arm is enflamed, & that He has had the Fevers. Jack's, as I remember, are one on his Neck, an other by his Ear, one on his Breast, two on one Arm & one on Another, & two on one Leg; not one on his Face. Ere I left Him, his Fever was quite gone, and I never in my Life saw Him better: so that I cannot but congratulate You & Mrs. Washington on this dreaded affair's being so easily & happily over.

He is not to be down till the Monday Sennight, which, I guess, will be about the Time of your setting out on your Trip downwards.

Dr. Stephenson desir'd Me to apologize for his not writing to You, as being very busy, & not having any Thing very particular to communicate. His general Price is, two Pistoles, & 25/. a Week for Board. I shall have Occasion, next Week, to write more fully on this & other matters: at present, being a good deal fatigued, & a little unwell, I beg leave only to add, that

I am, with great Truth Yr. very faithful Frd. & Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

P.S Wheat, in yonder busy Town

007456

I have just left, I think is 6/. some Days ago, ’twas 6/3; & Flour 16/.—You know they have 112 lb to the Cwt.—

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

Aprial 20th 1771

SIR

Agreeable to your Request I want1 to vew Colo. Cro[g]hans Land but before it cold be done the Line was to [be] run which I Attended [to] and vewd. the [w]hole, but cold not find the Quantity of Land you wanted nor one thousand [acres] such as you wanted or such as I would have to be Laid of as he wanted me to Lay it of, there was som good Land on Rockoon2 Creek along they Creek but very hilley of from the Creek they hills of they Poorest sort all Piney where the bottoms is of any goodness, What Land is worth anything is alredy taken by som body that coms within the Line we run, but the Cols is not Content with that Line as he thinks it dos not includ Lands enough I am Afraid he has not a proper title to what he now is Claiming, but I have waved giveing him any certain Answear about the Land any how as Long as I can Posably avoid it, I have found som good Tracts of Land on the head of Shirtees Creek and the head of Rockoon Creek that is good Level farming Land and good Medow but not that Quantity you want I beleve I can procure you a Tract in one body of0075573000 Acres very good well watered and about 15 or 20 Miles from the Fort I have not told him where the Land Lys and I am Afraid to tell him till he Runs the Line for I think if he new of it he would run it in one purpose to have the Seling of it to you as he Peeks him self much upon it, and makes it a handle to all bargin he is on Making with other People

1 Went.

2 Raccoon.

I have told him that I have found som Land, and if it Coms in his Land or in his Line I will agree with him for it I have Run it out and have hired som hands to work on it in order to hold the Land till I now how to com by a right for it as it is very good. I think you may have between 3 or 4 thousand Acres in on body very good Land for farming

You may Depend on my being as casous1 as you cold wish in every Pertiquelor of the Solder Lands2 and as soon as I can finish the out Lins shall wait on you which I hop will be in the first of Augt. I shall the [n] run out Lins going Down and the River coming back as it then it will be Low and I can Mashure up the beach, you shall hear from me by all safe Oppertunitys

1 Cautious.

2 Soldier lands. William Crawford had been appointed surveyor of the 200,000 acres granted to the officers of the Virginia regiment.

I am Sir your most Huml Sarvant W,, CRAWFORD

007658

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS, May the 3d. 1771.

DEAR SIR

I have seldom found myself worse disposed to write, than I now am; being exceedingly displeased with Mr. Custis, that, according to my express Desire to Him, He is not Here Himself, to write to put both Yourself & his Mother out of all further Anxiety on his Account. On Saturday last, He sent Me word, He would come down on the Monday, but the Doctor being of Opinion that possibly He might give some Alarm to the People here, advis'd Me to let Him remain a few Days longer. I did so; & it having happened that a Mr. Gough, a Gentleman of Rank & Fortune of his Acquaintance in Baltimore, was to be married either Yesterday or to-Day, I take it for granted He has been prevail'd upon to stay on that Account. For I have seen a Gentleman of Baltimore, who tells Me He was quite well on Wednesday. So that there wants nothing but Himself to say so, to put every Thing out of all Doubt. And this being the Case, I guess you will continue to think it right still to Forbear mentioning it to Mrs. Washington, till the next Week,1 when (shou'd He not have wrote You from Baltimore, as I hardly dare to hope He has) We will assuredly both write. In the mean Time, I thought it wou'd be more acceptable007759to You to have Ev'n this imperfect Acct., than none at all.

1 Washington had preferred to keep his wife in ignorance of his intention in sending her son to Baltimore. In a letter dated April 20, 1770 (71?) (see Ford's Writings of Washington, vol. II. p. 276), he says, “Indeed I believe was she come to the knowledge of being at Baltimore (under Innoculation) it woud put an infallible stop to her journey to Williamsburg.”

I am yr. most Obedt. & very Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS, May the 9th. 1771—

DEAR SIR

The Season of Suspence, I thank God, is now over: Mrs. Washington, without the Fears that wou'd have been unavoidable during a State of Uncertainty, will have the Pleasure of learning from undoubted Authority, that her Son is happily & easily releas'd from a formidable Disorder, without hardly one Mark to tell that He ever had it. He is as well as ever He was in his Life: indeed has such strong Symptoms of Health, as we almost find inconvenient at this scarce Season of the Year, & dear Markets.

A Mrs. Buckner of the Parish I left in Virginia gave Me a Power of Attorney to settle a Law Suit She had here. I have agreed to take 50£ this Currency for her Claim, which Money is to be paid to my Order this Week in Baltimore, & out of it, I have ordered my Friend there to pay Dr. Stephenson's Acct., as well as some other little Claims Mr. Custis has left there. His Acct., I fear, will run high, as I see They have charg'd Him at the Rate of 10/. a Week for the Pasturage of his Horses, & This in the Country; which I have refused to pay. He has also, very idly I think, exchang'd his Grey Horse,007860for a large clumsy black One, & is to give £4 Boot.—Having receiv'd Nothing from my Parish here, nor indeed being likely soon to receive any Thing; & as You may easily conceive that I have been put to pretty much Expence, I begin to find it difficult to find Cash to support my Family. I have therefore thought of desirg. the Favr. of You to pay this £50 Maryld. Curry., in your Way up from Wms.burg, on my Acct., either to Coll: Jno. Thornton, or if You shou'd not chance to see Him, to Mr. James Maury, a Mercht. in Fredricksbg. I hope this will not be inconvenient to You; &, after paying off all Mr. Custis's Accts., there will not be very much left for Me, which, however I will be duly careful to acct. for when We settle. Exchange here, I am told, is at 661/3, which will regulate your Paymt. of this Money.

Sundry Papers have been put into my Hands by a Mr. Harrison, from some Person in England, attempting, in Consequence of an Advertisemt. of Yours in the English Papers, to prove his being true & lineal Heir to—Colvill, to whom, I think, You were left Executor,1 I have promised to Speak with You on the Subject; but as the Papers are bulky, shall007961Forbear to send them, till your Return to Mount Vernon. In the mean Time, I hope They will not be excluded from their Claim for Want of asserting it in due Time.

1 The Colville estate in 1792 was still unsettled, as is shown by two entries in Washington's Ledger.

1791 January 1To Cash pd. Edwd. Tilghman Esqr. by orderSterlg.Currency. of Miss Harriet Rebecca Anderson, in 176.0.0234 13 4 full of a legacy of £ 80 sterling left her by Colo. Colvill's will, with interest amounting to 1792 Octr. 3To Cash pd. James Keith Esqr. for the use of William Ansley, Administr. of Mary Monkhouse757 7 6

Mr. Johnson has also left with Me another large Cargo of Physic for Miss Custis; of the Efficacy of which in working a total Cure, He seems unusually confident. This too I shall not send till You return.

A Letter for You, brought by a Vessel to this Place, I take the Liberty of directing to You in Williamsburg.

You will not wonder that I request to know, as soon as it may be in your Power, what your final Determination is wth. Respect to this young Gentleman's going Home.1 On his Account, it were better to have it certainly known: &, on my own, it is highly necessary. However eager my Inclination might be for the Scheme, should it still, after mature Deliberation, appear to Yourself & your Friends, prudent to be at such an Expence, I am not now sure it would be in my Power to embrace the Offer. I am not indeed sure that I could resist the offer; tho' it would certainly be highly indiscreet in Me to turn myself once more adrift into the wide World, without first securing to myself a comfortable Retreat. And I008062have not, at present, such fair Prospects as I thought I had, but a Week ago. There is a Parish vacant, not twenty Miles from Mount Vernon where I shall hardly need to say I wou'd rather be than any where else in Maryland. And I thought I had been sure of it: indeed I hope I still am, tho' the Governor says He expects from England a Schoolfellow & a Relation of his own to fill it up. If this Gentelman does not come in, which I fear may not be known for some months to come, I think I shall be appointed to it. If I am, I flatter myself I shall, without much Difficulty be able so to settle Matters as to put it in my Power to pursue this favorite Plan: of which, however, it is but Justice to myself to own that, with Respect to myself, I am not nearly so anxious as I have been.—Life wastes apace, &, unmindful of ye. silent lapse of Time, I have already trifled away but too great a Part of it: it is not therefore to be wondered at, if, in my cooler moments of Recollection, I wish for a Settlement.

1 The project of sending his ward to Europe to complete his education was finally abandoned by Washington, but he was still undecided in his reply to Dr. Boucher. “My own inclinations,” he says, “have always been strong in favour of prosecuting the plan you formerly laid down for him—is Friends a good deal divided in theirs. … I conceive there is much greater circumspection to [be observed] by a Guardian than a natural Parent who is only accountable to his own Conscience for his conduct.”—FORD's Writings of Washington.

I beg your pardon for all this Egotism, uninteresting to You; this Week or two I have not been very well; if in This, & my former Letters, I have been disagreeably troublesome, I trust You will be so obliging as to impute it to that Cause.

If it be at all inconvenient to You to pay this Money on your Way upwards; or, if You may probably stay longer than June, I beg You to inform Me, as I can then [covered by seal in original] upon some Expedient.—I will also put your English Letter into the Post Office here, & hope They will forward it from Alexandria, without any fresh Cover.

008163

I beg my respectful Compts. to Mrs. Washington & Miss Custis: & am, Dr. Sir

Yr. much obliged & most obedt. Hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

posey, I hear, is in Prison Bounds.

FROM CAPTAIN JOHN POSEY.

QUEENS TOWN, May 25th 1771

SIR,

I wrote you Last month, when I was at the Provinsiall Court, and to Mr. Thos. Lawson, to be kind Enough, to Lett my son John, come here, that he shu'd Return in few days, his not Coming, I suppose the Letters never got to hand, these [I] Expect will by Mr. Haul Mercht. Alexandrae—Your Letter you wrote me the 20-January Last, I Recd. the first of Last month—Contents Observd.,—Your not having any Conection, with the Appeal, of Captn. John West, to the Generall Court, the Reasons you give, is Satisfaction to me—I am convinc'd Mr. West will never Recover it, if I have Justice done me, if he has not got Judgment against for them few Acres, this Last Generall Court, I [will] be Prepair'd, for Esqr. West against the fall, he has been Very Troublesome body to me, during his Aunt[s] Lifetime, he had many sutes, Brought against me, if any [treated???] the old woman in the familiar way, or negros acquaiantd. him any foolish thing, a sute was Emediatly Brought—Mr. Harrison008264was my Counsell, And I gave him Six Dollars in hand, Conserning Mr. Rosss1 sute against me, he sd. there was noe such thing as Law, or Reason, for Reale Est. to be made Liable to be sold, for Debt—I confess that I know nothing about the Law, in I want Justice—my Oconomy has been bad, its wou'd be Excessive hard, for them few Acres, and what little Improvements, to be sold for Little or nothing, in case Mr Esqr. West shu'd be mistaken and Luse it—Mr. Thos. Ringgold Treated me, Excessive Ill, in Emplying to you for negroe Jack, he knew that the fellow was your Property, I show'd him the Instrement writing you gave me, he then said, notwithstanding, he wou'd give me £90-0-0. Maryland Currency, my Answer to him, if he wou'd give £200. he shu'd not have the fellow unless it was Agreeable to you, Mr. Ringgold was my Security for gitting Letters to Administer on my wife's Est. I Loug'd2 five negroes with him, untill her debts was Paid, after they were Apprais'd, he want'd them at the Apprays'dment, I want'd them sold to the highest bidder, he wou'd not Allow it, that made him Angry, its still in that Possession—as he is Very Able Person—And I was under Dread, he mite git Possession of Jack—and give you trouble, coming or sending for him, Perhaps a Law sute before you could get Poss[ess]ion of him again—Caus'd me to Send him to you—I have all my Life time Acted honest and is determ'd to doe so, my Life time Lett me suffer ever so much—If Mr. West,008365has not got Judgment, for my Little Lands, And Improvements, on Potowmack River, Pray will you be kind enough, to send me some cash by my son John, I Really am in great want, my Letting Hanson, have Part my Cloaths, when he was over last fall, causes me to suffer—I ow'd for my son St. Lawrences Schooling—I had my old Shirrts, and things cut up for him, to keep him his in cloaths, that he mite be at scool—I Dont Pay anything for his Board—he will understand Arithmetick well enough by the fall, [to be] Put into some Business Mr. Cowdon the scool master says he is [a] fine boy & Learns fast—If I can be able to keep him at school untill the fall, I shall be satisfied—with your assistance I can—If Mr. West has not Judgment for the Land, You dont owe me any Rent—untill November,1 things [of] this sort, I know is Disagreeable, to you, its [a] Case [of] necessity Causes to me to be so Presing,—my son Johns, Receit if you are kind Enough, to send me Any Cash, will be good, I made Bold to give Hanson [an] order on you, for twenty shillings Maryland Currency, Last month, when I was at Annapolis,—it Gives me Double Satisfaction, that my son John, is with, so worthy a man as Mr. Lawson,2—I have wrote Mr. Law son if he could spard him to come here, that he shu'd Return in few days,—I am much Oblidge to you, for Prevailing on Mr. Lawson to take him—I have wrote Mr. Lawson that If John Does not obey008466his orders, to Give him Severe Repremand, to keep him Closly Imployed—You was speaking to me Last spring that there was Probility, of the offisers, in the Virginnae Regments, having some Lands on the Ohio, if so you [are] inclin'd to Purchass, if there is any such thing, you may have my Part, for what you think is the Value of it1—I hope to be clare of this Place, by the fall, its Disagreeable Life to me to be Idle—

1 Hector Ross, of Colchester.

2 Lodged.

1 For the use of the ferry which crossed the Potomac from Captain Posey's place to Thomas H. Marshall's (Marshall Hall). The charge for a man and horse was one shilling each. See Hening, vol. vi. p. 375.

2 Robert Lawson, of Fairfax County.

1 1772Octobr. 14. By Cash pd. Capta. Posey for his Right to 3000Acres of Land undr. ye Kings Proclamationof Octr. 1763—5 half Joes …

£11.11.3

(Washington's Ledger.)

I could [have] been able to [have] Satisfied all my old Arrears, Some months A Goe, by marrying [an] old widow woman in this Country, She has Large soms [of] cash by her, and Prittey good Est.—She is as thick, as she is high—And gits drunk at Least three or foure [times] a weak—which is Disagreable to me—has Viliant Sperrit when Drunk—its been [a] Great Dispute in my mind what to Doe,—I beleave I shu'd Run all Resk's—if my Last wife, had been [an] Even temper'd woman, but her Sperrit, has Given me such [a] Shock—that I am afraid to Run the Resk Again, when I see the object before my Ey[e]s [it] is Disagreable—Your favour, with my Request, will lay me under the Greatest Obligations---

I am Sir your obt. and most Humble st. JNO POSEY.

008567

FROM MR. ROBERT ADAM.1

1 Of the firm of Carlyle & Adam, afterwaards Adam & Co., merchants in Alexandria. Robert Adam was the son of Abednego Adam, of Fairfax County, Virginia.

ROBERT ADAM June 24th. 1771 (Daylight quite gone.

DEAR SIR

I m favoured with yours and Observe the Contents your Orders by the Adventure shall be pointedly and particularly taken notice of—I was this Morning a good deal Alarmed when we began to Overhaul your Herrings2 the first 3 or 4 Barrels we opened were in exceeding Bad Order On the top they were laid in promiscuously without either form of packing or Salt and most of those they were filled up with were realy Spoiled Herrings I had then determined to Relieve you of it and proceed no further, thinking it would be against your Interest to ship them as at all Events you had the freight to pay, but I was determined to have a Generall View of them and to my Satisfaction I found them in Generall turn out much better than they did at the begining, some of them I had repacked half way down, and filled up with fresh salt and after overhauling the whole which I have done this day they have lost a Barrel & taken about ⅓ of a Barrel of wine 2½ Bushels Salt and the Labour of008668a Cooper & 2 other hands so that you have now in your Mark Shiped 39 Barrels in pretty good Order.

2 “Agreed with Mr. Robt. Adam for the Fish catchd at the Fishing Landing I bought of Posey, on the following terms.—to wit

He is obliged to take all I catch at that place provided the quantity does not exceed 500 Barls—and will take more than this qty. if he can get Cask to put them in—He is to take them as fast as they are catchd without giving any interuption to my people; and is to have the use of the Fish House for his Salt, fish, &ca. taking care to have the House clear at least before the next Fishing Season

In consideration of which he is to pay me Ten pounds for the use of the House; give 3/a thousd. for the Herrings (Virg Money) and 8/4 a hundred (Maryland curry) for the white fish.

Mr. Piper and Lund Washington present.”—(Washington's Diary, February 3, 1770.)

In regard to your former sales I Observe yours from Robert Mc.Mickan, And see that the whole quantity shiped was Consigned from you to him so that the £50.10.1 which he says may be nigh the net proceeds Includes the Freight, Commission &c., All he says to us on the Subject is Viz. The goods Collo. Washington Ordered are Ship't to him & I believe will be full as much as the proceeds of his herrings will amount to.—This is all I know of the matter and believe I may be right that the freight is included I have not yet had their sales but Expect them dayly when I shall better inform you.—

I cannot Ascertain the quantity of Herrings as I was but now & then down I thought that Mr. Washington1 & Mr. Campbel2 had fixed that as I repeatedly desired them when they were packing them to Count 3 or 4 Barrels every day and at the End to Average them & this I looked upon to be the most equitable way both for you & me And this I hope they have done so that it may be fixed to your Satisfaction I am with all my most sincere Endeavours to Serve you Most Respectfully

1 Lund Washington.

2 John Campbell.

Your Most Obedt. & very Humb: Servt. ROBERT ADAM

008769

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS, July the 4th. 1771.

DEAR SIR

I am sorry to have thrown any additional Difficulties in your Way, respecting the Affair of Mr. Custis's Tour. At the Time I wrote, Difficulties seem'd to be starting up before Me, which I fear'd could not otherwise be remov'd than by dropping all Thoughts of leaving Maryland. I wishd, from many Motives, to accompany Mr. Custis: it was, however, as You will readily allow Me to declare, but the second Wish of my Heart, my first was, that I might be independent. After what I had already experienced, it wou'd have been terrible to have again thrown myself into the wide World, without having first secur'd a comfortable Retreat to return to. And, I fear'd, it was too much to ask both a competent Living, & such extraordinary Leave of Absence. I have now, however, the very high Pleasure to inform you, that, with Respect to myself, things are much altered; and, if you can make it suitable in other Respects, I am willing & ready to accompany Mr. Custis, on the proposed Tour—I am at Liberty to add, on this Condition only, that we set out some time in the next Year—Contrary to the Sentimts. of my Friends, who thought it better that I should first get my Induction into the Living I mentioned to You in my Last, ere I presum'd to make this other Request to the Govr. I resolv'd openly & candidly to lay before Him my real Views; with which He was so well pleased, as to promise Me the Parish, so soon as ever it should be008870in his Power, & also Leave of Absence for one Year only, at a Time, but renewable: an Expedient He is obliged to Use, thro' a Fear of giving Cause of Offence to the People here so unreasonably jealous of any Extension of Prerogative.—I have had much Talk with Him on the Subject. He had often taken a particular Notice of Mr. Custis, &, on this Occasion, professes a strong Desire to oblige Him, and You: and it may be, that I owe, in some Measure, the exceeding obligi[n]gness He shew'd to Me in this Matter, to his Desire of being instrumental to the promoting a Scheme He so highly approves of. It will be in his Power to give Mr. Custis Letters, which may be very useful to Him; and This He will do with much Pleasure. In short, both He & Mr. Dant. Dulany, with whom also, at your Request, I have convers'd on the Subject, highly approve of the Project—in Case, Mr. Custis's Estate will afford it. I said, I believ'd it might be now worth £1000, or 1200 Sterg. per. ann:, which Mr. Dulany, judging from his own Experience wth. his own Son, thinks abundantly sufficient. Yet, he says, Expences in Travel are so exceedingly vague, uncertain & variable that there is no ascertaining, exactly, what may be a proper allowance. His Son has cost Him from £100 to 1000£ In Paris, I think, He says, He spent £500 in three months, besides the Salary to his Tutor. Upon the whole, however, He is of Opinion, that, one Year with another, Mr. Custis can hardly need to exceed the Income of his Estate.

In debating this part of the Argumt., it deserves no little Attention to enquire, how much of his annual008971Income He would probably expend, if He should continue these three Years in Virginia. Living with You, or under your immediate Influence, He probably wou'd be restrain'd within proper Bounds, especially, as I do not think He naturally is of an expensive Turn. But, I am mistaken, if, with the most rigid Oeconomy, adapted to his Circumstances, He fell much short of what it will cost Him at Home, exclusive, I mean, of the Expence of his Tutor. And shou'd He unluckily fall into the Habit of dealing in Horses, or but in a very moderate Degree, Sporting as it is called, neither of which He could well avoid, from the general Prevalence of Example, I need only direct your Eyes to many young Gentlemen, of fair Hopes, so circumstanced, to convince You, that it is not likely to be much more costly to Him to spend these three perilous Years abroad, than at Home.—But, what a Difference, my dear Sir, in the manner of spending them, & in the Consequences! To Me, it is so very striking, that I own I shall sorely lament, if, with your very proper & right Sentiments on the Matter, any untoward Circumstances shou'd yet arise from any other Quarter, to prevent it

I have, in many of my former Letters, already said so much on the Subjt. of Travelling, that I am fearful of falling into Repetitions. I will only add now, what I do not recollect ever before to have mentioned, that it is more peculiarly necessary to Him, than most Youths I have known. He has that Placid Indolence of Nature, & Flexibility of Temper, in his Mind & Manners, which require some better Knowledge009072of ye. World, than He is likely here to acquire, to guard Him against ye. Consequences of too much Compliance & Confidence in the Generality of Mankind.

There is, to a delicate Mind, much force in some specious objections which You suppose may be urged, from the Consideration of your being but his Guardian. But, They vanish at the approach of fair Reasoning, as it were at the Touch of Ithuriel's Spear. You are in Duty, bound to promote Mr. Custis's Interest by every Means in your power, & I am sure it is not more your Duty, than it is your Inclination. If, therefore, both Yourself, and every other cool, dispassionate, & well-informed Friend be fully persuaded that thus alone You will most effectually promote his true & lasting Interest, ought You to be deterr'd by the vain Fears & mistaken Apprehensions of others? At this Rate Nothing good or great must ever be done in Life, & You have already far exceeded your Commission, even wth. Regard only to this young Gentleman. I reason upon This, as upon ye. other Occurrences of Life. I wou'd gladly do what, upon mature Deliberation & the fullest Enquiry, appear'd to be my Duty; and if, after This, malicious or ignorant People wou'd still put an ill-natured or unfair Construction on my well-meant Aims, I must be contented to bear it, as I do the other Ills of Life, as Something that might vex Me, but shou'd not make Me very uneasy, nor unhappy.

Upon the whole, I do very earnestly wish, and, if I might have Leave, I would request, that this Matter may, as soon as possible, be determined either the one009173Way or the other. The next Spring, if I recollect aright, is the Era I always fix'd on for setting out; and there are many Reasons why it should not, and not one that I can recollect why it should, be postponed beyond that Period. And, to Me, as You will easily believe, it must be desirable, as well indeed, as essentially necessary, to know what is resolv'd on, as soon as may be. My little Affairs will require some Time to put Them into such a position as I shall wish to leave Them in; and, I suppose, it might be convenient to You too, to know certainly, e're you sent home this Year's Invoice. If Mrs. Washington & Yourself, & his nearest Friends approve of it, there is little Likelihood, that the General Court will disapprove: would it not be a strange Exertion of Power, if They should? Yet, it is right, They should be consulted, & their Consent obtained. Govr. Eden strongly urges the Expediency of a six Months Tour thro' America 'ere He cross'd the Atlantic: it is certainly right, if for no other Reason [mutilated] that a Man might not seem totally unacquainted with his own Country. Is it quite romantic in Me to expect, that, possibly, You might find Leisure to spend a few Months in our Party? April or May wou'd be about the Time for setting out.

I am much concern'd at your Apprehensions of Mr. Custis's slender Improvements. And, to shew You how thankfully I receive such Notices, I will not deny, that, possibly, there may be some Foundan. for yr. Fears, & that, moreover, some part of ye. Blame, possibly, belongs to Me. I will go farther, & say that both He & I, as the K. of Prussia said, hereafter will009274do better. After This, let Me now have Leave to add that his Improvemts., tho' not equal to what They might have been, are, I believe, not inferior to Those of any other young Man so circumstanced. Nay, I will venture to say, He is a better Scholar than Most of his Years & Standing. He is not, indeed, as You observe, much farther advanced, than under Mr. Magowan. I cou'd here say a good deal: let This suffice, that I hope He now knows, by just principles, what heretofore, He had acquir'd by Rote only. He has apply'd more closely of late, & has begun Arithmetic, over again; & on his Return, is to enter upon French. There is a Deal of Difference to be observed in ye. Educatg. a Gentleman, & a mere Scholar.

You will receive Physic from Mr. Johnson, & enclosed, his Directions, as well as Dr. Stevenson's rect., & mine. And the papers, respectg. ye. Claim to Colvill Esto., of wo. I beg yr. Care, as well as that You will, wn. in yr. power, direct Me wt. Ansr. to return to yr. Man, who put Them into my Hands for You. I am &c J. BOUCHER

In the Hurry of Writing, I had well nigh forgot a Commission a Friend gave Me to You. Mr. Lloyd Dulany of this City, is going to the Springs this Season—He understands You have a House there—if unoccupy'd & unengag'd, He wd. be much oblig'd to You for Leave to make Use of it.

I saw Coll. Cresap yesterday—He seems quite confident, the new Grant will take Place, & is taking his Measures accordingly.—Govr. Eden hears, that many of ye. Regulators have pass'd thro' this009375Province, & is surpriz'd Govr. Tryon has not sent Expresses to the sundry Govrs. on ye. Supposin. that They would.

FROM ARTHUR LEE, ESQ.1

1 Sixth son of Thomas and Hannah (Ludwell) Lee, born December 20, 1740; died December 12, 1792.

LONDON July 10th. 1771.

DEAR SIR/

When I sit down to sollicit your patronage; I trust more to your goodness, than to any claim I can have on your favor from merit or acquaintance.

Having understood, that it is probable the Assembly will revive the Agency-bill; I take the liberty of entreating your vote & interest, in being appointed. Knowing what influence you very justly possess; I shall greatly depend for success, on your approbation. The desire of serving my immediate Country, in so respectable a character, is I think a laudable ambition; & if an entire devotion to her interests, be a sufficient recommendation, I can plead it with truth.

Shoud, however, the revival of the Agency-bill, appear to you, not tending to the good of the Colony; I woud not be understood to wish, that you shoud depart one jot from that great line, to promote me. It is only on a supposition, that an Agent shoud be deemed necessary, that I offer my service. In doing the duty of this office, I hope zeal & assiduity will supply the want of great abilities; & enable me to serve the House, with satisfaction & success.

009476

I beg the favor, Sir, of being remembered to Mrs Washington, & to her fair Daughter; who is I hope entirely recovered from the indisposition, that formerly affected her.

I have the honour of being with great esteem, Dear Sir Your most Obt. Humbl Servt. ARTHUR LEE.

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

STEWART CROSSING1 Augt 2d 1771

1 Stewart's Crossing (frequently written in the plural) was so called from the circumstance of William Stewart having lived near the place in the year 1753 and a part of 1754, when he was driven away by the French. It was Crawford's home, situated on what, at that date, was known as Braddock's road, the place on the Youghiogheny where Braddock crossed on his march against Fort Duquesne in 1755. It was in Augusta County, Virginia, as claimed by that province; subsequently, in the district of West Augusta; and, finally, in Yohogania (not Youghiogheny) County, until 1779, when Virginia relinquished her claim to that section. As claimed by Pennsylvania, it was, at that date, in Bedford (formerly a part of Cumberland); afterwards in Westmoreland; and, finally, in Fayette County—where the town of New Haven is now located, opposite Connellsville, forty-three miles from Pittsburg.—BUTTERFIELD.

SIR/

I have done nothing With Colo. Crohan in regard to the Land you want of him as yeat, as I cold see none of his Land in his Line now run that will answear to be Laid of as he wants it Laid of—I have found som at about 15 or 16 mils distance from Fort pitt which is very good farming Land and good Medow Land as any, the up Land [is] Level or no more hilly in common to to Lay the ground dry. The Tract is Like Gist and full as good as his Land and as Level The Draft of which I shall show you009577when I com Down. I do not now wheather Croghan will take this in his Line or not, he is to have a Tract Laid of by his Survayor for you on Mingo Creek which is good Land but I do not no as yeat what Quantity there will be as it is not done but is to be done and I am to bring for your Porusel the Draft when I com Down it is to be as large as the good Land will admit of Any how in a Square which is the way he will have his Land run out I shall Close nothing any how with him till I see you which will be as soon as posable I can get my bissness don up the river but I dout much runing any Land on Tigert. Valey1 as people in general is very contentious for want of the Law properly Established amongst them but if Posably to be done I will do it

1 So called from David Tygart, who, with Robert Foyle, was the first occupant of West Virginia, west of the mountains; his settlement was the site of the present town of Beverly, Randolph County; it was destroyed by the savages in November, 1753.—BUTTERFIELD.

I have run out the difernt tracts of Land discribed in your memorandum between the Little Canaway and the big Canaway and that Tract above the Captining2 or opposit to Pipe Creek, it is not Large I have [not] made out the Draft yeat nor shall I do any till I com Down to your house I saw a Letter from Mr Tilghman in regard to Colo Croghan and he says. Croghan has no right to any Land as yeat nor can not tell weather he ever will have any from the Crown, he claims it from an Endien Deed, and is making out patents to such as will by of him, but Mr Tilghman says. in his Letter I hope persons. should ask themselves how they would com by there mony again if in a few years this title should be fond not good.

2 Captina Creek.

009678

I am to vew his Land on Mingo Creek again before I com Down and if it should not be his Land, it may be you can make it your Own Land hereafter

I have nothing Matiral more of Let you now that I can think of but I am with respect your most

Huml. Sarvant W[???] CRAWFORD N B Mingo Creek Emtys into monongahalia above the mouth of Youchagania and the Land is near the head it is a small Creek

FROM COLONEL GEORGE CROGHAN.1

1 George Croghan, who was perhaps one of America's most popular Indian agents, was born in Ireland. He settled in Pennsylvania, and in 1746 began trading with the western tribes of Indians, whose language he familiarized himself with, and over whom he gained an influence that he ever afterwards retained. In 1756 Sir William Johnson made him deputy Indian agent, and in 1763 sent him to England to confer with the ministry on the question of the Indian boundary line. In 1766 he made a settlement on the Allegany four miles from Fort Pitt. Colonel Croghan served as captain of guides and scouts through the Braddock campaign, and up to the beginning of the Revolution performed many important services in reconciling the Indians to British rule and invasion. He died in Philadelphia, August, 1782.

FORT PITT Augst 18th. 1771

DEAR SIR

I Should have Wrote you long ago in answer to yrs. of 24th. Nobr. [?] butt ye. Spring Turnd. out Such Wether as prevented My Survair from Runing ye. out Lines of My Grant, on Capt. Craffords Reconsterg [?] however this Sumer I have had that Don & ye. Whole Layd. of in Townships,

I Now Inclose you a Draft of one Near the Mononongela009779Capt. Crafford has been Chieffly over ye. whole & Tells Me he Knows the Land will So that I shall Say Nothing About the quality Butt Refer you to him, if [you] Like the Tract you Shall have itt at five pounds Sterling per hundred Subject to the Kings Quitrents only as I promisd. you when hear1

1 An entry of October 21 in Washington's journal of his tour to the Ohio in 1770 records this promise of Colonel Croghan's: “All the land between this Creek & the Monongahela & for 15 Miles back, is claimd by Colo. Croghan under a purchase from the Indians (and which Sale he says, is confirmd by his Majesty). On this Creek where the Branches thereof interlock with the Waters of Shirtees Creek, there is, according to Colo. Croghan's Acc. a body of fine Rich level Land—this Tract he wants to sell, & offers it a £5 Sterg. pr. hundd. with an exemption of Quitrents for 20 years; after which, to be subject to the payment of 4/2 Sterg. pr. Hund; provided he can sell it in 10,000 Acre Lots. Note the unsettled state of the Country renders any purchase dangerous”—

My last Leters from England was ye. 5th of June wh. Leves No Doubt butt the New Charter Government wold be Confirmd, Confirmd. in Some Days after

By My Leters it apears that Nothing Retarded that Meter2 but the Diferancess att home between the parlament & City of London, as I hourly Expect Capt. Trent he having Determind to Sail in ye. July packett, on his A Rival I shall Know whether I yett Stand a Shair in ye. New Colony or Nott, and Shall Write you on that Subject, if I Stand a Shair I will Make you a proposial

2 Measure.

If itt be in My power to Serve Capt. Crafford in the New Colony you May be AShurd, I will and am prety Certain there will be a Number of persons Wanting—

I am Sir with Great Respect your Most Humble. Servant GEO: CROGHAN

009880

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS.

ANNAPOLIS August 18 1771

MY DEAR SIR

I am exceedingly thankful for your Remarks on my Letters, which I am sorry to say, are but too just It is however really true, that I was in a hurry, when I wrote; and though undoubtedly I might have found time, I am obliged to own, that I am one of those who put off every thing to the last. And how it should or does happen, I know not, but so it is, that tho I can certainly write as good English, & spell, as well as most people yet when hurried I very seldom do either. I might perhaps account for it in a manner less reproachfully to Me, but, as you have attributed it to Carelessness alone, & as Appearances are so much against me, I suppose it is so. All therefore that I can now do is to p[r]omise to be more attentive & watchful for the future: your gentle, yet very striking observations shall have their due weight with me; they shall by no means deter me from writing to you every opportunity & I desire you would whenever you find a mistake point it out to me to the end, that by discovering my errors I may endeavour with more sucsess to amend, and at lentgh be capable of holding a Correspondence with you, more agreeable than at present, on account of my incapability. I am glad that Wells dealt with you, which may perhaps be a means of introducing your stock to a better market, & I think I may venture to say, you might were you to come over, find persons who would give you 20/ I009981am sure they can afford it when they can sell it again at 6d. pr. pound. Mr. Boucher presents his Compliments to you & Uncle Bassett & kindly offers to your acceptance a Room in his House, it being almost impossible to get a Room at any of the ordinaries, the Rooms being preengaged to their customers which puts strangers to a very great inconveniance in attending the Races. Mr. Boucher begs you would let him know as soon as you are certain whether you are a coming or not, as he expects many acquaintances here at the Races whom he would be glad to serve should you not come.

I am dear Sir your most effectionate & dutiful Son JOHN PARKE CUSTIS

FROM MR. JOSEPH VALENTINE.1

1 Joseph Valentine was manager or agent of the Custis estate on the York River.

August 24th 1771

SIR/

The last time I Rote to you I acquainted you with the misfortain of our Crops Being drounded & overdone with the wet and now it is ass Bad the other way we have had no Rain Sence to do any Service to the Corn or tobaco & it Burns up for being over done with the wet before it Cannot stand the drouth now the Corn Cannot Shoot out nor fill the tobaco the Roots of it was So mutch Sobd [?] and overdone with the Rain before that the drouth Burns it up at010082the Bottom & fires at Sutch a Rate that I Can Scarsly tel what to do with it. and more particular on the Leavel Stiff Land wheare the foundation would not let the water Sink from it for Sum time it is not Quite so bad on the light or hilley Land. if providence pleases to Send us a good Rain in a little time I hope it will make a great alteration in our Crops for the Better. Sir the young negro fellow will Shag who formerly lived at old Quarter and ass he was allways Runaway I movd him down heir to Settle theis places and thought he might do better but he Runaway Sum time in June went to Yorke and past for a free man By the name of will Jones but at last was taken up and put in prison and Sent a Letter up to me & I was up at the Quarters in new Kent at the Same time & the over Seer went down for him and Brout him up to the plantation and then will Beat him and got away & he Cant be got Sence I have heard he has Ben Seen on his way Coming up to you and ass their is a good many of his acQuaintence their he may Be harberd and no white person no of it he is advertizd and out Lawd he went away for no provocation in the world but So lazey he will not worke and a greater Roge is not to be foun. no more to add but Remain Sir your most hble sert

JOSEPH VALENTINE

010183

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

ANNAPOLIS, Novr ye. 19th. 1771.

SIR

I have seen your Letter to your Son, &, I will own to You, it has given Me a sensible Concern. That my Attention to Him has not lately been so close nor so rigid, as I wish'd, or, as it ought to have been, is a Truth I will not attempt to deny. The Peculiarity of my Circumstances & Situation, as well as of my Temper & Disposition, are All I have to offer in my Excuse, which, however, I do not myself think to be sufficient. I know I might have taught Him more than I have, &, sincerely as I wish his Welfare I wish I had; but I know also, that there are not many Masters under whom He would have learn'd more, than He has done under Me. This Business of Education is a complete & extensive Subject, & a man should be well acquainted with it, before He ventures to pronounce how far another has, or has not, done his Duty. Dr. Witherspoon, it seems, said I ought to have put Him into Greek. Now, how much Deference soever I owe to his Authority, I will venture to say, that this Declaration, at least, must have been made much at Random. It was not possible He should know what I ought to have done, from the few, & the Kind of, Questions He ask'd. To be acquainted with the Greek is thought to sound well, but, to determine upon a Youth's literary Attainments from that Circumstance alone, is not, in my Judgement, a much wiser method that the vulgar Way of enquiring how far a Boy has got; and if He010284has run thro' a long Catalogue of Books, to conclude He must be a good Scholar. Had Dr. Witherspoon been pleased candidly & fully to have examined this young Gentleman, I shou'd have had nothing to fear. He would not, indeed, have found Him possess'd of much of that dry, useless, & disgusting School-boy kind of Learning fit only for a Pedant; but I trust, He would have found Him not illy accomplished, considering his manners, Temper, & Years, in that liberal, manly, & necessary Knowledge befitting a Gentleman. I ever did hold in Abhorrence that servile System of teaching Boys Words rather than Things; & of getting a parcel of Lumber by Rote, which may be useful & necessary to a School-master, but can never be so to a Man of the World. In these, chiefly, Sir, your Son is deficient: & but that These are thought necessary to make a Shew of, it were not, I think, much to be lamented, should He ever remain so.—I neither have attended, nor dare I promise that I can attend, to Him with the Regularity of a School-master. But, Sir, tho' the little unessential Minutia of School-Learning may have sometimes been neglected, & thro' my Fault; I think I know You to be too observant & too candid a Man to believe that He has been wholly unattended to. His particular Genius & Complexion are not unknown to You; & that They are of a Kind requiring not the least Judgement & Delicacy to manage properly. Pardon Me, Sir, if I assume somewhat a higher Tone in claiming some Merit to myself, in having faithfully done my Duty in this the most arduous, &, doubtless, by far the010385most important Part of Education. I have hitherto, I thank God, conducted Him with tolerable Safety, thro' some pretty trying & perilous Scenes; &, remiss as I am, or seem to be, I doubt not, in due Time, to deliver Him up to You a good Man, if not a very learned one. It will not be thought necessary for Me to enter into a fuller Detail of this Matter: what I should say, I persuade myself, will occur to You.

Annapolis was as unfit a Situation for Me as Him, which I knew not, till Experience told Me. I am now, however, at length, again to return to the Country with a Prospect of fewer Embarrassments on my Hands, than it has been my good Fortune to be without for these five Years. I once was, I think, a good Preceptor: I have never been so, in my own opinion, for the Period just mentioned. If, however, You think proper to try Me a little longer, I think I can & will do better for Mr. Custis, than any other Man: if You do not think proper, convinc'd that You will be influenced only by your Regard for Him, most ardently wishing that You may most effectually consult his Interest, I shall never blame You for removing Him—if, indeed, my Blame or Approbation needed to be of Consequence to You. You will do Me the Justice to believe that I can have no other Motive for wishing his Continuance with Me, besides a kind of affectionate Attachment to the Boy, & a piece of Pride, perhaps, it may be, that another should not reap the Merit, if there be any Merit in it, of finishing what I have begun. I am now, I trust, happily set above the Necessity of teaching for a Livelihood; nor will I, as far as I can now Judge,010486ever take Charge of another Youth besides the Three now with Me. For the last Year, I have long ago mentioned it to my Friends, I never intended charging either Custis, or the other Two, any Thing for Education; & this only from what I thought a Consciousness that I had not deserved it. [mutilated] he continues with Me, & I do my Duty as I now intend (& if I do [mutilated] be the first to tell You of it) I will charge Him, at the least, four or five Times as much as I have ever yet done.

If, after all, You resolve on removing Him, all I have to add is a Request, that it may not be to Princeton. Pay Me the Complimt. of believing that I know something of these Matters: and there is not any Thing I am more convinced of, than that your own College is a better one—better in every Respect. You live contiguous to it, & hear every objecn. to it, often magnify'd beyond the Truth: & were this the Case wth. Respect to the Jerseys, I am mistaken, if You would hear less there. If, however, the Objections to Williamsburg be insuperable, I wou'd then recommend New-York: it is but a Step farther, & for obvious Reasons, infinitely deserves the Preference.1

1 It is not difficult to imagine why so ardent a Loyalist as Dr. Boucher objected to the staunch patriotism of Princeton.

I am, Sir, yr. most obedt. & very Hble Servt.

JONAN. BOUCHER

010587

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

KING WM. COUNTY Decr. 9th. 1771.

SIR

Colo. Carter Braxton & Mr. Phil. Claiborne inform'd me some time ago that you Immagined you should be in want of a Man to overlook your Business, & as Mr. Valentine is now Dead I shall be glad, to serve you, & will wait on you immediately well recommened, provied you will let me know by the Bearer leaving a letter at King Wm. Court House from you to inform me if you should be in want or not. I am Sir.

Yr. mo: obt Servt. JAMES HILL—

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE.

11th. Decr. 1771

DEAR SIR

As you have had the misfortune to lose your Agent Mr Joseph Valentine, give me leave to recommend Mr. John Pendleton to your favour; I know him to be an Honest, industrious, Sober Man, And a good planter and I think him as capable of undertaking such a trust as any one in the Colony, and shall be glad to hear he meets with your approbation. I am sincerely

Dear Sir Your Affectionate BERD. MOORE

010688

FROM EDMUND PENDLETON, ESQ.

Decr. 13. 1771.

DR. SIR

My friend Colo. Moore has just informed me of the death of Mr. Valentine, & sent a Lre[???] to you, recommending my brother as a proper person to succeed him in the Stewardship of Mr. Custis's Estate. I am not a competent Judge, nor am I inclined to say much in recommendation of my brother. All I can say is he has been always esteemed an Industrious good planter, I know & will become bound for his Integrity, & while he had the care of the late Speaker's Estate, he gave Genl. Satisfaction. You are a good Judge your self & will no doubt make proper Enquiry, & all I presume to add is, that if you find it consistent wth. the young Gentleman's Interest to employ him, your doing so will oblige

Sir Yr mo. hble Servt. EDMD. PENDLETON

FROM MR. JOHN PENDLETON.

FREDERICKSBURG, Decr. 15. 1771.

DEAR SIR.

You'll Receive with this: a Letter from Colo. Bernd. Moore, & one from my Broth. Edmd. Pendleton: the latter informs me that the late Steward for Colo. Custis's Estate, is Dead; & Advis'd me to Apply to you for the Business—I came thus far, in hopes I010789should meet you, on yr. Way to the Court of Oyer; but as ye. are not come, I suppose you do not intend there—

The Business I am now Engagd. in, prevents my coming up to yr. House; but if you are willing to Employ me in that Estate; be pleas'd to Signifie it, in a Line by the Post to my Bror. Edmd. and I will go to any place you shall direct—and Doubt not but I [will] discharge that trust to my Credit, & your Satisfaction

and am Sr. yr. mo. Obedt. hble Servt. JOHN PENDLETON

FROM THOMAS ADDENBROOKE, ESQ.1

1 Burke's Landed Gentry mentions a Thomas Addenbrooke being appointed one of the governors of King Edward's school, Stourbridge, by the charter of 1752.

16th December 1771

SIR/

I have been Informd by My Mother and by some papers in my Custody find that my Grandfathers Mother a young Widdow her name Broadhurst, Married a Gentleman Called Collonel Washington of Virginia,2 one of your Ancestors, if so I have the Honour of being a relation to you, which makes me010890take the Liberty to Trouble you With an Enquiry after an Estate which belonged to my Grandfather, and an Estate left my Mother and her Sisters by their Unkle Gerrard Broadhurst. After the Death of my Grandfather the Daughters sent one Person to Virginia to Manage their Affairs and imprudently Trusted him with their Writeings, he for some Years made them regular remittances Afterwards took no Notice of their Affairs, by What I can learn kept possession as his Own, as the Estate I believe Joyns to yours shall take it as the Greatest favour you Woud inform me of the Situation of the Estate and Persons heirs, and if you think the Estate is recoverable I am the only representative of the Family of Broadhurst, My Grandfather1 left Virginia at the Age of 9 Years to take Possession of some Effects left him by an Unkle in Shropshire in England—as I am Unacquainted with any body in Virginia beg you will Excuse the Trouble I give you in this Affair, the favour of an Answer to this will be gratefully Acknowledged

2 Tyler, in the William and Mary Quarterly, says: “The will of Col. John Washington, the immigrant, speaks of a second wife; but it has been supposed that this wife (name unknown) preceded the marriage to Anne Pope. I am satisfied that the first wife of Colonel Washington was Anne Pope, and that the second wife was Anne, widow of Walter Brodhurst.”

Walter Brodhurst, who came to Virginia about the same time as Dr. Gerrard, was the son of William Brodhurst, of Lilleshall, Shropshire County, England.

1 Walter Brodhurst, son of Walter and Anne Brodhurst.

by Sir Your Most Obedient Humble Servt To Comd THOS. ADDENBROOKE

at COALBROOKDALE near Shiffnall in Shropshire England—

010991

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIGE, ESQ.1

1 Judge Dandridge, brother of Martha Washington, and son of John and Frances (Jones) Dandridge, was born December 25, 1737, and married Mary, daughter of Julius King Burbidge. He was a member of the Virginia Convention of 1776, also member of the Privy Council, and Judge of the General Court. The Virginia Gazette records the death (April 18, 1785) of the “Hon. Bartholomew Dandridge of New Kent, Judge of the General Court.”

NEW KENT Decr. 18. 1771.

DEAR SIR

As the death of Mr. Valentine makes it necessary for you to employ a new Steward for your Business below, it is probable that many Persons will apply for the Place, and I have no doubt of your readily choosing a good one, which may make any information from me on that subject very unnecessary, Yet as the fullest information & the greatest choice can do no harm, I cannot refuse the request of Mr. John Hopkins, to apply to you on his behalf, not only as I think him, in every respect, very well qualified to succeed Mr. Valentine, but as I have a great inclination to oblige & serve him, as far as lies in my Power, I must therefore beg leave to inform you that during the course of many years acquaintance, & large dealings, I have always found him a Gentleman of uprightness & integrity, I have been well acquainted with many of his transactions in business of great consequence, and have found him remarkeable for his industry, activity & prudence, I likewise know him to be very capable of Accounts, & of a good temper & behavior, I may not be a good Judge of Plantation Affairs, & therefore it would not be doing Justice to Mr. Hopkins to say only that it is my Opinion he understands them very well, but I must further011092say that this is likewise the Opinion of those of his Neighbourhood, whose Judgmts. are to be depended on, and that his Father under whom he was brought up was reckoned a good Planter, & for many Years an Inspector, I likewise know that this has always been a part of his Employment & that he cannot be at a loss for want of Experience, Mr. Hopkins has a small independant Fortune of his own, on which he can live comfortably, but for the advantage of his Family is willing to improve it in this way, I cannot help wishing him Success, which I would by no means do, if I had not the best reasons to believe he will deserve it, and if you have no recommendation that you think you can better depend on, or no better opportunity of obliging your other Friends on this Occasion, I should esteem it a great Favor if you would prefer Mr. Hopkins, which your kindness on all other Occasions leaves me no room to doubt of,—

I write to my Sister by this Opportunity and will trouble you no further than to assure you that I am sincerely

Dear Sir Your very affect. & obliged hble Servt. B DANDRIDGE

011193

FROM MR. WILLIAM ARMISTEAD.1

1 William Armistead, son of Colonel John Armistead, of New Kent, was major in 1772 and 1775, and a vestryman of Blissland Parish. He married Mary, “widow of Baker, who kept ordinary at the Brick House for Bassett, the niece of James Nicholas, who left her £500 in event of the death of Abraham Nicholas, son of his brother Abraham Nicholas, also a specific legacy of £1,000.” (Letter of William Nelson, 1767. See the Nelson Letter-Book at Episcopal Seminary.) He had issue, an only daughter, Susanna, who married first William Dandridge, son of Bartholomew Dandridge, the brother of Mrs. Washington, and second, about 1805, David Dorrington. Major William Armistead died before 1784.—TYLER.

NEWKENT COUNTY, Decr. 21. 1771.

SIR

At the request of Mr James Hockaday, am to Signifye to you, my knowledge & Opinion of him; he has ever been an inhabitant of this County, beleive him to be a very Honest man, know him to be very Sober, & Well qualifyed to keep Accots. & his general Character is that of being Very Industrous also—he seems desirous of Succeeding Mr Valentine in your imploy. if he shou'd believe ’twou'd give general Satisfaction to his Friends, as well as answer every purpose you wou'd expect by employing him—

I am, Sir, Your Mo, Obedient Servt. WILLIAM ARMISTEAD

FROM MR. BURBIDGE.2

2 Probably Julius King Burbidge, father-in-law of Bartholomew Dandridge.

December 21. 1771.

SIR,

Mr. James Hockaday is desirous of succeeding the late Mr. Valentine in that Stewardship, & has apply'd011294to me to recommend him to you as a fitt Person. I believe him to be a very honest, sober diligent Man, and as far as I know well quallify'd for the Business.

Capt. Jno. Hopkins apply'd to me some Time ago for the same Thing, and I give the same Character of Him.

I am, Yr. hble. Servt. J BURBIDGE

FROM BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE, ESQ.

NEW KENT Decr. 21st. 1771.

DEAR SIR/

Mr. James Hockaday of this County informs me that he intends to apply to you to succeed Mr. Valentine in the Management of your Estate below, and notwithstanding my warm recommendation of Mr. John Hopkins who first applied to me, I think it my duty, in Justice to Mr. Hockaday, at his request, to inform you, that I have always been acquainted with him from my Infancy, & that his Character for Sobriety Integrity & Industry has been one of the best of my Acquaintance, he has been used to keeping Accounts which he has been allowed to understand very well, I cannot say I am acquainted with his management of Plantation Affairs, but am convinced that a Person of his Experience and good Understanding cannot be at a loss in that; I must further beg leave to recommend him to you as a Person who011395I believe will suit very well the Station he applies for, & one whom I should be glad to oblige, I am

Dr. Sir Your affect. & obedt. Servt. B DANDRIDGE

FROM MR. WILLIAM DANDRIDGE.1

1 Son of Colonel William Dandridge, of “Elsing Green,” King William County; married Agnes, daughter of Colonel Francis West. William Dandridge was a first cousin of Martha Washington.

KO. WM. COTY. Decbr. 21st. 1771.

SIR/

Mr. James Hill has Liv'd within a few Miles of me for some Years, He bears a General good Caracter, and is much esteemd by his Neighbours;

From the Dealings we have had, believe him Strictly Honest. I have heard Colo. Braxton and others mention him as a good Manager of Plantation Business, but am unacquainted with that part of his Conduct, as I never was on his Land. have understood he is possessd of a pritty Estate and improves it fast which is a Surcumstance much in his favour; please to make my Complymts. Acceptable to yr. Lady & Family I am Sir

yr. much Oblig'd Hble Servant W DANDRIDGE

011496

FROM BURWELL BASSETT, ESQ.1

1 Hon. Burwell Bassett, of Eltham, New Kent County, born in 1734; married Anna Maria Dandridge, sister of Martha Washington. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1764 until the Revolution.

ELTHAM 21 Decr. 1771

DEAR SIR

Your favour of the 15 Inst I receive in Wmsburg yesterday, As to the Candidates for Valentine Place Graves you know as much of as I do & Hill I know nothing of But what I heard Mr Claiborne say, There has been a great many people apply'd to me to recommend them, But as I new nothing of them but by the recommendation they brought with them from Gentlemen I advise them to apply to you that you was well acquainted with The Gentleman that recommended them &, that I could say nothing more to them But as I find none of these has been with you I will just mention a few of them Mr Joseph Eggleston of James City recommended by Mr Ralph Wormly Sen & Mr John Cooke Booth of James City recommended by Mr John Sherman & Mr Nicholas, Mr Pendleton informed me that Colo B Moore & himself had recommended his Brother John Pendleton, I will inquire perticularly into James Hill character & give you the best information I can get, I went to the Plantation where Valentine Died & found that he had put his Corn in the Open Tobo Houses & that it laid at the mercy of every person that was rogue Enough to take the advantage of it, I sent for the Overseer from the Marsh Quarter & order him to have the houses mended up & Locks put on the doors, which he informd me011597to day was done I also made him take a perticular Account of all the Negroes & Stocks of all sorts that are at the plantations about Wmsburg & bring it to me, which I intended to inclos'd to you but find it will make my letter two large so shall keep them till I have the pleasure of seeing you, If there is any thing I can do for you before you fix on a manager please to command me.—

The Assembly is to meet the six of February as you will see by the Papers when we hope to have the pleasure of yours & Mrs Washingtons Company I do assure you nothing would give me so much pleasure as to be able to come to M Vernon, But I am so unwell that I must defer that pleasure till the Spring of the year when I hope I shall be able to come without endangering my health, Mrs Bassett and the little ones are pretty well and join me in Love & best Wishes to the family at M Vernon I am

Dr Sir Yr Most Affect & obt Servt BURL BASSETT

FROM BURWELL BASSETT, ESQ.

21 Decr 1771

DEAR SIR

Just as I had finish'd my Letter I was apply'd to by Mr James Hockaday who is desirous of geting into Business, all that I can say of him is that he is a very Honest industrious Man and understand Accot pretty well, But as he was never in Business and only look after a little Plantation of his own011698whether he is capable of undertaking the Business he now aply for I cannot tell I am

Dr Sr Yr Affnate Hble Servt BURL BASSETT

FROM MR. JOSEPH DAVENPORT.

SR.

in Compliance to your General Letter I have Sent you an Exact List of the Negroes Stock of Cattle &c on this plantation but as you may not think that I did not pay the Regard due to your Letter to me before on that Subject; I assure you that this is the third List I have made out and Sent to you As to the Duty of an Overseer I Shall as Strictly Adhere to as if there was a Chief. but there is 26 Hogs to Spare from the place wch. Mr Robt. Ruffin informs me that he had engaged of of Mr Valentine be fore his death, they are not Extrordinary fat but have got to Eating dirt at Such a rate they do not mend but Seems to be Eating Corn in waste—now as you have Wrote and did not mention what Should be done with the pork I am doubtful whether I ought to deliver it or no however if I do not hear from you in ten days I shall Venture to deliver it to Mr Ruffin or they will destroy More Corn then the pork will be worth—

I'm Sr. yr. Very, Humble Sert. JOS DAVENPORT

011799

FROM JOSEPH DAVENPORT.

CLAIBORNES Decr. 23d. 1771

Black CattleHogsNegroes NoSexyears old28 up fatteningNamesAgeSizeNamesAgeSize 16Oxen10 Breading SowsStephen55Sarah60Afflited wth Rhenm. 25Stears4 & Upwd11 Spaid Do 1 year oldPieras57Moll56 21Do2 & 317 Barrows rSolomon36Rachel36 Do DoDavid36Patt38 46Cows4 & Upwd12 ShoatsGeorge21Craijo36 12Cows2 & 32 BoresMingo Will19Kitt36 Jack17Hanah22 3 ploughCully16Milly154..9 6Males1HorsesL1 Davie145Jane135– Viz Dobing &L. Will124..8Name114½ 7feemales1ShirdingJoe114..2Connelia94..4 Which IL. Guy84Dinah114..1 136Totalbrought downBob2½Sal83..9 when I came toPeter1½Arbah73..4 Sheepthe place.Stephen1Molly53..3 a small BayNatt2Eve53 27OldEwesHorse whichOld Guy58Franky–Dead 6Lambs Dowas at the 8old Wethersplace when I 2Lambs Docame to it now 2Ramsabout 12 yearsold 45total

A LIST OF COLO. GEORGE WASHINGTONS NEGROES, CATTLE &c—

1 little.

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE.

24th. Decr. 1771

DEAR SIR

I find Mr. James Hill has applyed to you for your business below, and that you are desirous of having my opinion of him; I know him to be a very Sober, Honest, industrious Man, and a very good Planter, & I make no doubt but he will answer your desires. I am sincerely

Dear Sir Your Affectionate BERD. MOORE

0118100

FROM BURWELL BASSETT, ESQ.

ELTHAM 25 December 1771

DEAR SIR

Not knowing of the return of this messenger I wrote you by the last post to which I now refer you, I have meet with noBody yet to enquire into Hill Character But will make it my Business next weak to go to king Wm & when I am informd will let you know by the next Post, In my last I inclos'd you two letters recommending Mr James Hockaday one from Mr Burbidge the other from Mr Bat Dandridge, Hockaday apply'd to me I know him to be Sober Honest & industrious & understand Accot pretty well, But as he has never been in any Business accept looking after a small pla[n]tation of his own I thought it right to mention it, & leave: The Assembly meet the six of Febry when I hope to have the pleasure of yours & Mrs Washington Company at Eltham, If there is any thing that I can do for you before you fix on a manager please to command me, Inclos'd you'll receive and Accot of the Negroes & Stocks of all sorts at the plantations below which I made the overseer take and bring to me—

Please to make my Love & best Complements acceptable at M Vernon I am

Dr Sr Your Mo: Affect & Obt Servt BURL BASSETT

0119101

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQ.

ALEXANDRIA Jany 10. 1772

SIR

I do not think you would be safe in purchasing the land in dispute between Messrs West and Posey. that is that you would be liable to the penalties of the Stat 32 H 8ch 9 which I have transcribed & herewith send you for your perusal1—It does not appear by this Stat that Bonds &c respecting Sales of pretended Titles are void; It only subjects the purchaser to a forfeiture of the Value of the Land, that is the bona fide price paid; as It does the Vendor to that of the Sum received; Nor does It avoid a Conveyance—But should you & Mr. West incline to conclude a Bargain, risquing a prosecution On this stat, the best way would be to have Two Deeds; One for the Land to which he is Indisputably Intitled0120102recitg the Considn paid for that & a separate one for that in dispute.

1 By 32 H 8ch 9 It's enacted

That no person shall from thenceforth, bargain, buy “or sell, or by any ways or means, Obtain, get or have any pretended rights, or titles, “or take, promise, grant, or Covenant to have any right, or title of any person, in or “to any Lands (Except such person which shall so bargain, sell, give, grant, covenant “or promise the same, their antecessors or they by whom he claims the same, have been “in possession of the same, or the Reversion or Remainder thereof, or taken the Rents “or profits thereof, for one Year next before the said bargain, Covenant, Grant, or “promise made) upon pain that he that shall make such bargain, Sale, promise, Cove- “nant or Grant, to forfeit the whole value of the Land, bargained, Sold, promised, “Covenanted or Granted, contrary to the said Act: And the Buyer or Taker thereof “knowing the same, to forfeit the Value of the Land, by him bought or Taken; the “one Moiety of the Value to go to the King the other to him who will sue for the “same.

And for the due Execution of the sd Act, the Justices of Assize within England & “elsewhere within the Kings Dominions shall in every County, twice a year, cause open “proclamation to be made of the same, to the Intent that no manner of persons, hear “ing the same, should be Ignorant or Miscognizant of the Dangers & penalties, “therein contained and specified.

Provided, that no person offendg against the same shall be Subject to the Penalties “thereof, Unless Sued within 1 Year after the Offence Committed.

I think that the Court will not Allow make a Restoration in the decree as to Barry's Crop, as he might by his Answer to the Bill (had It been filed at the Court after the Bill was brought) have had his part of the Land ascertained by a Division and then only Cultivated his own—proof of his avowed design of keeping you out of your part, will do not harm, probably be of Service—I shall endeavour to get It tried as soon as possible & If I can get the division to be made upon a day not Interfering with my Attendance at some of my Courts, will most certainly be present1—

1 Entries in Washington's Ledger.

1772 Aug. 20.By Cash pd. Mr Harrison Services in my Suit against1.16 Jno. Barry & Son 1773Mrs. John BarryDrs Jan. 1To 1 half of the Cost in obtaining a Divin. of Wades Land—pr. Decree of Fairfax Court—See Clerks Notes & CA. viz you paying 114 lbs of Tobo. & G. W.10.3 279 yr. deffy. [deficiency] there fore exclusive of Surveyors Fees being 82½ lbs of Tobo. a 12/6

I shall apply to the Doctor2 next Prince William Court for payment tho shall not expect It—If he shall refuse I think It will be Advisable to Waite & arrest him here.

2 Dr. William Savage.

I observe your kind postscript but as my being appointed to the Office depends upon Mr Graysons3 leaving the Court & his leaving the Court (probably) upon his being a Representative, I am afraid that the Office is remote—and as Mr Randlop4 has given0121103his promise I immagine that another Application will not be necessary, however if you think It necessary you will please to do It—I heartily wish you a much better journey to the Capitol than I think you will have1

3 Hon William Grayson afterwards U. S. Senator.

4 Peyton Randolph.

1 Extract from Washington's Journal for 1772.Feb. 25. Set of for Williamsburg but not being able to cross Occatinck (which wasmuch Swelled by the late Rains) I was obliged to return home again—26. Sett off again and reached Colchester by nine Oclock where I was detaindall day by high winds & low tide—27. Crossd early & breakfasted at Dumfries—got to Fredricksburg in theafternoon & lodgd at Colo. Lewis's28. Stayd all day in Town with my brother John &oa dined at Colo. Lewis's& spent yo Evening at Captn Weedon's29 Prosecuted my journey—dined at Caroline Ct House & lodged at Todds Bridge.

Mar. 1st Reachd Colo. Bassetts from Todds Bridge by 12 Oclock—stayd there the remainder of the day.—2 Set out for Williamsburg and got in about 12 Oclock—dined at the Speakers and supd at the Treasures

The following items from Washington's Ledger for 1772 denote the cost attendant upon a journey from Mount Vernon to Williamsburg.

Feby 26By Expences at Colchester1710 By Ditto at Dumfries3– 27By Expences at Fredericksburg89 29By Expa. at Caroline Ct House43 March 1By Ditto at Todds Bridge67 By Ferriage at Ruffins3–

And am sir with great respect Yr much obliged Hble Servt ROBT H: HARRISON

PS

As to the matter of Interest I dont know that the Court can in the present case make Barry pay It but I will Consider of It

0122104

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

PRINCE GEORGE'S 15th. Janu. 1772.

DEAR SIR

I now take the Liberty of inclosing to You Mr. Custis's Account for the Year & half that He has spent in Maryland. Undoubtedly, it makes a formidable Appearance, and, at first View, may go nigh to Scare You: I cannot, however, believe, that, when You come to descend to particulars, You will think it very extravagant, unless it be in the Article of Clothes, which He got by your Permission. I should, indeed, except out of this Remark, the Charge of the Man, at whose House We boarded; the highest & most unreasonable, I ever paid in my Life. I am firmly persuaded, I never eat as many Dinners with Him, as He has charged Me pounds; and yet no Deduction could I obtain for two or three Months of the Time, that I was in Virginia, & nearly as much that Mr. Custis was. You will believe, that I disputed it as long as I could, but Custom was against Me, & so, what could I do? There are, perhaps, some other Articles, a little in the Annapolitan Stile of charging: All I can say, is, that I have been as careful of his Interest, as my own; & if, after all, his Bill be a very extravagant one (for I have, of late, been so used to such, that I have almost Forgot what is a reasonable one) You will do Me the Justice to own, it is not From any Profits that have accrued to Me. As Many of these Bills are undischarged, & totally out of my Power to discharge, an Attention to his Credit, as well as my own, obliges Me to remind You, that, unless it should happen to be inconvenient to You,0123105I shou'd be much pleas'd to have it in my Power immediately to pay Them off. For what is properly owing to myself, it will be particularly agreeable to Me to receive a Bill of Excha. on London, as I just about owe as much Money there, as I believe This will amount to. The State of Excha. here seems not to be nearly so determinate & fix'd as it is in Virginia: I enquir'd in Annapolis, last Week, solely for the Purpose of directing You in this Business; & tho' I met with different Informations, the most general Account was, that They did Business there at 55, which, You will observe, I endeavour'd to attend to, in my Acct., in reducg. Virga. into Maryland Money, which, yet, after all, may not be right. The Money He yet owes, charged in my Acct., You will see, is about £76; the Rest I wish You to give Me a Bill for, which I reckon will be somewhat more than £50 Sterling. I fear, I am not a very exact Accountant, not having been much used to such Business; You will therefore do well not to rely altogether on my Calculations, without examining them, I trust, however, there are not any very material Errors.—I must not forget to let You know, that He just now tells Me he owes a Silversmith an Acct., which, the Man being out of the Way, I could not get in, which He supposes may be 4 or £5, & some other little scattering small Debts amounting He fancies, to 30/. or 40/.—If not disagreeable to You, I shou'd be glad these Accts. cd. be return'd, as I also am interested in some of Them. I have some others, not sent, in which Things that He had are charged to Me, & which has cost Me no little Trouble to separate, & 0124106perhaps, after all my Pains, They are not quite exact. If it be necessary You shou'd have These also, I will send Them. Some I doubt, I have lost; amongst which are L'Argeau's & Dr. Stevenson, if perchance I have not already transmitted Them to You. No Charge is made for his Education; and This not only because I was uneasy to see his Bill already run so very high, but also, because, as I have before intimated to You, my Attention to Him has not been so regular & constant, as that I could conscientiously make a Charge of it. For the coming Year, however, I purpose to charge Him ten, if not twenty Guineas; which lest You should consider as a Finesse, to make the Amends for my Loss of the last Year, I mentioned to You, that I might at the same Time inform You, Mr. Calvert had agreed to give Me that Sum for his Son, but which, for the same Reason, I have not yet charged Him.—I know full well your Sentiments of my Conduct last Year, & I honour You for Them: It is a Subject I love not to think on, still less to speak or write about. Could I have foreseen how I shou'd live in Annaps., He never shou'd have gone there with Me: nor shou'd He have continued, but that I thought every Day, I shou'd certainly alter Things, & live to Myself. The Truth is, with many Demerits & Imperfections, I still love the Lad, & I cou'd not find in my Heart to part with Him, without an absolute Necessity. Thank God, it is now over; & tho', with my Acquaintances & Connexions, I never can be a very diligent Preceptor, yet I doubt not soon to make Amends For all that is past. I have much Pleasure in informing You,0125107that We All of Us seem perfectly happy in our new Situation: it is quiet & comfortable, & I Fondly hope, healthy. A cruel Something, as Prior says, is, however, still wanting—this House is none of mine: but, as I am now resolving in good Earnest to become Frugal, I must comfort Myself with the Hope, that I soon shall be in a Capacity to get One of my own.

Lord Baltimore is certainly dead. All that has hitherto been talk'd about his Will, is mere, random Guess-work. There are, however, some pretty good Reasons to believe, that the Proprietaryship of this Province, & the most considerable Part of his immense Property in the Funds, are left to the Family of our Friend, Govr. Eden. The will, suppos'd to be his last, was in Naples where He dy'd. Septr. 4th., after a Fever of three Days, & not transmitted to England, when the only Lr. the Govr. has yet recd. from his Ld.ship's Agent on this Subject, came away. Doubtless, this Event will give Birth to many little Revolutions, of Consequence to Us here. Most People I converse with seem anxious to have it confirm'd, that Mr. Eden is Proprietor: Beyond all Question, it is the happiest Thing that can possibly befall the Province.

I enclose You some Proposals for a New Map of the Back parts of America. It was put into my Hands by a Friend from Philada. with a Request that I wou'd transmit it to You. Possibly you know this [mutilated] Hutchins, & can guess whether He is likely to play Henry with You. If I thought there was any Chance of its being well executed, I shou'd like to subscribe. Shou'd it fall in your Way to procure0126108Him any Encouragement You will hand his Paper about; & if You return it to Me, I will take Care to have it properly transmitted to the Author.

I beg my most respectful Compts. to Mrs. Washington, & Miss Custis, & am, Dr. Sir,

Yr. most obedt. & very Hble servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM MR. HARRY PIPER.

ALEXANDRIA, Feby 15. 1772

DR SIR,

It was rather late in the day when your Man handed me your favor of the 10th. Inst: therefore did not care to detain him to acknowledge the receipt of your Bill for £53. Sterling for the use of Mrs: Savage which I shall take care to send to Mr. Dixon by the first Oppy, & dare say he will remit her the value immediately, shall at the same time send your Letter of advice to Mr. Gildart—I hope you have fully explained to Mrs: Savage your late transaction with regard to her Annuity—to be sure Doctr. Savage can have no objections to pay you for the future, so that you may have this Money replaced again—I shall take care to see her Power of Attorney to Mr. Montgomerie tho I fear it is as the Doctor says—I wish you health to prosecute your journey, as I fear it will be a very disagreeable one—& am. Dr Sir,

Yrs. &c HARRY PIPER

0127109

FROM THE REV. JONATHAN BOUCHER.

Febry. 21st. 1772.

DEAR SIR

I congratulate You, & the World with Us, on our Restoration to a temperate Zone: for, in Truth, We have had a kind of a Greenland Winter. And, for my own Part, I own to You, I now have a much stronger Idea of the Nature of a Winter pass'd in a Cave, than I could ever have learn'd from Books alone. I sometimes almost regretted, We could not become quite torpid, & sleep out the whole dreary Season, as snakes & some other Animals are said to do: or that, as, like Bears, we were shut up in our Dens, We could not, like Them also, live without Fire, & by sucking our Paws: for I had some Cause to imagine, if the Weather had held much longer, We should have had some Temptation to try.

To What I have heretofore said on the Subject of these Accounts, I have little now to add; unless, I should beg leave to suggest to You, by way of diminishing in some sort their enormous Amount, that they take in a Period of Eighteen Months, at the least—& that They are in a Currency so much worse than yours. Comparing Him with the Youths around Him, He really seem'd frugal; &, as far as I knew, never indulged in any expence that I could have suppos'd You would have had him restrain'd in. I knew You expected Him to make such an Appearance as He did, & keep such Company as He did: I knew not of the twenty pounds, & am indeed somewhat surpriz'd at it: how it has been spent I know0128110not. I have just enquir'd of Him, & can only hear that He bought Oranges & Pine-Apples &c, & gave away a Ticket or two. But, as This is by no means a satisfactory Acct., I have ordered Him to write to You about it; & if He cannot account for it, at least to apologise to You for his Remissness. I hope it was rather trifled & fooled away, than spent in a more blameable manner, which I think could hardly have been without my knowledge. And, a very few venial Peccadillos excepted, I have little of this Sort to charge Him with.—The boarding a Person is not, I should imagine, to be considered as finding Him just such a Quantity of Provisions &c. In Frazier's Case, it was his Livelihood, & a handsome one it is to Him. He considers his House-Rent, & all his own Attendance, Servants, & a long et cetera. My Charge was govern'd by His, which, knowing my Board to be so much better, I thought a sufficient Warrant for Me. I never aim'd to make a Living by taking Boarders: in Virginia, I am persuaded I lost by it. You will, however, be so good as consider, that no Man can, even with the most Easy & manageable Boarder, be quite so Easy in his Family, as without Them—& something shou'd be allow'd for the Inconvenience He puts himself to. I do, however, agree with You that £25 a year for a Boy in a Kitchen, is an extravagant Charge: but, I suppose, it is considered as making some amends for other Disadvantages—at least, this was the Apology Frazier made to Me.

I observe the Errors You have pointed out: in answer to which, all I can say is, that I well know I0129111paid the Money to the Man, at the Time I have charged it; & This I am the surer of, as Mr. Custis also remembers it. Galloway was represented to Me as a Man who had once seen better days, & deserving of Compassion. He was exceedingly needy, & constantly sending to Me for Money. How it has happened that He charged these Sums over again, & that I overlook'd Them, I cannot account for, till I see Mr. Jacques, who was so obliging as to take the trouble of settling with Him for Me. I will, however, have it rectify'd, & accordingly, I have already given You Credit for it in my Book.

I find much Trouble & Vexation in this said Country about this Article of Exchange; &, hitherto, have generally lost by it. They seem to have no standard, no fixed Regulation, as with You. I enquir'd of some of the principal Annaps. & Baltimore Merchts. before I wrote to You; but, I will enquire again; & if Bills either have been, or shall be, Either in this or the next Month sold at 60 perr. Ct., I will allow it. Some Allowances Y [mutilated] is to be made for the Medium thro' which are generally receiv [mutilated] gence of this Sort: there are always a few degrees difference betwe [mutilated] buyer & a seller.

I fear, it will be impracticable to lay in Provender &c for [mutilated] Horses in this Neighbourhood; as I can hire but one Stable, & that a most wretched one. This Article, however, cannot possibly hereafter be so heavy a one as it has been—nor, indeed, I hope, any other.

Ld. B: is certainly dead; but I believe it is still unknown [mutilated] Will is. It had not been sent to0130112Engld. from Naples where He dy [mutilated] the last Letters I saw or heard of came away. Every Thing, howev [mutilated] known, is in favour of Govr. Eden. At all Events, I guess, He [mutilated] have a fight for it: & I join with You in wishing that every [mutilated] may be as much to his Advantage, as I should fancy it is, that He [mutilated] possession. The chief Difficulty seems to be, whether the Proprietary [mutilated] or was not Entail'd & so whether willable or not. If this Doubt [mutilated] be answer'd in the Affirmative, I believe Mr. Eden has little [mutilated] being Proprietor.—I have not seen Him this month, or upwards [mutilated] of trying to get thither next week, when I shall not fail to remem [mutilated] to Him.—Our Assembly, I hear, on Acct. of this desperate [mutilated] is prorogued till late in March.—Shou'd I hear any thing that I can [mutilated] it wou'd be agreeable to You to hear of, I will write to You in Wmsburg I wish You a pleasant & agreeable sojournment.

I am, most truly, Dr. Sir Yrs. &c JONAN. [mutilated]

I send back the accts.—as I can do without them—& tho' I wish'd to [mutilated] had Rects. under Them, yet, I fancy, my general Rect. may do.

Be so good as to take the trouble of two or three Lrs. to drop in your way down.

0131113

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY March the 5th 1772.

DR SIR

At length I have seen an Abstract of the Will of The Lord Baltimore: more absurd, & more vexing than You will easily believe. It appears to have been made Fifteen months before his Death, in Venice, & is as follows

To Mrs. Browning (Sister of Mrs. Eden) & Mrs. Eden, each—£10,000 on condition, that They sign a Release to all Claim on the Province.

To Robt. Eden, Robt. Morris (a busy Lawyer, & lately Secretary to the Society of the Bill of Rights) Hugh Hammersly (lately L. B—'s Steward or Agent in England) Richd. Prevost 1 (his Attorney, & of a good Character) Esqrs. his Exrs., on Condition They prove the Will within twelve months, Each—£1500

1 Scharf, quoting Mr. Charles Browning, gives this name as Peter Prevost.

To Robt. Eden one hundred pounds per annum.

To Henry Harford (a natl. Son, abt. 13 years of age) the Province Remr. to Frances Harford 2—Remr. to Mrs. Eden.

2 Sister of Henry.

To Henry Harford—£30,000

Remr. to Frances Harford—Remr. to Mrs. Eden

To Frances Harford £30,000. Remr. to Henry Harford—Remr. to Mrs. Eden.

To Mrs. Hales (a Woman whom He has been dragging round Europe, &, for a Lady of Easy Virtue, of good Character) £1000.

To two Miss Hales s (his Daughters by the above Mrs. Hales) each £2000.

Hen: & Frances Harford residuary Legatees.

I think I remember nothing more; &, if I mistake not, You will think This quite enough. Two Wills that He had left in England, in both of which I0132114believe He had left the Province, & the Bulk of his Fortune, amounting, it is said, to more than £100,000, [to Mrs. Eden???] were remanded & destroy'd: tho' there has not been known any Coolness between Them, but, on the contrary, an increasing affection, at least, in professions. I am but little able to inform You what Steps the Governor intends to take, tho I happened to be with Him, when He received the Will: only that He is resolved to try to overset it, & with good Hopes of Success. They suppose the Province to be of that kind of Property which is not deviseable, contrary to the opinions espoused some time ago, when there was no doubt but the Will was in Favor of Mrs. Eden, or her Family; I find Precedents in the Case of the Duke of Athol with respect to the Isle of Man.1 In Case of Success, then, You see, the two Sisters will be Coheiresses, &, of Consequence, Mrs. Eden come in but for half: which however, will be no contemptible Acquisition. You will readily believe how heartily I join with You in wishing Success to this only Reputable Branch of a Family once so respectable: but, in Truth, their prospects seem sadly overcast; &, at least, they have a World of Difficulties to Encounter.2

1 Charlotte, surviving her brother and sister, succeeded, at the death of her father, to the barony of Strange, and the sovereignty of the Isle of Man. Her ladyship m. her cousin John Murray, Esq., who succeeded as 3rd Duke of Athole.—BURKE'S Peerage.

2 Henry Harford was acknowledged proprietary of the province, of which Robert Eden (as he was one of the executors of the will, and guardian of the boy) remained the Governor. The Hon. Mrs. Browning, however (who, by her father, Charles, Lord Baltimore, had been left the reversion in case of the death of her brother Frederick without issue), through her husband, John Browning, entered suit in the Court of Chancery. Charles Browning, in his appeal to the citizens of Maryland in 1821, says that this case “was in part argued before the Lord Chancellor, but between that time and the time appointed by his Lordship for a second hearing, news had arrived in England that the United States of America had declared themselves independent of Great Britain, which the Lord Chancellor stated to the Council on the day appointed for the further hearing of the cause, and objected to hear it, alleging, it was only a waste of time, as let it belong to which it would, he had no power to give the rightful owner possession.”

0133115

If any Thing that a wicked & a foolish Man does, could justly be Matter of Wonder, this Will wou'd really be unaccountable. Till now, this Boy was scandalously neglected: his Mother1 long ago displac'd on a very scanty Pension. Whilst Mrs. Hales was thought to possess a plenary influence over Him, was constantly with Him, as well as her Children.

1 Hester Wheland.

I shall hardly need to say what Confusion this Event is likely to produce amongst us. The general Opinion seems to be, that the Crown, if not urged by an Attention to the Safety of the Subject, yet as constitutional Guardian to the illegitimate Boy, will immediately appoint to the Government. The Northern Papers, I hear, have already mention'd Mr. Zachary Hood, the Man that came in here as Stamp-Master, for the Govr.. I think it is far more probable that your Friend Coll. Mercer will be the Man; unless Governor Eden & his Friends should apply, which hitherto He seems by no means determined upon. It certainly is, by no means, a very romantic Conjecture, to imagine that We shall now ere long become a royal Goverment: a Revolution but little wish'd For by the people here.

I hardly ever have seen a Man bear the Shock of ill news with such Composure as the Governor: undoubtedly, nothing was remoter from his Expectations, than so absurd & reproachful a Distribution of so immense an Estate, which He had been repeatedly0134116assur'd wou'd belong to his Family. Mrs. Eden indeed is more affected. She well may, having been tormented by him thro' the whole Course of her Life, &, at last, most villainously dup'd & cheated. Cajol'd by his specious assurances, the Govr. was tempted to give up his Prospects in the Army, which were Flattering, & Mrs. Eden, decoy'd hither [mutilated] against her Inclination. It is happy for them, that They have [mutilated] comfortable Competence to retire to, Fortunately out of his Re [mutilated]

The Govr. begg'd Me most cordially to thank You for your Friend [mutilated] & to assure You of his great Esteem & Regard for You. I expect [mutilated] next Week, & had You been at Home, We shou'd certainly have [mutilated] other tempted You to join Us. He has got You a very handsome & [mutilated] Whale Boat, for £20, which, I fancy is by this Time at Mount [mutilated]1

1 By Cash pd. Colo. Fitzhugh, by Govr. Eden for a Whale-Boat £19.15 Maryd Cy eql to . . 15. 16 (Washington's Ledger.)

I beg the Favour of You to speak to your two Printers, & [mutilated] my News-Papers, if by this Time, I owe Them for a Year. I shall [mutilated] also, You will be so good as remind Them to direct for Me To the Care of [mutilated] Merchts. in Bladensburg, as I have hardly seen one Virga. Paper since Xmas [mutilated] Purdie & Dixon will oblige Me by sending Me, the Address of the Clergy [mutilated] ward, & Dr. Chandler's Appeal &c & Gwatkin's Ansr.2 which I have seen advertised by Them.

2 The Rev. Thomas Bradbury Chandler, D. D., of Elizabeth Town, N. J., published in 1767 an Appeal in Behalf of the Church of England in America, which urged the appointment of bishops for that country. This Appeal led to a great controversy throughout the colonies. Virginia took up the question warmly; Rev. Thomas Gwatkin (professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at William and Mary) being one of four Virginia clergymen to oppose the measure.

0135117

I hope to see You in Maryland soon after your Return, &, in the mean Time, am, Dr. Sir,

yr. affe. Frd. & most obedt. hble Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

STEWARTS CROSSING 15th March 1772

SIR/

I Received yours of the 6th. of Decemr I should have had your Land Run out at the Great medows but Mr McClain is not com up from his fathers as yeat but is to be up in a few days and I will have it don and send you a Draft of the hole by the first oppertunity I would have had it done as soon as I cam up but he cold not do it before he went to Philadelphia

As to Craughans1 Claim of the Land near Fort pitt, he Claims and is selling any Land that any Person will by of him in sid or out side of his Line and offers his bond to make a Title for it and have no mony till then, at ten pounds Sterling pr 100 acres, and has his Survayors Runing out Land now Constanly and the have taken and Run out Land for himself teen Miles Clear of his Line I saw his order to his Survayor and they was to Run out 30 thousand acres of Land at 1000 acres in a tract and if0136118the People will not Purches of him upon those terms he will Let them go to the first that will So People does not Know what to do, Som in order to Pervent Disputs Entered the Lands with him and then the have Six pound pr Tract to pay his Survayor which Ocasions much Disputs amongest the people where it will end I do not now

1 Croghan's.

There is no sartanty yeat of the Charters Government taking place as was proposed when you was at Fort Pitt or of Colo Craughans Grant being confirmd. and som Disputs it being ever Confirmd and I hear no talk of the Traders having Any Land on the Ohio There is som talk of a goverment to be on the Ohio at the Mouth.

I shall do my Endeaviour to keep your Land I took up for you but I am afraid I shall be hard put to it, but I have Built four good Cabins on it, and Cleard about an Acre of Land at Each Cabin fit for the Plough which I think will hold it till there is Som way of Securing it farther.

I have seen McMahons. Land he had to Seell but it was not such as it was Recomended to me and be sids there is a Disput about part of it a man has Built a Cabin on the best of it but if had not a bin so it would not suted you it is two Hilly and not Rich neither

There will be [no ???] Posability of taking up such a Quantity as you want near Fort pitt as there is such numbers of People out now Looking for Land and one takeing Each others Land from him as soon as a mans. back is turnd an other is on his Land the0137119man that is strong and able to make Others. Afraid of him Seems to have the best Chance as tims. go now

Probaly I may fall in with such a body of Land on som of the small Creeks Down the Ohio if so I will take it for you and as soon as I can I will send to you a Draft and Description of the the Place

I am Sir your Hume. Sarvant W CRAWFORD

FROM THOMAS JOHNSON, JR.1

1 Born in St. Leonard's, Calvert Countery, Maryland, November 4, 1732; died at Rose Hill, Frederick Country, October 25, 1819. Elected first Governor of Maryland February 13, 1777. The vote for governor was as follows: Thomas Johnson, Jr., 40; Samuel Chase, 9; Matthew Tilghman, 1; George Plater, 1; William Paca, 1.

ANNAPO 26. Mar 1772.

SIR.

I inclose you a Letter from my Bror. John to your Lady2 he was at my House last Week and intended0138120then to have sent it but the post made so little Stay that tho' my Bror. went to the Office several Times he slipped him.—

2 ANNAPOLIS 21 March 1772.

MADAM.

The very bad Weather which prevented almost any Communication and my Expectation that the Means left with Miss Custis are not yet expended occasioned my not sending any more so soon as I designed—I now send by the Post a small Phial to be frequently smelt to as Hartshorne or other Drops commonly used to prevent fai[n]tness and a small Bottle of Ointmt. to be applied as before directed. The Decoction I left must be ap taken if Occasion requires it tho' I hope Nature will perform her Office without. I imagine it will be unnecessary to assure Miss Custis that I have the greatest Hopes her Happiness will be much promoted by regular moderate Exercise, temperate living which she may think Abstemiousness and her being attentive to keep her Body cool and open which last may I hope be effectually done and agreeably to herself by the Use of Barley Water and light cooling Food—Frumenty made of Barley or even of Wheat wou'd I think be very proper Food is agreeable to many and perhaps might be so at Times to Miss Custis—I hear that Master Custis said in Annapolis she was better I have great Pleasure in it and should be glad to hear more particularly of her State

I am Madam

Your most obedient Servant

JOHN JOHNSON

There were some Expences on the Bill passed last Session in favr. of Mr. Semple it is usual here in Imitation of what I think a bad procedg. in England to tax fees on private Bills—this was taxed

To the Speaker—6.—.— the Clk of the Lo Ho—3. – .—Comon Money i e Dollars at 7/6—and I believe in the Upper Ho. as much. I should be obliged by your having the Money remitted as I have paid part of it and promised to write to you on the Subject.

I am sr. Your most hble Servt. THS. JOHNSON. JUNR

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

LEESBURG April the 14th. 1772.

DEAR SIR

Doctor Savage tells me that it would be very convenient to him, if you cou'd pay the £150, which you have kindly offered to advance for me, and for which I return You Many Thanks; to him or to Mr. Montgomerie at the Genl. Court when the Merchants meet, and has desired me to write to you for that Purpose if it should be convenient1

1 1772.Bryan Fairfax Esqr.Dr. Aprl. 20To Cash paid Doctr. Savage on yr. Acct.150-..- 1773.ContraCr. March—By a Tract of 600 Acrs. of Land in Fauquier County —lying on Goose Ck...150.-.- (Washington's Ledger.) 0139121

I did myself the pleasure to write to you a few days agoe; so that I have nothing further to add but that I am

Dr sir Yr. most obedt. St. BRYAN FAIRFAX

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

May ye 1 day 1772

SIR/

I have still Keept. your Land but With much Dificulty I turnd six men of in the first of March ho had built a house and cleared about 2 or 3 Acres for which paid them five pounds and I have Built houses on each part, four in all and Cleared som Land and hired a man to stay and Keep possision till I Return as nothing will do now but possision and hardly that I do not find I can get you the Quantity of Land you spook to me for without I cold stay all Summer and be on the spot as People Crowd out in such numbers the Like never was seen. I beleve thays setled as Low as wheelin1 and som Lower down as Low as Grave Creek—I have herd that they Charter Goverment is Confirmd but on what terms they Land will be [granted] I do not now

1 Wheeling.

Colo Croghan is still survaying of Land and selling to any body that will by but I can hear nothing of any Confirmation of his Grant by any Person but himself When the Survayor com up Vale. Crawford will0140122Attend the Survay of your place at the Great Madows and have the Draft sent you by the first oppertunity

I am Sir your most Huml. Sarvant W CRAWFORD

FROM THOMAS JOHNSON, JR.

ANNAPOLIS 10TH May 1772

SIR

Mr. Tilghman the Speaker of our House of Assembly not being in Town I could not procure a Receit from him. I send you one from myself for £6. as recd for his Use if that is not sufficient I will get one from himself and inclose it to you: as soon as I have an Opportunity—I inclose you a Receit from the Clerk of the Upper Ho and another from the Clerk of the Lower House for £3. each I thought there was the like ffee to the President of the Upper House as to the Speaker but on Inquiry finding myself mistaken I return you 16 Dollars.

Mr. Ballendine has been here two or three Days but Mr. Mason has not yet come I fear our Governor is still under an Impression that a Concurrence by our Assembly in a Scheme with yours for clearing Potowmack may weaken the proprietary Claim of Jurisdiction over that River and consequently that he is not at Liberty to assent to such Bill tho' I believe in his own Judgment clearing the River is an Object which deserves immediate Attention and that0141123he wishes to see it effected. If the Governr. should be under such Impression and should not write Home to be set more at large or should write unsuccessfully as the delay that might be thereby occasioned would at all Events be highly prejudicial I would submit to your Consideration whether it might not be prudent that a strong Representation should be sent to England, to be made use of in case it should be necessary, to procure an Intimation from thence that a Bill ought to pass here: If Instructions ought at all to be sent to Governors as the Rule of their Conduct I have no Idea but that propry Instructions might properly be superseded by Instructions from the King in Council and if so I cannot apprehend there would be the least Difficulty in obtaining an Order for the passage of a Bill in which the Trade and Subjects are so much interested though it might possibly collaterally affect the prors Claim of Jurisdiction—I shall be glad that our Govrs. Letters to Virginia may evince that my Apprehensions are Groundless but if my Conjectures are well founded I much wish that no Time may be lost.1

1 The Potomac Company was organized in May, 1762, for the purpose of opening navigation “from Fort Cumberland on Wills Creek, to the Great Falls.” It was a favorite project of Washington's, but was opposed by the Baltimore merchants. The war absorbed all lesser schemes, but in May, 1785, the Company was reorganized, and Washington elected its first president. In 1820, after much fruitless expenditure, the idea was abandoned, and the organization merged into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company.

I am Sir Your most obedient Servant THS. JOHNSON JUNR

0142124

FROM MR. JAMES BALFOUR.1

1 Of Hampton, Elizabeth City County, father of Dr. George Balfour, U. S. A., who “braved the perils of the west under the gallant Wayne, who, at a subsequent period, on Presque Isle, breathed his last in his arms.”

WMS.BURG May 10th. 1772—

SIR,

A Power of Attorney has just come to hand from the heir of Magdalen Stott, who claims under the Will of Thos. Colvill decd. by virtue of the inclos'd paragraph of his Will2—

2 See letter from Dr. Boucher dated May 9, 1771, ante.

I shall be extremely Oblig'd to you to drop me a line of information as I am perfectly unacquainted in this affair—what steps I ought to take in behalf of the Claimant, and whether any Money on Account of the Residuary Legatees have ever been remitted to London—or what this Claimant has a prospect to expect—or rather I mean what will be the Sum that the Residuary Legatees may expect, or any other information you think necessary to enable me to fulfill the trust reposed in me—

Pardon me for this trouble and permit me to remain with respect Your ob Sert

JAMES BALFOUR N B Please to mention what Claimants have offerd as Stotts heir desires to know

FROM COLONEL BERNARD MOORE.

11th. May 1772

DEAR SIR

Your favour of April the 27th. came to hand, I am to inform you that my Estate was sold on purpose0143125to discharge the debt due to you, and others that my friend Colo. Baylor was bound for me, Young Mr. Edmund Pendleton has all the Bonds to collect for all the Negroes that was sold, by the particular desire of Colo. Baylor before his death, and if you will be so kind to write to him, or his Unkle Colo. Pendleton he will I believe pay both the Principal & interest; Colo. Pendleton is Colo. Baylor's Exetor, who I am sure will discharge the interest immediately, if not the principal.

Mr. Walker is now making out a proper list of the Negroes that was purchased by my friends for my use,1 and you may be assured that every thing proper will be done to secure you, and my other friends who was so kind to assist me. Mrs. Moore joins in our Love to you & our good friend Mrs. Washington & be assured that I am most sincerely

1 There is in Hening, vol. viii. p. 476, an Act of Assembly passed November, 1769, “to vest certain lands whereof Bernard Moore, esquire, is seized in fee tail, in trustees, to be sold, and the money laid out in the purchase of other lands and slaves, to be settled to the same uses.” The trustees named in this Act are John Baylor, Carter Braxton, Thomas Walker, Thomas Jefferson, and John Walker.

My Dear Sir Your aff Hble Servt BERD. MOORE

FROM COLONEL BURWELL BASSETT.

WMSBURG 13 May 1772

DEAR SIR

We got to Eltham the third day after we left you & found the Children & family pritty will, my Eyes was so0144126much afected by the dust that I was afraid I should have lost my sight they are a little Better now Mrs. Bassett and Betsy have been very unwell since we left you But are better now the other Children are very well, I did not get to town before Colo Fairfax had left it or should have wrote by him I apply'd to Colo Moores Trustees about & let them know that you had sent the Money by me that you agreed to lend Colo Moore & the terms that you expected to advance it on, there answer was that you was upon different terms with others for you had wrote to them to give Colo Moore Cr for £100 & that you would pay the Money upon which I pay the Money by there order to George Brookes a day or two after this Mr Thos John Walker come to town & I spoke to him on the subject & he has agreed that you shall be on the same terms as others & has given me and Instrement in writing Obliging himself to make us a Deed for the Negroes to return to us after the Death of Colo Moore & his Lady

I have engaged the Bills you sent by me for 20 pr Ct & the Rise's & expect to get the Money to day & pay it to Hill, I mention to the Hanover Mercht. what you desire about the fistr1 But could get know infermation from them as the thing had never been trid, they all promis'd to make Enquiry when they went up & let me know & as soon as they do I will write to you, Colo Banister took the Horse at thirty two pounds Str & will pay you in October, Let Miss0145127Patsy know that I sent her the things that her Ant promis'd to get her by Mr Mongory, please to let Mrs Washington know that her Sister will write to her & send the Letter to Ruffins to go up by some of the Mercht,—

1 First?

I desire you'll offer my best respects to Mrs W & Love to Patsy & Except the same from

Dr Sr Yr affnate Hble Servt BURL BASSETT

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

YORK COUNTY 14th May 1772

SIR/

On my way to Rockahock the 9th of this Instant I met with Colo. Bassett with your letter & instructions to Receive some money for you I made all the dispatch I could back & have waited on all the gent. you Directed, & received from Colo. Geo Brook Executor to Mr. Philip Claiborne 14£ the 11th of this Inst. of Mr. William Dandridge Junr for Mr. William Dandridge Senr. £22-0-5 the 13th, and of Mr. Thomas Prosser £7-5-9 the 13th. & have seen Augustine Seaton & he told me he Expected the mony Had been Paid long ago by Colo. Moore & believe there is but Little chance to Get any at all from him, & Mr. Foster I went to him from Rockahock & he coud not Pay the Hole till New Kent Cot1 & have sent to Cot. But have not had the returns yet, as it was out of my Power to0146128go up myself Colo. Bassett has paid me 400£ & I have Paid Jackson off & have Taken a Rect. on the Back of the Note of Hand in full & Stopd the 50£ for Chrosia Graves which will pay him immediately—I have not made Sail of But very little of the Corne for the Easten shore Vessels run over & sold at 14/ & Did not care to take less than 15 for what I had which will not be Near so much as I expected for the Spring proving so very Backward & the weather so cold & the fodder has been out Ever since you went away at Every Plantation was oblige to Keep the Stocks upon Corne & have Lossd but few Below & not many above they have Destroyed a good deal of corne—the Seins at Rockahock Rented for 90£ which was £7-10 for Every man that took a day & made out his Gang I expected when you was down the Seins would hire at £9 instead of 7£ 10 But when I went up the People woud not Give it I Recd all the money to £3 which I lookd upon to be bad & woud not be concernd with it—The fellow that always run away in Mr. Vollentines time is gone again his Name is Will Shagg I have not struck him a blow since I Lived on the Place I wish you woud agree to sell him I was offerd £80 By Jackson cash if he coud be Got, for him

1 Court.

I have Hird a man to worke with Carpenters at a very high Price I coud not get a young man for Less than 30 od Pounds & I had an Extrodinary carriter of this man & he formerly worked in the Estate his name is Roger Tandry I coud not get him for Less than 45£ a year tho we are not confined to Each other for more than 6 Months tho think it a very High Price0147129but applyed to Several Good Judges & they advised me to give it rather than a young man at 30£ tho would not agree for more than 6 Months, & if you disapprove of it Believe I may Get of sooner for he ant fond of takeing that his Price was 50£ he at last fell to 45 & he woud not confine him Self for more than 6 Months—I have Purchased a horse of the Miller at 9£ for a worke Horse at Mill Quarter I think worke Horses are much wantg. in the Estate but they are so Excessive dear there is no such thing as Purchasing Down with us if its in your Power to Purchase on Reasonable Terms with you shoud be much oblige to you to Purchase one or two by the fall as I immagine they dont sell so dear up the country as they do below—in regard to our Crops there appears to be a plenty of Plants but the weather Proveing very Dry & Cool the fly destroys them very fast & at Rockahock they are Very Backward they have not worke Horses Enough for that Plantation as I think it an Extrodinary Place for Grain you desired to enquire what Mr. Vallentine did with your Horreses upon breakg up your Plantations he sold one to a man that ant worth one farthing I dont think it worth while to bring Suit for not one friend he has will be his Security & he has Parted with the Horse his Name is Wm Blasingham Mr. Vallentine has taken his Note of Hand & I offerd if he woud Give Security I would wait 6 Months but he cant get any one to undertake—Mr. Lyon applyd to me to know what to do with Frazer as the Suit abates on Mr. Vallentines death as the Bond was taken in his Name & the Exrs. wants0148130to Assign it to me but I would not be concernd without yr. Instructions for if the Suit had not abated the money might a been got for since his death Trimbles is gone off by the bond being taken in his Name that if youl Please to write to me your advice I will follow your Instructions but Shant be concernd with the Bond untel I hear from you, & Mr. Lyons desires to know what you'l have done in it

from your Mo. Hble Servt JAMES HILL

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

22d. May, 1772.

DEAR SIR

I send Joe over on purpose to let you know that the Govr. & Mrs. Eden will not wait on You this Trip: Some unforeseen occasions call them again to Annaps. sooner than They expected; They therefore desir'd Me to beg your Excusing Them at this Time. They still talk, if it be practicable, that They will visit You before Mrs. Eden leaves the Country: but, of this shou'd I chance to get notice, as I probably shall, I shall find occasion hereafter to inform You—The Govr. dines with yr. Neighbr. Mr. Digges tomorrow, & sleeps at Mr. Roger's, where I am again to meet Him. Shou'd You be quite at Leisure, & your Whale Boat be arriv'd, perhaps You may be tempted to try her. ’Squire Calvert alone accompanies Him. Mentioning this Gentleman's Name, reminds Me of a Request He made to Me, that I wou'd engage of You for Him & myself, thirty or forty Weathers, for Muttons,0149131in the next Fall, if You shou'd then have so many to spare. I beg You to attend to This, & to give Us the Preference to any other Chap: We will hereafter contrive about getting them over, if We can but have Them.—I forgot too, in my Lr. by Peale, to tell You from Mr. S. Galloway, that He had sent You two Cases of excellent Claret (I have tasted it, & it really is good) to Mr. Ignatius Digges's I think each Case contains 6 Doz:, & I believe at 45/. perr. doz: I guess You will have it carted down to Piscaty., & fetch it thence by Water: & if I can be made assisting to You, surely You will not hesitate abt. commandg. Me.

With this vile Pen & ink, even were I not exceedingly hurried, I have some doubts whether You will be able to read what I attempt to scrawl: I will not therefore add a Word more but that

I am most truly yrs. &cJ. BOUCHER

FROM COLONEL JOHN CARLYLE.1

1 Probably to Lund Washington.

ALEXANDRIA June 28. 1772.

SIR,

I rec'd yours and Col Washington shall have freight for 250 or 80 barrels of flour at 5/ pr barrel. I believe the vessel will sail to Barbadoes, In her way taking the markets, but this is not yet determined. If she does, she still goes to Jamaica where we have considerable effects to bring home.

As to her Despatch here you may depend on it,0150132and I expect to have her down channel & ready this week and hope to have her loaded and to sail the week afterwards.

Yr humble Servt. JOHN CARLYLE.

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

TOWLSON July the 15th 1772.

DEAR SIR

I have received a Letter lately from Mr. Smith wherein he makes no mention at all of the Tract of 600 Acres on Goose Creek & chattins Run; so that I may dispose of it [to] you without waiting longer for the Man he had agreed with, which it was kind in you to propose. I wish we could agree about the Land on Pohick or that on the Kittochtan for which I must take a less price still than I have fallen to; especially considering the Sum you still purpose to advance on Accot. of Mr. Muirs1 Bill which Mr. Baynes lately pressed me to pay. I had some thoughts of riding to Mr. Vernon soon; in order to attend you to pohick but being uncertain, on Account of my harvest and haying being backward, I take the Opportunity My Sister Washington2affords me of writing. Mrs. Fairfax & Sally desire their Compliments with

1 John Muir, of Alexandria.

2 Hannah, youngest daughter of Colonel William Fairfax, was the second wife of Warner Washington.

Dr. Sir Yr. most Obedt. & obliged hble Servt. BRYAN FAIRFAX

0151133

If it should happen that either of the Hounds sent down lately should not please you I beg to have the first offer of them; I mention this because I am convinced that all Sportsmen do not look on Dogs in the same Light, of which you are also satisfied from the many superexcellent dogs you have had given you, which have not answered yr. Expectation. Some allowance must be made for prejudice, perhaps therefore you'll not think Rouser equal to Ringwood, tho' I do expect that he is closemouthed. Dabster tho' a great Babbler at first I liked the best of the three; which I mention lest he should at first for want of Practice return to his Babbling and you should condemn him too soon. Tho' you did not seem to like Ranger I really think he was as good a Dog as ever I had except his want of a good Nose—Rouser is exactly such another in every Respect. Two of my hounds running a Fox yesterday great part of the day hath revived the Subject in my Mind & hath caused this postscript.

FROM COLONEL JOHN CARLYLE.

ALEX July 21 1772

DR SIR/

Capt Brodie woud Inform you the Reason I did not Call on You, If he did not I Assure You it was for no other Reason but the Great Company I See & heard of at yr house & I thought myself & my little Companion not In A proper Dress for Straingers You or Yr family I woud have made free with, Therefor hope for Yr Excuse—

0152134

The Captain Comeing Up this Evening Surprised me & tells me You wanted bills of Lading I have filled up Two as many as I think Necessary Without You Consigne Yr Cargo to any Person on the Islands In that case you may Take three I have Consigned mine & Mr Daltons Interest on board to the Captains & Mr Adams Joyntly, & therefor take but two bills of Lading the Freight I Intend is the Currency Of the Island where the Comodity is Sold & No more

I hope ye Sailes & Returns will Please You & that the Vessel may make A Short Voyage for the bennifit of All Concerned, tho Mr Lun Washington has not given the Assistance he promised but Suppose he was Tyerd with harvest & now Rejoyceing the Labr is Over—I am with great Regard Dr Sir

Yr. Very Hble Sert JOHN CARLYLE

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

WMSBURG July 24th. 1772—

SIR/

I reced your Letter the 18th. of June after I had set off from Home to the Easten Shore where I was gone a fortnight & Have been over the Hole Estate there & have Acted in the best manner I coud in respect to the Stocks of Sheep on Mockon Isleland wherein Mr. Vallentine Joind Stocks with one Mr. John Stratton & I have broke up the Partnership & am desirous of no Persons Joining without your Consent, I shoud have Wrote to you Sooner But have waited0153135for the Ship to come in yt. I might write to you for Instructions abt. Shipg. the Tobo. whether the Hole go on board Capt. Peterson as he tells me he Expects the Hole & Capt Easton was at my House this morng. & says he Always carried 10 or 12 Hhds that in Particular from the Easten Shore which is 6 Hhds which will not be as much as he wants & he goes of Next week that if he is to have any I must get an Answer from you as Quick as Possable—I shoud have Shipd the Hole on board Capt. Peterson if Capt. Easton had not Applyed, but shant do any thing abt. it abt untill I receive yr. Answer—you wrote me concerning the money that I had not Sent you an Acct. of the Hole money I recd the reason the 10£ 16 was not mention'd in my Letter Colo. Lewis Recd it him self & After I had wrote to you he gave me a Rec: for it & I had seald my Letter to you & knew he would Give you an Acct of it which I immagined woud make no Material Difference whether I gave you an acct. or not as I was certain he woud as he Received it tho I stated it in my Acct. with you—I have not sold The corn yet am now waitg. in Town to make Sail but the Price of corn appear to be falling I cant get more than 13/ & 13/6 per Barl. what I sell from Home I get 15/for there is one or two Gent from the Easten Shore that wants to Purchase that Corn from there but they offer but 13/ per Barl. & am waitg for a Better Price I am in hopes the Price will rise before the court Brakes there is Several Gent. that is now waitg. to make Sail of theres & they tell me they Expect a better Price—our Crops are Likely as can0154136Possably be Expected for Quantity of Poor Ground we are obliged to tend there only Rockahock & there is but a very Indifferent Prospect there for Every thing we have lost a fine young wench in childbed there Doctor Pasteur was sent up to her but she was Delivered before he got up & appeared to be Tollerable well & drank Cold water & Killd her immediately

I have Lost an old fellow from Mill Quarter with the consumption & a negro child from yr. Quarter in King William That I had brought down to be convenient to the Doctor that we might [not] be at the Expence of Paying for Visits but the child Did not Live more than 3 or 4 days after I got it down it appeared to have the mange as bad as I ever saw a Pigg & has been in That Condition for some time & the overseer told me he had Purged it Several times but to no Purpose & I gave it a Purge as soon as it came down but I saw it was Past cure I sent it to the Doctor & he was from Home all the Rest at this time is very well only a wench at Rockahock has a Complaint in her Eyes & have ordered her down to get curd—I have not got that Fellow Will Shag that was Run away But I think to send him to the Easten Shore as soon as I get him being in a Hurry the Post Just going of

Yr. Mo. Hble Servt. JAMES HILL

0155137

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

TOWLSTON August the 3. 1772

DEAR SIR,

I am about setting off for the Springs, & as I have very little time to spare, having been busy at my Meadow to day & been at the Mill & Great Falls, & having some other Letters to write this Evening, I hope you'l excuse the concisencess of this.

As to the most material Business of Mrs. Savages I have reced a Letter also from Mr. Bomford. On the Receipt of your Favor at Alexandria I went to Mr. Harrison and asked him about the deeds of Settlement when he told me there must have been such before Marriage because the Bond relates to them—and there must be the deeds together with an authentic Copy of the Bond which Mr. Bomford writes for, but where they were recorded neither of us knew but we supposed in the Genl. Court or in Loudon where the Lands lie, & if I omitted to mention this in my subsequent Letters it was thro' Forgetfulness. As Mr. Montgomerie as you mentioned was expected to be at Alexandria at June Court I desired Mr. Harrison to let me know if he came up and I would go down with his Receipt however inconvenient—And now I have thoughts of sending it by your Boy as I am to be a month from home but am doubtful at present in case it should miscary. I imagine the Deeds executed at Dumfries are not what Mr. Bomford writes for because he mentions all Deeds and Papers executed on or before her marriage.

0156138

I have sent inclosed the patent for the 600 Acres which is the only title I have except another deed of the same Tenor & date. I inherit it as heir at Law to My Brother Wm:—I shall be ready to go with you to Pohick when it may suit you after my Return. I am not uneasy tho disappointed a little (tho' indeed I have no Reason to call it a disappointment as I could not have raised the money without your Assistance) And shall wait till it may suit your Convenience.

As I pass thro' Loudon I will write to Rogers & direct him to send copies of the deeds to you if any such as I mentioned above be recorded in that office.

What you mention about your Puppies is surprising—Murich's Litter last year decreased daily from 8 to 4 and she was observed each day carrying one out.

Mrs. Fairfax tells me it was conjectured by some at Mt. Vernon that I wanted my hounds back again that I had sent down; but altho' I have given away hounds before now & been afterwards been sorry for it I should never ask for them again even in an indirect manner—but that was not the case with these—I was glad I could accommodate you so well without any disadvantage to myself, and it is not unusual with me to ask for the return of good hounds if they should not please, because as I said before Sportsmen differ, and I should be sorry that you should have occasion to return 'em. Mine have been reduced in their speed I hope by parting wth. them, having run a Fox lately so long that I had time to come home to Breakfast & to Dinner before the chace ended to the disgrace of the whole tired pack.

0157139

Mrs. Fairfax &c Complts. with mine to Mrs. Washington & Family . and I remain with much Esteem

Dr Sir Yr. most obedt. Servt. BRYAN FAIRFAX.

FROM MR. AMOS STRETTELL.1

1 A wealthy merchant of Philadelphia, son of Mayor Robert Strettell and Philotesia (Owen) Strettell; born in England; came to America with his parents and two sisters in 1736. His older brother, John Strettell, remained in London with his grandfather, John Owen, where he became an eminent merchant. Amos Strettell had one son, Robert, who died without issue, and two daughters, who married Benjamin and Cadwalader Morris. He died in Philadelphia, 1780.

PHILADA. 4th. Augst. 1772—

SIR,

By yesterdays post I recd. a Letter from our mutual good Friend Coll. Fielding Lewis ordering £600 Pensilva. Currency Insurance For your acct. on 273 Barls. Supfine Burr Flour Shippd on board the Brigt. Fairfax Samuel Brodie Mr., but as I am not advisd where she is bound, nor cannot by any means discover, as the ship Entrys are not printed in the late Virginia papers, I am obligd to wait his or your Information; on rect. whereof, my best Endeavours shall be us'd to procure your Insurance on the most Favourable terms wch. may be in the power of

Sir,Your very Hble servt. AMOS STRETTELL no time should be lost in advising me where the Brigt. is bound to.

0158140

FROM MR. AMOS STRETTELL.

PHILADA. 18th. Augst. 1772.

SIR,

Your Favour of 14th. Currt. has enabled me to compleat your Insurance per the Fairfax as per above acct. (say annexed acct.,)1 so far as the Nature of your Adventure will admit without running you to an extra advance of praemo. subject to conditional Returns afterwards, which on several accts. might prove disadvantageous to you, altho' [it] is often done on risques not comencing in our own Port.

1 Acct of £600. Insurance, procured by order of Coll. Fielding Lewis, on Goods for Acct of Coll. George Washington, on board the Brigt. Fairfax Samuel Brodie Mr. at and from Virginia to Barbados, at 2 ½ perCt premo., under Agreement that if the above Vessel proceeds to any other Islands, ½ perCt. more Praemium shall be allowed For each Island she touches at; & if she proceeds to Jamica, 1 perCt. From the last Island she touches at.

£200. per Samuel Mifftin.

200. per Willing & Morris.

100. per Robert Morris.

£100. per James & Drinker.

£ 600. at 2½ per Ct.præmo. to Barbados only, amtn. to

15..—..—

Policy---—.. 5 ..—

my Commission at ½ perCt. on £600 .. 3 ..—

Amount carried to the Debit of Coll

Fielding Lewis his Rect. Currt. is

eighteen Pounds & Five shillings at present.—£18 .. 5 ..—

Philadelphia 18th. Augst. 1772.

Errors Excepted

AMOS STRETTELL.

I presume Coll. Lewis may not be returned Home From the warm springs, & defer writing to him until next Post.

I am very Respectfully, Sir, yr. assd. frd. & servt. AMOS STRETTELL

0159141

FROM MRS. MARGARET SAVAGE.

WHITEHAVEN Augt. 19th. 1772—

DEAR SIR/ I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your very kind & agreeable favour conveyed to me by my friend Mr. Dixon, with the amount of the Bill £.53-, you were so good as send for my relief, which believe me my dear Friend came most seasonably; my situation is terrible, but without it, it would have been wretched indeed.—It would argue a base, & ungratefull mind to omitt this opportunity of tendering you all in my power to bestow, the tribute of an Honest, Sincere & gratefull Heart for this Act of generosity & Friendship, which suffer me to solicet your continuance of, & under your protection, I doubt not the recovery of my Settlement, from that cruel Man, by which I shall, I trust in God, be able to spend the remainder of my days with some little peace, which, or Comfort, I have been a Stranger to since I parted with you.—The loss of the four Years Annuity was a terrible stroke on me, but this I was fearfull of, for before his departure he made me Sign a paper, the Contents I knew not:—I refused it, till my life was in danger from him, for Oh did you know all you would truly pitty me.—My kind friend Mr. Dixon gives me some little glimmering hope that you will yet be able to recover the £400—that Mr. Montgomery was going to pay you, to assist which he advises my making a declaration on Oath, that I did not know the Contents of the paper I signed, & that he compelled me to the Execution, this I intend to do before I leave this, & indeed was one principal0160142cause of my coming here, & to consult with Mr. Dixon, to whom any Letters you are so kind as send me, will come safe: The Money you will be so good as continue to pay Mr. Piper, who has my Power for the same, who will remitt it in like manner, this I must intreat Mr. Piper to adhere to, being my real wish & desire, & should be receive Letters to the Contrary he must not attend to them, for my Situation may be such, as to cause me to write in a manner I do not like, for my desire & Order is for Mr. Piper to remitt the Money to Mr. Dixon 'till that Gentlemn. receives it him self.—The Negro Wench Sarah & Children I apprehend to be my property under the deed of Settlement, as such could wish they were turned into Money, & remitted me by Mr. Piper, should be rejoiced she would suit you, in which case any price you would fix on them would be agreeable to me.—May I now Solicet my most Affectionate Compliments being tendered your Lady, Colo. Fairfax & Lady, and all my other good Friends, relying on your goodness & protection, I remain.—Dear Sir,

Your ever obliged & affect. Hble Servt. MARGT: SAVAGE

FROM THOMAS EVERARD, ESQ.1

1 Thomas Everard held many important positions in Virginia. He was clerk of the General Court, clerk of York County and of Elizabeth City County, and, in conjunction with James Cocke, Auditor of the State from 1761 to 1780. He married Diana, daughter of Major Anthony Robinson, of York County.

29 August 1772.

SIR

Inclosed are the Original Deeds from Green to0161143Savage there are no other Deeds between these Parties recorded in the General Court.

I am Sir Your most hble Servt. THOS. EVERARD

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

Sunday Morng. 30th. of August 1772

SIR

I reced your Letter from the Post office dated August 3d & it did not Come to me in several days after & yr. Directions in respect to the Tobo. coud not be complyed with for I was informd that Capt Easton Had his Load so that I never Heard from him after yr. Letter came to hand & our Tobo. in New Kent happend not to be Inspected & I have had more Trouble to get it Inspected than I ever had abt. any one thing in all my Life. I offerd the Tobo. to the Inspectors in April Last & they desired me not to have it Brought for they were Quite full & Begd that I might continue the old Custom wch was when the Ship was in & sent for the Tobo. they Brought the Tobo. & had it inspected & carried of immediately & before The Inspection was out I goes three Different times to have the Tobo. inspected & they desired the overseer not to bring it for they coud Not take it they were Quite full & they sd if the Ship made it Late they woud inspect it after the Inspection was out, & when the Ship carried down the Tobo. They woud0162144not Inspect it they sd the Law was against it & must wait to have ye Lawyers opinions & some was of oppinion they might Look at it & others to ye contrary at Last they agreed if I woud Get Mr Wallers oppinion they woud Inspect it wch Mr Waller readily gave as it was through there Instigations it was not Lookd at in time they ought to do it wch was done a wednesday & thursday Last, & have Purchased the overseers parts at the Cash Price wch should be Glad to know if you approve of it or not, as I had not yr. Instructions to do it I was informed it was Generally done in Mr Vallentines time—As John Vallentine was not there I left a Hhd for him & when he swore to his father's agremt with him I woud setle with him Accord gly & left word with one of the overseers to let him know if he woud take the same Price as the Rest did I woud take it the ships fleet—is to take the Ballce. tomorrow—Rockahock 9 Brick House 9 old Quarter 4 Harlows 5 Home house 11 Mill Quarter to Jacksons 6 Mallory over the Mill 2 Claibornes K Wm 14 Easten Shore 7 & 1 for New Kent in Hanover I coud not get a price to my Likeing & Shipd it on board Peterson the Hole if John Valletine let us have his is 78 Hhds. Shipd on board Peterson; I have turnd of two of the overseers the one at the white House & the other at Brick House & the two that I Intend to replace has Large familyes one has 6 Children & the other 5 tho they agree to take 600 wt meat & a grass beef at the fall They are two men that I am well acquainted with in respect to there Honesty which if you dont Dislike there family being two0163145Large believe they will Answer very well tho think it my Duty to inform you before I finally agree with them, wch if you dislike will be off & get others I have agreed for 6 Sping wheels at 10/per wheel to have Sping done at Every Quarter in Bad weather & times when the wenches Lays in, & at Rockahock there is a wench that is Kept for Sping. & has been all this year asping 47lb wool & says that Mrs. Washgton orderd. that she shoud spin no more than 3lb a week & old Nanny wont Spin a thread & Says her Mistress left her only to Sew wch we have a great deal of wool to Spin from the Easten Shore for I cant sell it for more than a bit a lb & think we had better have it Spun up & wove for the wenches & children if you think Proper, & this wench Nanny has Raisd 71 Turkeys Besides other Fowls of all Sorts & Says her Mistress allows of it please to apply to her & let me have yr. Directions how to Proceed in them Particulars there is Several Old wenches that might Spin for the Estate that cant work out one on the Easten Shore that might Spin that dont work out not ⅓d of her time only minds the Children—I send you inclosed Strattons agrmt with Vallentine in respect to the Ship on Mockon Island 1 which is a very Great dispute with0164146Stratton & me he wants his 40 Ews. & to let me have the 20 & then divide the Balle. after Lettg. the man that he Put on take the Sixth Part with some the man he Put on for Lookg. after them this man was owing of Stratton money as I am informd & he agreed with this man if he woud Put on some Small Quantity that he shoud have the 6th. Part for Lookg. after them without the consent of Mr. Vallentine only the consent of Biggs wch Stratton has Bought the sheep yearly of this man untill he has got Paid as I am informd now whether I must Continue the Man & let him find Part & believe he will take the 8th. Part for Lookg. after them & is to Bring of & carry on all the Cattle & Bring of what Ever we Want of for his Living there & Ive got Jacksons Deposition in Regard to the agremt. with Stratton & Vallentine tho it was not mentiond Particularly that he Looked upon it that when Ever a Division they were to Divide Equally the other Says he will Swear the Same wch are the two witnesses to y agremt. tho Stratton Says he has three that will Swear to the Contrary tho they did not assign the agremt. as witnesses I am a going upon Receiving Yr. Answer to my Letter to the Easten Shore in order to have it finishd & the Sheep Divided as the Lambs were two Small & the weather two hot when I was over or Shoud Endeavourd to have finishd when I was over the man that is on the Island Bears the Carecter of a very Honest man tho Stratton at this time has a very Great Dislike to him & wants him turnd off his name is John Handby But from the Carrecter that other People gave him I thought to continue him if you was agreable as there must be some one to look after0165147the Stock or they woud Be all Killd by the Watermen Stratton wants to rent the Place But I told him I chose to make tryal my Self Before we woud Rent it; as for an Invoice you wrote to me for I am at this time at a loss to know what we have in already & as you have a list of Every negro & the Invoice of what came in this Year immagined you knew Better than I did what woud Serve them tho the Calculation to Every Grown fellow & wench woud be 3 Ells of Bro Ling to Shirt or Shift, & 5 yards of Cotton to suit for a wench or fellow there is a number of the negroes that has applyd for Shirts that had but one Last year & am informd by the overseers that there Shirts was always so small in General that they were even of Little or no Service to them

1 An Agreement made between Joseph Valentine and John Stratton that the Aforesd. Joseph Valentine is to put on Twenty Ewes and John Stratton forty Ewes for which they are to have the Wool of their Own Sheep the first year and Ever after to Divide Equally as long as they Can Agree and the Afore said John Stratton is to put on Twenty One head of Cattle for Which he is to find Water and Pasturage for the same & to Carry on and Bring off and Kill all Cattle that shall be Wanted Carried Or Kill'd by James Biggs and the aforsaid John Stratton is to have Liberty to put on any person or persons whom he shall Chuse.

JOSEPH VALENTINE

JOHN STRATTON,SEAL

Test by

WILLIAM JACKSON

WILLIAM BIGGS

I have got a mill[w]right to come & View the mill & he Says she must Be Rebuilt that she is not Sufficient to Hold a head of water & has given me a Bill of Scantling & after I have the timber Brought in place he will work with our Carpenters at £3–15 per month till I get her done I had a notion of haveing her Patched up but he thinks its runing of a great Risk so have concluded to have her Rebuilt if you think Proper & there Will Be wantg. A pr. of Mill Stones for the wheat mill

You desire to know How our Crops are frequently when I wrote to you Before they were Extreamly Likely But at this time they are much to the Contrary for we hant had a rain to wet the Ground 1½ Inches since last thursday was 4 Weeks that our Tobo has moulterd Prodiously at Bottom & fird away with the Dry0166148weather; & they are as much to the Contrary up at the new Kent Quarters they are full Wet up there, that if there woud come Rain now in a few days it woud be of Great service both to Tobo & Corn for our Crops below,

In selling our corn below people dont care to take because I dont care to take there money by count they Say it has always been taken in that way & Others in Neighbourhood take money by count, therefore dont care to do it without you'l take it of me in the same way which is takeing Pistoreens & as the rest of the Neighbours does it, I think we had better take it in that way. for I trade but Slowly as to the Bro Ling. & Cotton I ve had no kind of Memo of what came in & I take it out the Bales no faster than we make Use of it as the Store house is much Pesterd wth Leather Salt & Iron &c. Yt. I had not Room to take the goods out only as we made Use of them, Yt. I dont know What has came in tho am Doubtfull there wont be Linning Enough as there is Several of the People that has had Shirts out as they had but one this winter which was oblige to give them another & we were short of Broad Hoes & if ye. coud not have Spared out of yr. Store us some must been oblige to abought I shoud a made an Exact List of the Hole but have been so very Ill with the fever & Ague yt I am Scarce Able at this time to set up But hope as you have an Exact List of negroes you can make out the cloathg. & tools & Nails the same Quantity as came in this year I believe will do another tho I think it a good way to have a plenty as it woud be Bad to buy Hose at there0167149Extravagant Prices—& as to the other Materials I send you a list of what I can Recollect—please to Excuse my desireing you to put yr. Self to so much Trouble, I woud have waited till I got better but did not know but it might make a Material Difference with you wch was Willing to let you know how Every thing was as quick as posable & upon receiving yr. Answer if you cant conveniently do it if I Get able will let you have a list of the Hole but in case you shoud send By a Rough Draft for two much you may depend on the Greatest care Being taken of it, at a rough Calculation 896 Ells ozngs. & 544 Yds. Cotton

I have Shipd to Norfolk on board of Chrosia Graves Vessel 50 Barrels of corn from the New Kent Quarters which he tells me he can get me 14/ Cash or 15/ Apl pay & he is to Engage yours at yr. Quarter in King William & what there is to Spare at the Highest Price he can Get But did not know how to direct him in Respect to the price which you might chuse the cash or to give the Cr which you I please to inform me he is now gone to Norfolk with mine & 200 of Mr. Foster Webbs Mr. George Webb wants him to take his but I had engaged him—& he tells me Colo. Bassett has gone to Norfolk to make Sail of his I cant Get more for the Easten Shore corn than 13/6 & that Mr. Wilkins who Lives very near the Place has offerd & have waited a great while in order to see if it woud not Rise, the Market, but dont perceive it does in any other way than as I write you above what Narrow Hoes you send for Please to write for them to be Larger for they are so small0168150that they are of Little or no Service being so very Sick ant able to write any more

& conclude Yr. Mo. Hble Servt. JAMES HILL PS I wanted to a known if you woud chuse yt. I shoud Buy wheat at 5/ per Bushl. for what we shall Want to Sew after Sewg. what the Estate makes or to make Tobo. untill we can Raise Grain of our own.—

Likewise if I must dispose of the oats upon the Easten Shore or Intend Yrs. for yr. own Use

FROM COLONEL EDMUND PENDLETON.

Augt. 31. 1772.

DEAR SIR

I have your favr. by Mr Manly, who I think has a very good right to the 2400 acres of Land called Hallows Marsh, but must bring a writ of right, being barr'd of an Ejectment, For which he is luckily just within time, & I shall order it out immediately, I forget whether I spoke to Mr. Mason or not, & therefore he says he will write to him immediately.

I left your papers with Mr. Attorney in May, to consider of the Point, Wch. is of consequence & necessary to be settled by us previous to drawing your Answers, whether the proceedings are not to stop during the Infancy of Masr. Custis, as his Real Estate seems to be the Fund out of which the demand, if recovered, is to be satisfied. On this we propose a consultation in October when we meet, & then if the result makes an Answer proper it will be drawn & filed—In the mean time, I suppose the Plts. Counsel0169151is impatient & has taken out a New Attachment to quicken Our Motions, which is of no consequence.

I beg you will not suppose I have been inattentive to the suit, perr Account of Fees, in which you have been very Liberal For what I have hitherto done & to drawing the answer, which, if that is resolved on in October, shall be done immediately after by

Sir Your mo.hble Servt. EDMD. PENDLETON

FROM MR. HUGH STEPHENSON.

Sept 12th 1772

DEAR SIR

I Receved yours of 2d of June and am a very sorry I Mist Seing of you as I Went to Colo Samuell Washingtons in order to weight upon a talke about this Matter on Thursday Morning and Mist of you I should have Came to Mr Warnar Washington to you but Meeting with Mr John Aris Who told Me you was Left the Country and as I had Not the Money it wase useless to folow you and thrugh the bad management of My people when I wase over the Mountains Last fall have had all My Tobaco Refused which I thought to have Made you a payment out of and as I must Ac-Knowledge you have Ever been a frend to the family and have Endulged us very Much and I hope as you have Endulged us So Long you Still will for bare a Little Longer and My Mother and My Selfe will Make you all the payment we Can by the first of october0170152there wase 40 Bushells Sead wheat that wase Deliverd to Edward vilot to soe which Mr Lound washington promised to give Credit on the bond for that is Not done when william Crawford Coms down he will pay you part of the Bond and My Mother and Selfe will Make you up all we Can against that time and you May depend on the hole by the first of March

I am dear Sir your Most Hble Servt HUGH STEPHENSON

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY.1

1 This letter is thus indorsed by Washington. In a narrative of his imprisonment (Penn. Hist. Mag.) Connolly says, “Though I had obtained a lieutenant-colonel's commission under his Majesty, yet whenever they had occasion to mention me in their resolves and public proceedings, they wrote plain John Connolly, without the least mark of distinction, or affected to call me Doctor, thereby bringing to the remembrance of those who knew me, that it was once intended I should pursue the practice of physic, if that were any disgrace, and insinuating to the world at large, that a Doctor would not have been in such a situation, had he not been a busy factious person.” By biographers and historians in general Connolly is referred to as a physician, not a soldier. He came originally from Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania, and afterwards settled in Augusta County, Virginia. He was very active during Dunmore's war, and in the boundary question between Pennsylvania and Virginia. Connolly was a most aggressive loyalist, and was prisoner during all the first part of the Revolutionary War.

PITTSBURGH Septembr. 18th. 1772.

DEAR SIR.

Since I had the pleasure of seeing you here, some apparent favorable Circumstances induced me to Revisit the Western World, & cursorily to feast upon, the various Novelties afforded, in so ample a Speculative Field.—

In my Return form the Illinois I could not refrain from accompanying Majr. Hamilton & the other Gentn. on a Visit to the great Licks, where the ELEPHANT'S Bones render them more particularly Remarkable; 0171153& as they were all employed in collecting Curiosities agreable to their respective inclinations, I just stumbled upon the Tooth I now present you with, begging your Acceptance thereof, as a Testimonial of my Regard for your Person, & those Abilities contributing to the Protection, & formerly to the Reduction of this extensive & valuable Territory.—

As some Account of the place may be (perhaps) satisfactory to yourself, as well as to your Friends, I shall attempt giving you as instructive an Idea of its appearance. Situation &a as my confined knowledge may permit, & leave you (Sir) & the interested Enquirers into these abstruse matters to ascertain the true Species of these Animals, the course of their Route into that Country, & suchlike Relative Speculations, as must naturally arise in the Breast of the inquisitive, from so extraordinary a PHENOMENON. About twenty five Miles below the great Miamis River, East of the Ohio, & at the entrance of a small Creek you will perceive a Path, which by pursuing Easterly leads you into plainer & larger Roads, untill having continued the same Course a Mile, or perhaps better, you find yourself conducted by a large well beaten Way, thro a most delightfull Country, to the Licks, in my Opinion about four Miles from the Ohio.—

These Licks (so much frequented by Buffaloe at present) are an Assemblage of a Variety of Springs (the head sources of the small Creek allready mentioned) tho not currently discharging the Water as generally happens, but slowly oozing thro the Earth it becomes strongly impregnated with nitrous or0172154saline particles & nearly resembles the Washings of a dirty Frazil,1 communicating a Salt Taste to the Tongue when applied. The Lick particularly where the large Bones are now found, is the most Westerly One; having a high reddish Bank upon the West, in the sides of which you may perceive a number of Bones, of different sizes, variously projecting.—The black Mud forming the Lick, may contain near half an Acre, of a glutinous & oily-like substance, so that unwieldy as these Animals must have been, no doubt became so effectually engulphed, that all attempts to extricate themselves became fruitless, & thus accounts for their general destruction at this place. What confirms me in this Opinion, was my incautiously attempting to run a-cross the Lick, to secure a large Bone on the opposite side, when I found the Way impracticable; being so bogg'd that it was not without Assistance I made my Road back again.—

1 Anchor ice.

I discovered an under Jaw very little affected by Time with all the Teeth perfectly secure. This was really a Curiosity, & could not fail giving One an Astonishing Idea of the vast BODY it helped to constitute. An Officer of my Acquaintance earnestly requesting it, I was prevailed upon (tho not without Reluctance) to part with my property—

I have seen Doctor Hunter's Lectures upon some of the Bones sent to the Royal Society by Coll. Croghan & Capt. Gordon; in which He calls them the PSEUDO ELEPHANT & says such are yet found in different parts of Siberia, but rather abruptly concludes,0173155by affirming the whole Race to be now extinct. It would be construed presumption in Me to question the Authority of so judicious a Man, however, inconsistent with the general Operations of Nature so extraordinary an Assertion may appear. It is certainly thus far authenticated, that no such Animals are at present found upon the Continent.—I must not omit informing you, for the entertainment of your Philosophic Friends, that about 8 hundred Miles up the MISSOURI River similar Bones have been found, tho' not the appearance of more than One SKELETON. Thus the SPECULATIVE may have some Reason to determine their Course from the Westward. We find that HANNIBAL in his expedition against the ROMANS was particularly delayed in conveying them over the RHONE on his March to ITALY by Bridges &ca. how then these Animals could have passed the Missippi is & Ohio Rivers only, exclusive of looking so far back as a supposed Strait between the Eastern part of Asia & the S. W. parts of this Continent added to the known obnoxiousness of a Northern Clime, will no doubt be puzzling to the most refined Enquirers. These Matters I refer to the more penetrating Researches of inquisitive Investigators, & just beg leave to touch another View.

It is astonishing to me that notwithstanding your Colony of Virginia is honored with a Number of Spirited & enterprizing Gentlemen you have so long neglected an Acquaintance with the true value of this Western Country. I am sensible that the cultivation of Tobacco could be no where more advantageously0174156 carried on, than in different parts of West Florida Government; & I am at this present acquainted with large Bodies of Land unappropriated, & excellently adapted to that purpose, open to a Market by a very good, at least tolerable Navigation for Boats of any Burden. Any Association amongst a Number of Your Friends to send down Negroes with proper Managers by the Ohio, would not only laudably promote & encourage the Settlement, but it must also tend to your very great emolument.—I must ask your pardon for thus communicating my unsollicited Opinion, & can only apologize by assuring you, that it proceeds from the great passion I have for facilitating a Settlement in that quarter; which must rise with so many grand Advantages.—The NATCHEZ is now flourishing fast, & as I plainly see what may be effected, I sigh to find matters out of my power, & the few Abilities I am possessed of, obscured, by irresistible Necessity urging Me to Pursuits of a different Nature.—I have already exceeded the Bounds of a Letter; I must therefore after requesting your forgiveness for (possibly) intruding upon your Time for Matters of more Moment, beg leave to subscribe myself with much Respect

Dr. Sir your Friend & most obed: Servant JOHN CONNOLLY

N : B Permit me to present my

Compliments to yr. Lady altho I have not the

happiness of her Acquaintance.

0175157

FROM JAMES DAVIDSON.

LONDON 29th septr. 1772

SIR

I had the Honour of Receiving your Letter with instructions concerning your Saines I shall always pay due attention to the contents I persuade myself you'll say I have fulfild your instructions given me in these 3 saines which I heartily hope will come safe to your Hands, & hope at the same time they will be in time for the intended fishery—am not Afraid but they will meet with your Approbation And if you Should see any alteration wanting if you'll be so Obliging as to send a line in the same Channel it Shall be attended to with Great Care. Your order his for the Corks to be put on flat ways I have only put them on upon the 65 fath Saine for these Reasons we have tryd that Method before wh every other invension for the Satisfaction of our Fishermen here but they have assurd us they realy do not bear the net up so well for they are Oblig'd to be tyd on so tight that the twine Cuts ym and are much apter to break and after all in Dragg. the Net they will Swim Sideways. Now Sr. you'll readily see the Above inconveniences I have also put 6 floats in the middle 2 together for to Shew the Center of the Net Likewise the Length of Nettg 120 yds fath for the 80 fathom the other 2 in proportion I now enter upon Tanning this you may Assure yourself they are pritty well wore if you have them Tand for we are Obligd to Hawle them in and out to take the Tan & after0176158that hawlg them about to Get them thoroughly dry before we Can possible pack ym. or else they wd soon rot And among the Hundreds of Saines I sent Abroad Last Year or this I only tand one besides yours therefore have not tand any of these I think the ¾ Inch Mashes that I have put in in the middle of the Netts this yr. will be a Cure for the maladie you mention of the herrings hangg in the Mash for last year I only put Inch Mashes which upon Examination you'll soon perceive therefore Sr I intreat the Honour of a Line wether or no the 2 above ¾ Mashes ansr the purpose I have taperd them away at the ends too Inch & ½

I am Sir Your most Obliged Humble Servant JAMES DAVIDSON

FROM GILBERT SIMPSON1

1 Washington's Ledger shows business dealings with Gilbert Simpson, Senior and Junior, from 1760 to 1787, and a partnership entered into with “Mr. Gilbert Simpson” in March, 1773, the accounts of which were not finally settled until September, 1784.

October: ye: 5: 1772

HONOURED SR

I am informd you have not purchast Mr Fairfaxs and Thralkels2 Lands the which I was in hopes you had for then I should have Expected to have Leest Sum more a joining to my loot which is Quite two Small as it is but Sr I hope thes lines will Find you in perfect good helth and bee kindly Received by your honour0177159it is now I am going to inform you Sr of what I have been perposeing and thinking of perposeing to you as you have a plenty of good lands lying out at red Stone and unsetled I would undertak to Settle it in pardnership with you on terms of this kind which is for me to find three or foor workeing hands and as many breeding mairs and the same number or more of Cows and other Stock in perption Sr if you Should think proper to Join this with the Same Quantity of hands and Stock and Could Confer the Charge of the Same to me I should think it my greatest duty to discharge the same with the utmost Care and onnesty and as the land is so good for indion Corn and meddows I make no dout but it would in a Five years add Sumthing more to your Fortune and a Reasonable Compency of Good liveing to my Self Sr if these lines Should have the good Sucksees to find you as I hope they will in a little time I pray you would Send me answer by the first opertainity So Sr I remain

2 Elijah Threldkeld?

your humble Servant GILBT. SIMPSONLOWDOUN

FROM ROBERT MCMICKAN, ESQ.

KINGSTON JAMAICA 13 Novr. 1772

SIR

Want of opportunity Since closing the Sale of your Herrings has delayed the remittance, which shall go by first Vessel to Alexandria.

Flour at this time is in tolerable demand here,0178160What I have Seen of yours by the Fairfax was not of the best quality & I believe Sold not for more than Common flour. Mr. Adams Sails for the Bay of Honduras in a few days—

If you intend exporting your Own Flour, you should endeavour to push out a Vessel in the Winter & another as early in the Spring as possible, during the Winter there is no Supply from Philadelphia & I apprehend your River is not so much frozen up but that Vessels may Sail.—

The French & Spaniards buy great Quantitys of flour here & will give 12d to 18d. a Ct. for it more, if in Casks that contain 160 a 180 Lb Wt. than, if in Casks containing 200 lb & upwards—the reason of this is, that they sell it at so much a Barrel & not by the Lb or Ct. Therefore should you Ship any considerable Quantitys of flour here, let one half of it be in small Barrels.I am with much respectSir

Your mo: Obdt. Servt. ROBT. MC. MICKAN.

Prices currt. Supr. fine flour 25 @ 27/6 Comn.do. 20 @ 22/6 Bread20/ Corn4 @ 4/½ Bla Eyd Pease 5 @ 6/3 Pork85 @ 95/ Barr from25 a 30 £ per Ton Excha. 40 perCt.

0179161

FROM MR. JOHN BAYNES.1

1 Indorsed by Washington, “promg. to pay Tower's Expe. towd. the Ohio Lands.”

PISCATTAWAY 14th Novr. 1772

SIR

The 23d of this Month I must Attend at our Court, therefore it will not be in my power to meet at Fredericksburgh. But whatever is Concluded on by you and the other Genta. that may be there, I will on Acct. of the Heirs of James Towers,2 be agreeable to And what Money may be wanting for there part towards defraying any Expence I will Advance for them, when I see you to know how much it is I am

2 The representative of James Towers [Lieutenant in the Virginia Regiment] received 6000 acres of land granted under the proclamation of Governor Dinwiddie.—BROCK.

Your very hum Servt. JOHN BAYNES

FROM MR. JOSEPH DAVENPORT.3

3 Addressed to “Mr. Lund Washington.”

November 22d.

SR

according to Colo. Washingtons Directions I went to Frederick Town in order to inquire into the price of hemp and as I immagined a Sample would be necessary (and I wanted Some Trifles from there) I took 100lb. for Wch I got but 40/ and was informed that the Markett was not till Towards Spring—& as Mr Cary has wrote to the Colo. I need Say no more. only they liked the hem Very well.——I received the Letter you Sent by Carney tho I did not See him therefore I could not answer it by him however the hogs0180162are up There is 13 about a year old that I do not believe will weigh over 70 apiece 3 Sows that are Large will weigh 170 apiece 20 Shoats and Sow that has 9 piggs that She is now weaning which I Suppose Carney will have. I have been for Some time Engaged about my Corn (have made 132 ½ hoghseads & shall have it lofted by Monday night) So that I have Broke but about 700 lb hemp it is all Rotted but that Wch. Bore Seed and that is now in But I cannot pretend to Say what Quantity will be made nor when I Shall be done Breaking the people have Something improved and believe I can break 1000 or 1200 Every fair week but at that Rate I Shall not be done by Christmas and I am Sure it will be high time Should be away by that time am as anxcious to Get to the place intended for me as can be and Shall use all imaginable despatch to get done here Voilett's1 Crop of Wheat 670 Bushl. I Shall go to thrashing mine immediately & Mr Little at the Bloomery has agreed to give 3/ & Receive it on the plantation if it is approved of and I know that a great many Sells for 3/ & delivers at the Mills———

1 Edward Violet, overseer at Bullskin.

Connell has Brought down the Tobaco at last & I confess I am ashamed it was not done before notwithstanding I do not think I could have done it before without prejudice to Colo. Washington I really did get no hasle nuts the Reason we had a Very Early frost Wch. Occationed them to Drop Sooner then common. tho I sent my people out one day when anyone that had not been in the Barrens would have0181163thoght the might have been plenty. I had the ague too bad to go with them & they Returnd and Said the nuts were all fallen.

I have been to Rutherfords Miller and he Blames a Deputy for the pacage of flour what is there Shall be he says Shall be Repack'd and agrees that the wheat was Merchantable and that the acct. of flour Shall be agreeable to Such and will See that it is.

Am Sr yr Very Hbl Sert JOSEPH DAVENPORT

P. S. I can get no body to hire that understand breaking hemp

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

Decemr. the 2d. 1772

DEAR SIR,

When I parted with You on Pohic You did not seem inclinable to take my Land there, and I have therefore been bargaining with Mr. Henderson about it as I owe a debt to the Store in Alexandria: But as I did not know but what You might come to some Terms with Mr. Mercer and in that case choose to purchase mine, I chose to wait till your return before I shewed the Land to Mr. Henderson, that if you thought proper you might have the preference; for I think myself under many obligations to you. Mrs. Fairfax has been unable to travel so that I could not get the Deed acknowledg'd on her part before Witnesses going to the Genl. Court. But would not the Relinquishment of Dower before the Justice be sufficient?0182164I hope to hear that Mrs. Washington & Family have returned in good Health. I am Dr sir

yr. most obedt. Servt. BRYAN FAIRFAX.

FROM CAPTAIN WILLIAM CRAWFORD.

Decemr 3rd 17721

1 Indorsed by Washington, “Order for paying Jno. Hite £100—”

SIR

I wrote you by V Crawford I was indebted to Mess Jacob Hitte & Son a Sum of mony which I have not the mony to pay and afraid I Shall be Sued for it

If you can answer they Sum in the inclosed order and Charge it in my Wages for Survaying the Land of the officers it would much oblidge Sir your Most Hume. Sarvant

W,, CRAWFORD

FROM EDWARD JONES.2

2 An entry in Washington's Diary dated September 13, 1771, reads, “Agreed with Edwd. Jones to continue Overseer at the place my Mother lives at who is also to be constant in his attendance on the People he looks after (five in number) for which he is to be allowd the Seventh of Corn Wheat & Tobo.—He also is to have two Horses added to those two he already has.”

December ye 7th. 1772

SIR

I Recd. your Letter of ye. 4th. Instant in which I find you Desire an Exact Account of all things Relating to my proceedings Since I Have Been your Overseer &. In the first place you Inquire if I have done Lofting & prizing which I have not But if weather Permit0183165I Shall be Done by the Latter End of Next week as for what Quantity I Shall have of Each I Cannot tell as yet But I Shall Know by then your fellow Comes up again But I will Safely Secure the whole Mr. Powel & I am to Carry the Hogs Down this week and Concerning what you wrote about the Larger hogs I told Mr. Powel as for the other Stock I will take Care of as Long as I Stay—& the fodder is Safely Secured & as for the Rails & out houses I do not Intend to burn them Nor Let any Body do it if I Can help it but I hope Sir you do not Desire me to watch them a nites I paid your Mother 5£ 10/ Last fall She had 2 Shotes and 3 Lambs in the Summer a Large Shote. I had 4 Barrels of Corn of her and when it Came to be measured it was But 17 Bushels the Rest I have not had an acct of as yet But you Shall know the whole in my next—I think Sir I have Been as perticular in Every thing as the Exactness of your Letter Could Direct or you Could Desire I add no more but Remain your Most Huml. Sert.

EDWARD JONES—

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

Sunday Morng 13 Decr, 1772

SIR/

your man got down on monday last & I was up the country at The Quarter & did not Get down till fryday night & when I got Home found yr. Man Giles there & after makg. inquirery found your Letter was deliverd agreable to your Instructions But0184166the Gent coud not get the Answers ready till, Satterday

& in respect to Mr. Fra foster1 whiles I was up the country I sent one of the overseers to him to know if he reced yr. Letter & he was from home & his wife told the overseer he had reced per Mr. Geo Webb whom I delivered it to Soon after you came away, But another of the overseers Met with Mr. Foster after sendg. to his house & he desird to know if I had any oppertunity of sendg. up to you that he had got fifty Pounds of the money & had no oppertunity of sendg. it to You & as Giles is down have thought Proper to send him By for one of the overseers to go with him to receive the money & send it up to you, but have been at a Loss to know whether I coud intrust him with so Large a sum or not as you did not write for him to bring it—tho I Shall write to Mr. foster that if any Accident shoud happen that the money does not get safe to hand yt. he must Stand to the Loss of it or send a man with it up to You, for you were in want of it, Ive not got the wts. & numbers of the Tobo. we have been so Extremely busy abt. Getg. our Corn in & my being up the Country the Inspecters dont attend the ware house Every day that I have not had it in my Power to get them yet for I have been up at your Quarter endeavourg to have the Ball of the Hogs got up for they have got 23 of them & coud find no more till a day or two before I got up the overseer got one of his Neighbours to Assist him Serch the Marsh & they Started two of yrs. As they suppose but got nare0185167a one of them & one of the Neighbours was in Serch of his out in the woods & came upon Eight as he adjudged to be yrs. wch. they have not been got yet the overseer tells me he has been in Serch of them seven days But cant find ym., & my being from home at the time of the oyer Court have had no oppertunity of wrighting to Biggs abt. the oats But expect a vessell every day from the Eastern Shore for the corn Corn I sold to Mr. Wilkins the Ballce. of old Corn that I was tellg. you of Mr. Wilkins has Never Sent for it yet, & if he comes or Sends Shall have an oppertunity of wrightg. tho its a matter of Doubt with me whether Biggs can get a vessell to go that distance with so Small Quantity—As they are not Allowd to take any in but yrs. for several of the Easten Shore men has told me that the freight of so Small Quantity woud not be worth while going that Distants, tho will write to him to send them immediately if they are not Sent

1 Francis Foster.

When you was down you did not conclude what you woud Have done in Respect to the wheat mill Stones—

I have had at your Plantation 4 beeves Put in corn field & Several Mutton which are now fat & have directed the overseer to send them Down Expectg. to get a better Price for them in town then he coud up the Country But Roger Tandey was at worke in town with [manuscript torn] Carpenters & informs me that the muttons was so Plenty in [manuscript torn] this Cot that they sold at 7/6 which I shall endeavour to have y [manuscript torn] Stopt till the Meetg. of the Mercts. 250186168Jany. I expect to make a very good Crop at ye Plantation in K William tho they hant finishd Getg the corn in nor wont till Next week

I have got the wench down from the White house that was sick now takg a means from Doctor Pasteur she is Troubled with the Colleck is the cheafest of her complt.

The Little negroes at ye Plantation is without cloathg & if you chuse to have them any Thing Bought Please to write by the first oppertunity as their is but very Little Roles in ye Store not Enough to give them Shirts & Shifts or whether you intended to give them any thing er not our People has not near Enough Bro Ling nor Cotten to Cloat hym. I have got 40 lbs Bro Ling & 20 yds. Cotten & Expectmust get near as much Ling agn. to give them to make them two a piece

I have not reced any money for the Corn Chroshea Graves sold of yrs. nor dont Expect it till the Meeting of the Mercts. the 25 of Jany—

I have Been sadly Plagud to get Mr. Averends Answeres to yr. Letters—I wrote Expectg without fail to get the answers Satterday But Mr. Everend being from home his boys sent Back, the Answer was sent by some one Else & thought it did not seem fesable & sent Back to Mr. Everend & it was not sent & then his boys coud not be found wch obliges me to send on Monday Sunday morng. Mr. Craigs Answer I understand By Stanhope Vaughn is inclosed with Mr. Blairs—

from yr. Mo. Humble Servant JAS. HILL

0187169

FROM MR. FRANCIS BAKER.

QUEENSTOWN Dec ye 15th 1772

SIR

At the time Capn. Posey was in this Goal, his Son St Lawrence was in a Starving Condition about the Town from mear pitty I took him into my House, and a Small time after Sent him with my own Children, to the Free school, where he Continued till his Father Left this place for Virginia, who then told me the Boy should be under my Care till he himself or his friends sent for him; till which time it was my intention to Continue him on in Learning which he took fast, having a Good Master, But to my great surprize his Father was no sooner gone than an order was produc'd, By Mr. Wm Miner from the Captain to take the Boy to his House, where he has been Ever since, in Character of Barr keeper, Hostler &c. Subject to Catch the Vices & manners of the Meaner sort of people, of which the House is often full, as I keep a Publick House, I could have had him myself in the same way, But seeing the Inocence of the Boy, I could not think of giving him a Tavern Education, he Cost me while at School £10 in Board & other things, & for his Age when he went to Mr Miner there was not his match for Writing, any Merchant would gladly have such an Assistant, I would not trouble you with this Information But from hearing you are a Friend to the Boys family—and that Charity will Excite you to make known whoever is, acquainted with the matter, as his Continuance a Year Longer may be his total Ruin—I am Sir,

Your Very Hble Sert— FRS BAKER

0188170

FROM COLONEL EDMUND PENDLETON.

December. 19th. 1772.

DR SIR

I will pay you the Sum of Four hundred pounds. which my Nephew Informs me. he is to give you for the Land he Purchased of you in Frederick. I am.

Dr. Sir Yr. Mo. Obedt. Hble Servt. EDMD. PENDLETON

FROM GILBERT SIMPSON.

DECEMBER: 26 the : 1772

SR

I Received yours of the 18 of this instant by the hand of Mr Crawford and I am agreable to your perposeal in makeing of Corn the next Summer prvided there Could be Corn got to Live on which I doubt of at that time of year but you and I Shall be more able to judg of that in the month of Febuary if Mr Crawford Coms in as he Say he will and if any goos out there must goe more than two for I perpose to goe my Self and my Negro fellow and you must Find one fellow and one wench I shall stand good in labor against against one [of] them for one Summer for I should not Care to trust a thing of that Conciquin C with any Common person and there mu[s]t [be] a wagon imployd for to go out for I should Chuse to take tools of Every Sort Sutable for plantation business and to Carry Two of my horsses and two0189171Cows and Calves and other NesCesryes Sr there is one thing in the artickels of your ag[r]ement and mine which is not as I perposed to you or Elce I mistake the mening of it which is that my Family was to hold the plantation 21 years after my decees but it looks to me as tho it was but for that Teerm in my lif and theres which is not according to my Expectation and the Shortnes of your Leeses has put the people much out of heart of Setling your Lots which they was very intent to have don but Sr I hope you will Consider that the time is two Short as the Rents is high Sr I should be glad to see you or to Receive a line or two from you the First opertunity I shall Com down to you when Mr Crawford Coms if I should not Chance to see you before So no more but Remain your humble

Servant GILBT. SIMPSON LOUDOWN

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

WILLIAMS BURGH Jany. 1st. 1773

SIR/

I this moment recd your letter & in answer to it the reason why I have neglected sending up this good Spell of weather I have endeavoured to make as good a Collection as Possable but Am disappointed altogether only the £60 of Colo. Phill Johnson which I shall send up But am doubtfull I shant make a Collection to answer the Demands agst the Estate & my wages I have waited to make Sail of0190172my Porke But am Likely to get no more then 20/ per Hundred & that not payable till Apl. & have endeavoured to make What advantage I coud of the good weather in finishg the the Crops to get in readyness to settle your Late purchase of Mr. Blackes I shall Settle Both plantations & to get in Readiness has Engaged my people so tightly yt. I coud not well Spare the same for I have but Lately got my wheat fans & have been very Busy aheading out wheat & have not finished yet I shall send the people of a monday to Settle them plantations but am apprehensive Mr. Black has told Mr. Bat Dandridge he woud give up a few of the Houses but that you Coud not Expect him to Move at any rate as yet I have been up to his House in order to see what he intended But he was from Home, & I coud by no means prevail on Roger Tandey to go over & Must Send the young man over that Lived with me last Year who was the person I intended to a sent up for the Bull but was Doubtfull he woud not be Back time enough to take place at Blacks Home House—I will send up as soon as Possable I can But on Receivg your Letter Shall endeavour to Collect those Sums agreable to your Instructions & shall Make the greatest Despatch I possable can to send up tho it will be a Very Great Hurt to my Crop as I Expect they will be gone a good while & the Loss of the Horses as I expect I shall be obliged to let the Boy have a Horse as I think it will be two far for him to ride behind & am now much plaged with the tennant in Brick House Lott in Town as I am Doubtfull they wont throw me out of the Rent I have for some time been0191173Uneasy for some time & by makeing a bad Collection & my Endeavouring to get the Business forwarded so as to seat them places as Quick as Possable I coud not well spare the people & Horses was the reason why I add not send; for I had many Promises of money But have almost altogether fell through in my Collection & am now in Hopes of getg some But my Business will not admit of my waiting on them as often as they require but time being Short & the Post Just going off conclude

Yr. Mo. Hble Servt. JAS. HILL

P.S. Please to Excuse Hast & a very Sore thumb—

FROM BRYAN FAIRFAX, ESQ.

TOWLSTON Janry the 1st; 1773

DEAR SIR,

Mr. Muir has sent me an Account of the Charges on the protested Bill which has run up very high. As it will be very inconvenient to me to go from home at this time I have inclosed a half Sheet indorsed on which I shall be obliged to You to have drawn the Set of Bills payable to me, and delivered to the person Mr. Muir may send for them. You may have a Mortgage on any of my Lands as a Security till the repayment of the whole money shall be done from the Sale of the Land in which Mr. W. Washington is concerned either at once or in small Payments as I happen to receive it. We had an Expectation0192174of receiving £500 Pensylvania Money each before this time, but according to Custom have been disappointed.

I am Dr SirYr. most obedt. Servt. BRYAN FAIRFAX.

FROM MR. THOMAS NEWTON, JR.1

1 Son of Thomas and Amy (Hutchings) Newton, grandson of George and Aphie (Wilson) Newton, was a merchant of very considerable influence in the borough of Norfolk. He was on the county committee in 1775; was appointed one of the board of naval commissioners, May, 1776; was for many years alderman; and in 1786 became mayor of Norfolk. He married Martha Tucker, and had two sons, George, a wealthy citizen of Norfolk, and Hon. Thomas Newton, representative in Congress for thirty years.

NORFOLK Janr. 11–1773.

Superfine flour from 15/6 to 16/8. & the Cash 1/8 Common - Do. - 15/---Do. - Do. Biscuit Stuff9/ to 10/---Do. - Do. Herrings---12/6—15/ few at market. Indian Corn11/6—12/6 per Barrell

SIR

Above is the prices current here at this time, if you incline to ship any thing this way I will endeavor to get the highest price going at the time I receive them. you must note that if we sell for ready money dollars pass at six shillings & what we contract for payable at the Courts in Williamsburg is received at the weight if in silver or gold. we have no encouraging markets just now either from the Eastward or West Indies but hope the adventurers will not lose. I am

Yr. Most Hble. Servt. THOMAS NEWTON JR.

0193175

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

CASTLE-MAGRUDER Janry. the 19th. 1773.

DEAR SIR

It is certainly expedient to remove Mr. Custis to some Place of publick Education, and speedily. And when there is so noble, so princely an Institution of this sort, in his own Country, it is lamentable to Find there still shou'd be a Necessity for sending Him to Another. I had, as You know, been endeavouring to believe the many Stories We are perpetually hearing of the Mismanagement at Wm. & Mary as partial & exaggerated: but, the Carefulness of your Enquiries on the Spot precludes all farther Doubt about the matter.

I can truly say, I do not differ from You in Opinion, but with Diffidence of the Rectitude of my own; nor wou'd I venture to mention my differing with You at all, had I not long ago experienced your Candor in allowing for the prepossessions or Prejudices of your Friends. I will therefore yet again take the Liberty of declaring my Opinion in favour of N. York, rather than Philada. It is but justice to premise, that I am not personally acquainted either with the one Place or the other. You, I believe, are; & can therefore better judge, whether what I say on the Report of others, be well or ill Founded.

Philada: is a large, populous, thriving, commercial City: & so is N. York. The Former, is this only; the latter is more. It is inhabited by some People of the most considerable Rank & Fortune: it is a Place of the greatest Resort for Strangers of Distinction; it is the Head-Quarters of the Military; &,0194176on all these Accounts, is, I am told, generally reckon'd the most fashionable & polite Place on the Continent. As a Situation, therefore, for a young Gentleman, who is to be Educated a little in the World, as well as in Books, it wou'd seem, that it deserves the Preference. In Fact, a little Residence in such a City is the best Substitute I know for the Tour that was once projected: as He stands a better Chance for receiving that Liberality of Manners, which is one of the best Uses of Travel, mixing occasionally with truly well-bred People. This, tho' I have not Leisure to pursue it Farther, is of some Importance in the Determination of this matter.

Confident that my Letter is for, & will be kept to, Yourself alone, I will not be afraid to speak out, tho perhaps I may be mistaken, persuaded that I shall be pardoned, if wrong. I wou'd not rashly reflect either on any Bodies of Men, or Individuals: what, therefore, I am about to say, must be read with great Candor, & large Allowance. From the best Observations I have been able to make on young Gentlemen educated in America, one general Fault is, that They come out into the World, furnish'd with a kind of smattering of Every Thing, &, with very few Exceptions, arrant Coxcombs. Were it not too invidious, I cou'd name to You Individuals, who are really clever, but hurt One by this silly Humour. And, I think, as Many have brought away this Sort of Spirit from the Coll: of Philada., as any other I have taken notice of, I know not a Fault one wou'd more earnestly wish to avoid; nor one, considering ye. Character & manners of your Ward, that You shou'd0195177more guard against. How far this may be owing to any peculiar Discipline, or Mode of Instruction in these Colleges, I presume not to say: certainly, however, the Fact is, as I have hinted, & I have heard the observation made by others as well as myself. That This is not also the Case with Respect to King's College in New York, is more than I have any authority positively to assert: I have, however, some Reason to believe, that it is not, at least, not in so great a degree. Most other Colleges are formed on the Plans of those in Scotld., Leyden, Gottingen, Geneva: Wm. & Mary, & King's College resemble more Those of Oxford & Cambridge. In the Former, Men often may become Scholars, if They will; in the latter, They must often be made so, whether They will or no. The Presidt. of the Coll: of Philada., whose Abilities are unquestionable, was himself brought up in Scotland, in a less regular manner, than is the Fortune of Scholars in general: &, in spite of his great merit, This must be some disadvantage to Him, in the office He holds. By dint of superior Genius, He has himself arriv'd at Eminence in Literature, by a nearer Cut, as it were: but, the Bulk of Men, must be enforced to travel thither, along the beaten Track. It is therefore, in some sort, necessary that He who undertakes to guide Us, shou'd himself have travelled the Road He is to shew Us. The President of King's College is allow'd to be as sound & sensible a Scholar as any in America: He was first train'd up regularly in a large School in England, & afterwards completed his Education by a ten or twelve Years Residence in Oxford.—I do0196178not, however, lay much Stress on the comparative Merits of the Professors: both of Those I have nam'd posess extraordinary Merit. But, were the Matter to be so determined, no Reason cou'd be given for his leaving his own Country, as I know very few better Scholars, than either Mr. Camm, or Mr. Johnson.

It is but Fair in Me, to advertise You, that I have, & long have had, a very warm & close Friendship with Dr. Cooper, Presidt. of the N. York college, that He is my Countryman, & constant Correspondent, & that, moreover, I am under some Obligations to the Trustees of his College for an honorary Degree, They were pleased to confer on Me some time ago. How far, these Things may have bias'd my Judgement, You will judge better than I can. I profess, however, that I have not willingly suffered private Friendship or Attachment to warp my Judgement. And I the less suspect myself, inasmuch as I know, that the Dulanys & the Revd. Mr. Addison, by far the best educated Men, & best Judges of Education in this Province, agree, in this Matter, in Opinion with Me. The Last of these Gentlemen will proposes to give this least equivocal Proof of his Judgement on the Matter, the sending his own Son thither, his youngest, I mean, whenever the ill-Health of Mrs. Addison shall permit Him to take Him from Her. And, I think I have heard Mr. Walter Dulany also talk of sending his youngest Son, tho Mrs. Dulany is, I believe, a Native of Philada., & has many Relations there.

The Difference in point of Distance, I shou'd imagine0197179gine too inconsiderable to deserve much Attention, even from a Fond Parent. He may write every Week, from the one Place as well as the other: & as his Visits neither can, nor ought to be very Frequent, a Day or two's difference in the Journey can make but little odds.

And now, my dear Sir, relying on your believing what I have said, to have been delivered with the best Intention, I beg Leave to refer the Determination of the Matter, where doubtless it ought to be left, entirely with Yourself. I have not now to inform You of my Regard For the Youth: his Welfare, believe me, is the only motive that I wish to influence my Judgement; and were I not pesuaded, that That wou'd be more effectually promoted by sending Him to York rather than Philada. I had never taken the Liberty of troubling You with this long Letter.

Whenever You have Finally determined the matter, I beg the Favour of You to let me know: and, if it be for Philada., as I happen to have no personal Acquaintance with Dr. Smith, for whose Character, however, I profess the highest Respect, I will give You the Letter You ask.

I have a Wish indeed, a strong one, to accompany You on this little Tour: the Indisposition of my Eye makes it almost absolutely necessary for Me to seek assistance somewhere, & which, They tell Me, can only be Found to the Northward. But, whether I shall be able to set my House in such order, as that my Absence so long may be dispensed with, is more than I can now judge. This only I know, that if I possibly can, I will.

0198180

A very disagreeable Controversy with two of our patriot Lawyers, which I was too easily persuaded to enter into, seems likely to cut Me out [of] a good deal of Work: This, however, if other Matters can be got over, is certainly not of moment enough to detain Me.

Mrs. Boucher begs her aff. Compts. to Mrs. Washington & Miss Custis, to which I request mine may be join'd.

I am, Dr. sir, very truly Yr. much obliged Frd. & Servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

YORKE COUNTY the 5th Feby. 1773

SIR/

I recd your letters in the office the 30th. of Jany. one dated ye 21st Decr. & the other Jany 11 which I understood had been in ye Office for upwards of Eight or 10 Days as I did not Expect a letter from you till ye meetg of ye Mercts. made no inquirery & was up at ye Quarters in ye time however there was nothing very matererall in them only yr. Directions to Mr. Everand which I went to immediately & delivered & his answer was that ye Patents has been made out ever since the 15th of Decr. to ye Best of Memory [mutilated] to ye Mill Stones we have no great deal of Custom in wheat [mutilated] have contrived to fix them so as to grind what wheat has Come without complaint as yet, tho they are but sorry & hope to make0199181them to till we take her up to rebuild which will be the first dry Spell yt comes for I have been geting in readiness to rebuild her Every oppertunity the Carpenters er had since you was down I have had all ye frameing got ready in case She Brakes or dry Spell for we have a very good run of Custom in corne provided of our mill did not waist her water in ye manner She does, We could make a good deal of corne in a year by her but she waists near as much water as she Treads with—I have Attended this Meetg of Mercts. in order to receive the money for yr. corne & part of the Estates money for corne at ye same time yt. was Sold; but did not receive one farthing for there was so much bad money of ye. new koin yt. I coud not receive it with Safety therefore woud not receive any for they woud not agree if it was bad to take it again therefore made the man underwrite his note of Hand to pay intrest till Apl.—I have Sold the Porke for 27/6 Wt. but have not recd the money for it yet Mrs. Dandridge has had of yrs. 10 Hogs Gross 1536. to Mr Jo Fox 1098lb Wt. at what I sold owes below at wch is 27/6 wt. & Mr. Thos. Averce 337 Wt. at same & 7 of ye indifferentest the overseer had & what they weigh over 600 Wt. he is to pay for & two has been catched out of ye Marsh Since a sow & a Barrow & the Sow has Pigged since She has been put up to fatten that I dont Suppose we Shall make Sail of her this year I have had 14 Muttons & two Beeves of yrs. Brot. from ye. Quarter to make Sail of to this Meetg but have sold but 6 mutns. @ 6d perr. & one beef almost @ 4d ye others Still remain here unsold as they broke0200182up so soon coud not get cent for ym. therefore keep an acct. of what Hominy they Eat & charge you with it if its agreable it should be so done please to let me know when when you write again—whether they shoud be Kept for the Next Market in Apl. or whether you woud have them sent back the young man Livg. with me when you was down left me Just before Chrismas So yt. I was obliged to Stay at home abt. the time of Negroes Hireing that I had not time to look out for any for ditchers & one of the two that I Kept to ditchg is run away & has been for Some time so that I have only one at it; whch makes us go on but very Slow with our Ditchg. the fellow that is run away is namd Coachman Jamey which is one of the Greatest Raschals I ever lookd after in all my life he went of without an angry word or a blow from any one, which woud Recommend it to Mr. Custis & you to part with him in ye same Manner you did the other for there is no getg. of him to do any thing more then he Pleases & he only corrupts the Rest & if you dont conclude to Sell him am determined to send him to the Easten Shore that he never Shall Strike a Stroke this side while I stay in the Estate & if he runs away there will have a pr. Iron Spancels for him if agreable to you for its of no Use to put them on Here for the negro Blacksmiths in town will soon file them off wch he will not have the Same oppertunity on ye Easten Shore & will have one Brot. over in his Sted if agreable to you & Mr. Custis I cant write you any thing relative to ye Quantity of Corne made at your Place for am Just agoing to have it measured but in Hopes it will turn out0201183very well for there appears to be a large Bulk of it I intended to ahad it measured When I was in New Kent But was obliged down with the Expectation of receiveing the money for ye Corne sold at Norfolk—the inclosed is Wts. & numbers of the Tobo. Shipd last year they all went on board of one Ship wch was to Cary & Co. & one Hhd of Hanover Tobo. for the Rent of that Place wch Weighd 1010 Wt. to ye. Best of Memory—tho by what I can learn am in Hopes of seeing you down very shortly for it is Expected the Assembly will be Calld together on Acct. of this Counterfit money1—I had one five pound Bill & had Just Paid it away before they were found to be bad & did agree that if it was bad I would take it again it has not come back yet So by that I am in Hopes its good or it woud abeen returned before this & think my Self very Lucky that I had made no better a Collection then I have for 2 thirds of the money is Counterfit now Circulating that I dont know well what to do in receiveg. Unless its gold & Silver & a good deal of that is bad of Dollars yt. I dont know well what to do that if I have any in the House that is bad or shoud receive any bad hope you wont think of Makeing me Stand to ye loss of it as I shall do for ye best haveing nothing more at this time to add that I can recolect only am at this time have a very bad cold & pain in the Head & Remain yr. Mo. Obet. & Humble Servt.

1 For Act of Assembly passed in March, 1773, in regard to the counterfeiting of paper money, see Hening, vol. viii. p. 651.

JAMES HILL–

0202184

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQ.

ALEXANDRIA Feby 12. 1773

SIR

I must premise to you, That I profess an Intire ignorance of the Laws and proceedings of the Courts of Justice, of the Island of Jamaica; and therefore what I say respecting any proceedings had or to be had there, or of any matter to depend upon the Laws and decisions there, is merely matter of con jecture, not founded in certainty.

If then the Laws and Court proceedings there, do not materially differ from ours, I think that Mr Mc Mickan by virtue of the Missive sent, with a State of your claim or case, might Institute a suit against Mr Adams in your name, to Oblige him to pay for the Fish sold here, and to account for the proceeds of the Flour; But that It will be advisable to send him a Power of Attorney, as the Missive It's more than probable would not be adjudged sufficient upon the a Trial to be had between you—

A Power of Attorney Executed here by you before a Credible person, and that execution proved to the Mayor of Norfolk by such person, will I think Obtain his seal of Office; and that a power so proved with a Certificate of such probate under his Seal, will be valid—

His property or Effects, whilst his person coud be had, here would not be liable, to any legal proofs, untill Judgement had against him; how It may be in Jamaica, I cannot undertake to say—

0203185

If you have an Account of Sales from Mr Adams, you may by the Laws of Maryland, Attach his Lands & personal Estate, not by way of Security, for they would be absolutely condemned . . (IE) the Lands Effects would be appraised & delivered to you according to Appraisement, as also the Lands valued at their annual worth & delivered to you to hold at the valuation fixed upon by the Appraisers, till you might be fully satisfied—If they are under a Mortgage you would be under the necessity of paying the money due thereby and of taking an Assignment of the Mortgage before you could Secure yourself that way.

I would advise you to make out a State of your Affairs with Mr. Adams, by way of an Account and make an Affidavit thereto agreeable to the circumstances of the Case, in Court next Week, and Transmit it under the Clerks Seal to Mr McMickan—If you should not Incline to act so publickly in the Affair—I would have you prove it before Mr Rob Adams & have It certified by the Clerk under his seal of Office, that Mr Adams was a Magistrate—not that I know that such Evidence is admisible there, but It appears to be the best that you can furnish in the present case—I would also advise you to take a Copy of the Power of Attorney inclosed and acknowledge It, at our next Court and Transmit that to Mr McMickan, attested by the Clerk under the Office Seal; one of which Powers or both, I am of opinion will be adduced Authentick and legal.

If any other matters should occur to you respecting this Affair, I have only to add, that I shall be0204186happy if you can receive the least assistance therein from

Sir, Your very Obedt Servt, ROBT H: HARRISON

FROM COLONEL GEORGE WILLIAM FAIRFAX.

BELVOIR Feby. 22d: 1773

DEAR SIR

Altho' I can hardly hold a Pen, yett this is to acknowl: the Receipt of yours, with a Letter for your Brother, and Colo. R: H: Lee in Westmoreland; which I hope they will Rece: this Week, as I am determined as soon as this very inclement touch of Weather is over (for I think I never felt any more severe) and I can pass the River to sett off, and heartily wish you and Company good sport a Hunting, and hope you'l come into this Neck then, and at all times without Ceremony

I hope the Pistols I have will do, if not will take the liberty of sending for yours. What you have done respecting the bound. of the seventy two Acres of Land, is very satisfactory

Our Complements, and best wishes, attend you, Lady, and Miss Custis, and am Dear sir

Your Most Obedt. humble Servt. G: W” FAIRFAX I felt another touch of the Gout last Night, but hope its only the Effect of the Weather

0205187

FROM MR. J. G. FRAZER.1

1 John G. Frazer was among the first volunteers in the war of the Revolution, and rose to the rank of major. The following extract is from Washington's Order Book, dated September 22, 1775: “John Gizzage Fraizer Esqr: being appointed Assistant to the Quarter Master General, for the District of Prospect and Winter hill, he is to be obeyed as such.” In 1778 Major Frazer went to Bordeaux, from whence he kept up a correspondence with Washington, and continued to take an active interest in American independence.

KING WILLIAM CT. HO. Mch. 16th. 1773

SIR

I shou'd have spoke to you on Sunday last as you returned from Williamsbg. concerning your suit against me in our Court, but had desired Mr. Wm. Aylett to speak to you when at Wms.burg. and not hereing from him prevented me; I am not able at this time to discharge my Debts, meeting with several misfortunes at Sea and elsewhere has occasioned it, and am now prevented from going about my business, keeps me from geting in any way to discharge my Debts so soon as I wish. I have a Letter of Licence on foot only to give me Liberty three years to pay up, which I am sure of doing if I have my Liberty and Health; every Gentleman I have applyed to yet has willingly signed it, and hope you will signify as much to Mr. Lyons or [mutilated] by a line, wch. will infinitely oblige Yr. Hble Servt.

J. G. FRA [mutilated]

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR., ESQ.

NORFOLK March. 22. 1773.

SIR

I am very sorry to inform you that we have very slow sale for flours at this time, owing to the large0206188quantity's from every part of the country, together with a report of the best superfine selling with you at 14/ per Ct. I have not sold as yet above sixty barrels of your best kind & not one of the inferior sort, but do not doubt of disposing [of] the whole of it payable at the July & OCtober meetings, as yours has the preference of any at this market. we have had no arrivalls lately that I cannot inform you of the state of the markets abroad for the sale of flour much depends on the accts from Spain & Portugall & as the ports of Britain are opened I doubt not of many buying on speculation, which will occasion a rise here. I will inform you if any demand shou'd happen this way, that you may govern your Contracts thereby. I am.

Yr Most Hble ServtTHOS NEWTON JR

FROM BENEDICT CALVERT, ESQ.1

1 Benedict Calvert was a member of the Maryland Council, and one of the judges of the Land Office all through the administration of Governor Eden. He belonged to a collateral branch of the family of the Lords Baltimore.

MOUNT AIRY Apl. 8th. 1773

DEAR SIR

I Received the favour of yours of the 3d Instant by Mr. Custis which I feel myself highly honoured by, and am truly happy in your Approbation of that young Gentlemans future Union with my Second Daughter.2 I should be dead to Parental feelings,0207189were I untouched with the polite manner in which you are pleased to compliment Nelly's Qualifications; Being her father, it would illy become me to sound her praise, perhaps I might be deemed partial—I shall therefore only say, That it has ever been the Endeavour of her Mother and me, to bring her up in such a manner, as to ensure the happiness of her future Husband, in which, I think, we have not been unsuccessfull—if we have, we shall be greatly disappointed.—I intirely agree with you, that it is, as yet, too early in life for Mr. Custis to enter upon the matrimonial State, and hope his being placed at New York may be attended with every advantage to him which you and Mrs. Washington can, at present, desire, or I could hope for, in the future happiness which I sincerely wish him and my Daughter long to enjoy, to which that must, as you observe, greatly contribute.1 Permit me at the same time to hope with you, that this separation will only delay, not break off, the intended Match.

2 “My son-in-law and ward, Mr. Custis, has, as I have been informed, paid his addresses to your second daughter, and, having made some progress in her affections, has solicited her in marriage. How far a union of this sort may be agreeable to you best can tell; but I should think myself wanting in candor, were I not to confess, that Miss Nelly's amiable qualities are acknowledged on all hands, and that an alliance with your family will be pleasing to his.”—Washington to Benedict Calvert, April 3, 1773.

1 “As his guardian, I conceive it my indispensable duty to endeavour to carry him through a regular course of education (many branches of which, I am sorry to add, he is totally deficient in), and to guard his youth to a more advanced age before an event, on which his own peace and the happiness of another are to depend, takes place.” – Washington to Benedict Calvert, April 3, 1773.

Mr. Custis I must acknowledge, is, as a match for my Daughter, much superior to the sanguine hopes which a parents fondness may have at any time encouraged me to indulge; He is luckily so circumstanced in point of fortune, that the Inconsiderableness of the portions, I shall be able to bestow on my0208190Daughters, is, in this Alliance, a mere matter of a very secondary consideration—And that circumstance seems to prognosticate great happiness to Nelly, being a clear proof of the young Gentlemans disinterested affection for her—I can only add, on this subject, that, from the largeness of my family (having ten Children) no very great fortune can be expected: What that may be depends upon the Issue of my present depending Claim. Of this, Sir, however be assured, nothing in my power shall be left undone to promote so pleasing an Union—Nelly's portion, as far as my personal Estate will go, shall, at least, be equal to any of my other Children, nor will you, Sir, I am sure, desire more—I shall at all times, when convenient, be happy in bringing my family to wait on Mrs. Washington, and equally glad to see her & Miss Custis with you at Mount Airy, where I hope it will suit you to call (next week early) in your way to Annapolis, and I will have the pleasure of attending you thither.

I am Dear Sir Your Most Obedt & humble Servt. BENEDT CALVERT

I expect the pleasure of the Governors & Mr. Haywoods Company a Saturday Evening, they stay with me till Monday Morning, when they set off for Mr. Bouchers where they purpose to dine, and then go for Annapolis, I shall attend them there & return home in the Evening, without it will sute you to come here on Sunday and go up with them

B C

0209191

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, 8th. Apl. 1773.

DEAR SIR

I hardly remember ever to have been more surpris'd, than I was a few days ago, on being informed by the Governor of the Engagement that had taken Place between Mr. Custis, & Miss Nelly Calvert: and, I beg Leave to assure You, on my Word & Honour, that, never till that moment, had I the most distant Suspicion of any such Thing's being in Agitation. It gives Me great Uneasiness to learn, from the same Authority, that You think Me, in some measure, to blame. To this, I can only reply, that, if I have err'd, the Error was of the Head, & not of the Heart. Mr. Custis will do Me the Justice to own, that I have repeatedly warn'd Him of the Hazard every Man must necessarily run, who precipitates Himself into so important an Attachment, ere the Judgement be fully matured. He has Reason to be thankful, that He runs as little, as any one can. The peculiar & extraordinary Merits of the Lady He Fortunately, has singled out to place his Affections on, assure Me, he never will have Cause to repent it, from Her: I wish, I cou'd be half as sure, that his own future Conduct & altered opinions, may never tempt him to wish, that He had let it alone, a little longer.

You will remember, I always thought, that He was enamoured of Miss Betsey; tho' even in that, I suspected not, that there was any Likelihood of its be coming so serious, without my first knowing more of it. Why, He has carried it so Far, without ever0210192deigning to pay Me that common Compliment, which, I think, my Friendship For Him well entitled Me to, He best can tell: I will not, however, impute it to a worse Cause, than a false Shame. If He had consulted Me, He would have Found Me in that, as I hope, He has, in other Things, candid & indulgent. But, when I recollect, that He neglected also to inform You, I forbear my Murmurings, asham'd to insist too much on a Break of Friendship, with your Example before Me, who have Forgiven a Breach of Duty.

I beg You to recall to your Mind, what my Conduct has been in other Instances respecting this Young Gentleman: and I am sure You will do Me the Justice to own, that my not having advertis'd You of This also, has been owing solely to my not knowing it, myself. However infatuated I may have been in my political Pursuits, I wou'd not have been wanting in so essential an Instance of Duty. I therefore, will hope, that You will not continue to judge hastily of my Negligence, inasmuch as I again assure You, that, if I have been to blame, I have been so unintentionally.

I should belie my real Opinion, were I not to say, that, I think, it had been better for Mr. Custis not to have engag'd Himself: but, since This could not be, I should hardly belie it less, not to own, that I think He cou'd nowhere have enter'd into a more prudent Engagement. Miss Nelly Calvert has Merit enough to fix Him, if any Woman can: and I do, from the Fullness of a warm Heart, most cordially congratulate his Mother & Yourself, as well as Him, on the0211193Happiness of his having made this most pleasing of all Connexions, with this the most amiable young Woman I have almost ever known. I know Her well and can truly say, She is all that the Fondest Parent can wish for a darling Child. Warmed with the Ideas of her Merit, I can almost persuade myself to believe, that the Advantage which may be deriv'd to his Morals from this Engagement, rash as it has been, are enough to compensate for the ill Influence it may be supposed to have on his intellectual Pursuits. There is a Generosity, a Fortitude, a Manliness & Elevation of Mind, which such true Gallantry inspires, that is not so easily otherwise taught. As I will not suffer myself to think, but for a moment that He will ever be wanting in Honour or Integrity, so as to tempt Him to shrink from an honourable Engagement, I trust, He will also consider Himself as not less bound in Honour, to avoid all those sordid & less noble Pursuits, which wou'd debase, & render Him unworthy of Her. Nay, I trust that He will find himself enabled to collect the dissipated Powers of his Mind, & apply with Earnestness to his Studies, which, it seems, He now Confesses, He has not been able to do these twelve months, owing to the Impression of this Passion. Upon the whole, it appears to Me, considering his Temper & Situation, I cannot that think his Friends have rather Reason to rejoice, than be uneasy, at this Engagement.

I enclose You a Letter from Dr. Cooper, which, I assure myself, will not be displeasing to You. He is a Man of True Merit, in Every Sense of the Word;0212194and You may safely depend on his doing every thing becoming such a Man. You see You have all this & the next Month, before You: He shou'd be there, before their Commencement in June, that He may not lose a Term and, as his Friend & old Companion Carr, has some thoughts of accompanying Him thither, on the same Errand, I will be obliged to You, if, without Inconvenience to Yourself, You can give Him three weeks or a Month, to consult his Friends, & get ready.

I am told, You have Business to our Provincial Court, the next week; I hope to see You either agoing, or returning. The Govr., Mr. Calvert, the chief Justice, & Mr. Dulany dine here on Monday: shou'd You set out on that Day, You know, You can be here in Time to Dinner.

I am, most truly & cordially, Dr. sir, Yr. most obedt. Hble servt. JONAN. BOUCHER

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON.

Aprel: ye: 11: 1773

honoured Sr I Send you a Few Lines to Let you know that with Great diffeculty I Got Safe to your Land which I believe there is no better in this part of the world but whether it has been wet and Cold that I Sufferd in my Jurney and about Teen days after I Got out by Lying in an old Leekkey Smooke Cabbin or whether the water and Climent is disagreble to me or not I Cannot Tell but never have been to Say well Sence there I have Been which has Given0213195me a Great distast against the Cuntry but Sr I intend to do the best I Can to improve your Land untel the Fall and then to Quit the Consern but Sr I hope you will not tak it a miss for my wife never was agerable to Com to this part of the world which is a Clog to me but I all ways was in hops that I Could Recommend the place to her in Such a manner that would make her agreable but I Cant Recommend a to so near a frend that I have but a Still Likeing to my Self and I Com now to Let you that you may have all the afairs of mine that I Brought out Such as wagon horses Geers Tools and Every thing Else at the apprasement and vallue of them besid a Good feather Beed and furneture puter and water vessels and several things Elce that was not valued in the Concern Likewise my part of the Crop that is to be Raisd but Sr if you do not Chuse to Continue your hands on the plase or or to send more under an overseer which there is many out heare at would Gladly undertake to Look after I do belive it if it is not agreable to you to do so pray Let me know as Soon as possable for I Can Sell all your artickels and mine under an advantage and bring the Negros back again and would higher your Two hands my Self if you Chus higher them Sr please to Let me know what you would have don in the affair and I will undertake to do the best I Can for you that there Shall nothing of yours Suffer or go a mis that I Can hinder Sr I Remain yours to Command

GILBT. SIMPSON YOUGHIOGAHANA

FROM REESE MEREDITH, ESQ.1 0214196

1 Born in Radnorshire, Wales, 1705; died in Philadelphia, 1777. Watson, in his Annals of Philadelphia, relates the following anecdote of this influential Quaker: “Reese Meredith, a merchant of Philadelphia, seeing Washington at the Coffee-house [in 1755], was so pleased with his personal demeanour as a genteel stranger, that he invited him home, to dine with him on fresh venison. It formed a lasting friendship, and caused afterwards, it is said, the appointment of another Meredith of the family [his son, General Samuel Meredith] to be first treasurer of the Union. As this acquaintance was formed without formal introduction, it long remained a grateful recollection in Meredith's family, as a proof of his discernment.”

PHILADELPHIA May 5th. 1773

ESTEEMED FRIEND COLONEL WASHINGTON

From the little acquaintance I had with thee formerly, I take the liberty of recommending the bearer Capt. John Harper who is in partnership with William Hartshorne—John Harper comes down in order to see the Country, if he likes it, they propose to come down and settle with you; they are Men that have a very pretty Interest—Wm. Hartshorne lived with me some Time—They are Industrious, Careful, Sober Men; If Capt. Harper should want to draw on this place for Five hundred Pounds, I will engage his Bills shall be paid—Any Civilitys shewn him will be return'd by

Thy Friend REESE MEREDITH

FROM COLONEL FIELDING LEWIS.

SATURDAY May 8th. or 9th. 1773

DEAR SIR

Buckner was here last Tuesday and promi'd to do the needful if possible, left the Town on Wednesday0215197and I am this Evening inform'd by Mr. Whiting that he would not return, and as I hear'd a Gentleman this day say he was to receive Three hundred pounds from Buckner I conclude you will get no Money, have therefore parted with agreed for your Bills to Mr. Charlton at the Currt. Exchg Wch. is not setled as the drawers expect 30 perCtt & the buyers offer 25perCt am now going to get the £300—to send you to the care of your Brother Charles as wrote you by Mr. Henderson have paid all demands agt. you and have recd & paid as per Margin, Mr. Mongomery will not pay the Balle. of Whitings Bond Colo. Banister says he will pay before he leaves Town, Warner Lewis have not seen shall go that way John Fry not in Town, Armisted not in Town, Trustees of Bernard More will pay as soon as possible but no Money at this time, in short disappointments so general that I never before have seen so little business done nor one Tenth so many disappointmts. I was fearfull from the beginning that Buckner would disappoint as I knew Gloster County to be the worst in Virginia to have any Money matters to collect from, I wish you a good Journey, as you pass Prince Town call and see my Sons who will I am sure have great pleasure in seeing you I am Dr Sir Yr. most Affectionate

Hume Servt. FIELDING LEWIS

P.S

Since writing the above Mr. Hill informs me that he will be able to pay a farther Sum of Money, so that I shall have return'd one of your Bills £80 – 0 – 0. 0216198

Colo. WashingtonDr

To Cash pd. Mr. Hodge Sterlg£35——

To pd. Capt. Page's Order £14 – 1419 . 2 . 2½

To pd. Crawfords Order in favr Hite50---

I am to pay Mr. Dade at our fair this Month R Washington's Order Wh. he60--- could not stay to receive desir'd me

to bring up the Money---1645212½

Cash sent you by Mr. care of yr. Brother Charles300---

Cr.

By Cash of Mr. Norton£12 . 1 . 9

Do. Treasuer---12 . 2 . 6

Do. of Hill84 . 10 . 8

112 : 15 : 11

By 3 Bills Excg to Edwd. Charlton amounting to £240 Sterlg---

one return'd £ 80/160

By Cash of Mr. Hill62 .. 14 .. 5

FROM THE REVEREND WALTER MAGOWAN.1

1 John Parke Custis's former tutor.

May 9th. 1773

SIR

Yours of the 7th. Inst. is just come to hand: The Tickets in Lord Sterlings Lottery which I had of you are all disposed of, and indeed I am sorry that I did not advise you of this before now. Wishing you an agreeable journey, I am

Sir Your Obliged Hble. Servt. WALTER MAGOWAN.

0217199

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

Monday Morng the 11th May 1773

SIR

I reced yr. Letter per Colo. Lewis some few days after his coming to town & agreable to your instruction I have endeavourd to proceed wherein have recd of Doctor James Carter 4th May £10. 16 ds. of the Exrs. of Mr Claibornes £14-of Mr. Francis Foster £33-8. of Mr. Thomas Prosser 32 Dollars by count at 5/9 1/4 £7-5-0 his money Lost 9d when I weighed it I took it in dollars & he had no Scales at his Lodgings tho have given the rect for ye Hole £7-5-9 & as to my own Accts. have made a very Poor collection tho have paid Colo. Lewis upon ye. hole includeg. the Above sums 198-5-1 which immagine he will acquaint you with Mr. William Dandridge was not in Town he sent by a young man who he Expected would make some Small Collection for him Sufficient to discarge that sum but he made none at all

I have reced our goods wherein There is 2 Dousin of Grind Stones & some of them the Largest I ever saw full Large for Mill Stones if they were the right sort Stone I think if it woud not be two great expence I would have ym Sent back there is part of them very Siseable & fit for the purpose they are intended for; please to write to me if there is any Powdor & Shott come in as the Crows destroys & pulls up Near all our corne & I dont care to open all the goods to Serch; ye. Bale of Cotten is partly Damaged tho am in hopes it dont run far in I wanted to know What you would have done with it & likewise if we must have the Easten Shore Tobo. sent on0218200board of Capt. Peterson & consignd to Cary & Co. & whether I must Purchase the overseers Tobo. as Tobo. wont Exceed 2d

I have engaged all our corne to some Gent. on the Easten Shore at 12/6 per to be delivered by the last of June payable Octobr. Cot. which hope youl come down to as I was in hopes you would a been down to this as there is Several Matters I wantd to consulted you upon in respect to land in dispute on the Easten Shore & likewise that in New Kent Colo. Pendleton advises me to bring suit in ye County Court for that on the Easten shore & if [it] goes agst. us then to appeale & we shall get it determind much soonner than if I have it first brot in Genl. cot.

Coachman Jammey Lay out at least three months & I took the Overseers & drove a Neck of ours & Started him & a boy of ours who he had taken in Camp With him & was obliged to Catch him with a dog he has not Started since & promised he wont again but there is no dependence in him tho I did not Petition the Genl Court for Liberty to Ship him off for I intend to make a tryal of sendg. him to ye. Easten Shore & [if] that wont do will Petn. in Octob. with your Concent they & others had Killd five of Mr. Graves Largest Hogs & he confest Sliping a board of one of our Barns & had taken Corne twice or three times tho I whipd him But very little as I thought useless for he appeard as if he had been in time Past Severely Corrected he told me he was by old Mr. Moody advised him if they would all run away you woud turn me off, & I cant see what its for unless it is because I am enclosing the land that he0219201wont have the same range for his Stock that he Usually had as this fellow Jammey was one of the Ditchers tho he is so great a raschal there is hardly minding any thing he says but by the Negroes Abscondg. as they have, there appears to be something of truth in it tho we have none out now I should abeen Glad to have had a little more time to wrote you few more Particulars that I dont at this time Recollect being in a hurry to go [to] town before the Mercts. brake off as they have put of till last Lewis that he shoud leave Town to day if Possable & desired if I intended to write by him to have it ready as it was uncertain what time he should leave Town; that I cant write so fully As I woud Willingly do—& conclude

Yr. Mo. Hble Servt. JAMES HILL

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON.

May: ye: 20: 1773

HONOERD SR I have Sent you Two Letters before but wheather they Ever ketcht your hands or not I do not know the perport of them was to acquaint you of the Great aversion my wife had in Coming over the mountains and I do not Like the Cuntry well anufe myself to Live in it but if you Chuse to Continue your hands on the Land you may have all belonging to me at the vallue of them as they are all Reydey on your Land and as it is not Conveniant0220202for me to moove my family over I will under take to Com out once or twise a year To Serve you and if you Chuse I Should and Could Serve Severel other gentel men besids in Coming out Spring and fall and Contrive and plan of ther affairs for them for your Land is vastly fine for medo and Corn I Shall be down at home in about four weeks time from this and I Beg Sr you would send me a leter about that time or after awhile to let me know what you would do for I Shal not Com out again until the Latter End of Summer and then [if] you have a mind to Send out more Slaves and a horse or two and winter Close for those that are out heare I Shall be Reydey to Conduct them a long and if you Should want to purchas Stock and will Send money and let me know what you want I will indevor to Sute Everything in the Best manner as I Can no more but I Remain your humble Servant to Command GILBT SIMPSON

YOUGAGHANAY

FROM MR. EDMUND PENDLETON, JR.1

1 Eldest son of John, and favorite nephew of Hon. Edmund Pendleton. He married the youngest sister of Judge Pendleton's second wife, and their second son, Edmund, was adopted by his great-uncle, and became his heir. He married, first, Jane Byrd Page and afterwards Lucy Nelson. He was the father of William Nelson Pendleton. The eldest son of Edmund and Milly (Pollard) Pendleton was John Pendleton, auditor of the State of Virginia, 1787–1794. Among the marriage bonds published in the William and Mary Quarterly is the following:—

“August 14, 1764. Edmund Pendleton, Jr., of Caroline county to Milly Pollard, daughter of Joseph Pollard, gentleman; sec; Jesse Payne; with., Val. Wood. John Pendleton's letter of consent to his son's marriage; witnessed by John Madison and Wm. Campbell.”

May 23. 1773—

SIR

I received your favour at Wms.burg, and deferred answering of it until I could see Mr. Armistead.0221203The money arising from the Sales of those Negroes Mortgaged by Colo. Moore to Colo. Baylor, is not sufficient to discharge Colo. Baylor's engagements by near £3000. and the debts due him, got in only as fast as will make easy with his own Creditors; and The Executors could wish you would wait til next Spring, for that they intend to sell some of the Estate this fall payble. then. If it is out of your power to wait that time, you will please take the further trouble of writing me another Letter, that I may advise the Executors of your determination.

I am Sir Your very Hble Servant EDM: PENDLETON JR.

FROM COLONEL FIELDING LEWIS.

May 24th. 1773

DEAR SIR

Inclos'd you have Whitings Bond the Ballance of which Mr. Montgomery refuses to pay, also Buckners Bond, no part thereof paid, also Armisteads Ex. Protest have not seen him since you sent me the protest; Inclos'd is a State of Money recd. & paid for you at Wmsburg by which you will be able to settle your Accts. Our Wheat is better than common and I think it's generally so that I have seen, Tobacco is become a drug the highest price with us is 12/6 Cash per hundred, and I believe little could be sold for the ready at that price, as there appears to be0222204little or no Money in cerculation, the Merchts. will not make any Money engagements on that account as it is almost impossible to comply with them, I expect there will be a necessity for the Assembly doing something in the matter unless times mend, for all the Specie will be sent away & the Treasury get the paper.

I am Dr Sr. Your most affectionate Humble Servant FIELDING LEWIS

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON.

June the: 14: 1773

SR this Coms to acquaint your honour that I am Returnd home from youghagahanay and have left all well when I came from there I left provision Enuf for the people to Eat and work anuf to do and I have Got a nye neibour to have an Eye over them and there work. tho my fellow is Sufficient to take Care and is as trusty I believe as most white men and will Carrey on work as well as most when Laid down to him Sr I Should be Glad to get a few Lines from you to know what you determine upon wheather you take my part of things or not as I have wrote you about and Sr I want to know whether you will be at Leesburg any time this Summer or not for the it would save me the trouble of Coming down to you for I have had been Saddeld with a Great del of trouble and hard Ship alreaydey and Should not be fond of much more untell I Goe out again which perpose to0223205do about the first of September when I think the flies is a Little more moderate and then if you perpose to Send more hands and horses and Clothing for them that is there I Shall if God willing be a going out and pray Sr Send me in your Letter whether you are Going from home this Summer to Stay any lenth of time or not that I may not mis Seeing of you when I com down I send you in the inclosed a true account to Shew you how your meney is Laid out and Sum more to it So no more but Remains Your umble Servant to Command

GILBT. SIMPSON LOUDOUN N: B: I understand that Mr Lun Washingtons overseer has Got 15 acers of Land in Corn and I heard Just before I Came away that one of the negros had thrasht the overser but no Great hurt on Either Side

FROM EDWARD CHARLTON.1

1 A merchant in Williamsburg in 1773.

WMSBURG June 19th. 1773

SR.

I recd. Your letter this day, and sent it per Captn. Younghusband for Liverpool, Colo Lewis recd. £200. from me at first, then Exchge. was not settled, but before he left town, I Paid him the remaining £8. – – I suppose he sent you the Accot. before, is the reason of his not accounting with you for it

I am Sr. Yr. Hble Servt. EDWD. CHARLTON

0224206

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

19 June 1773.

SIR

Not havg. five Minutes to write by the Post your first Letter got Mislaid in the Office so as I never got it till the 16th June & by not havg. yr. Instructions how the Tobo. was to be Shipd I have put it all on board of Peterson & after recg. yr. Letter went up in order to stop the Quantity you orderd but was two Late so there is none but the Easten shore Tobo. which is Expected Every hour to Peterson all our People at Mill Quarter are now down with the Measles & Expect all ours to have it every hour havg no time Prevents my writeing to you more fully you never Mentiond any thing abt the Tobo. in the letter by Colo Lewis the Post Obliges me to conclude

Yr Most Obt Servt JAS. HILL

FROM HENRY HILL, ESQ.1

1 Henry Hill, son of Richard Hill, mayor of Philadelphia, was born in Maryland in 1732, and died September 15, 1798. He was a very prominent merchant in Philadelphia, and engaged extensively in the Madeira wine trade. He held many positions of importance both before and after the Revolution, and was a member of the Convention of 1776. He married Ann, daughter of Reese Meredith.

PHILADA. 22d. June 1773

SIR

I have perused the Letter you favor'd Mr. Meredith with of the 17th. and am obliged by your inclination to correspond with my partners at Madeira—Altho it's not usual to ship fine wine but for bills of0225207Excha. I have inclosed a letter to the house requesting they wou'd comply with your orders for a few pipes of that quality for your own use & take the payment in flour as you propose—It's an article likely to answer your purpose as well as I can judge—I think if the quality is very good it will not clear less than 15 per Ct. or more—& Corn as much—for the proceeds of the last your returns may be order'd in wines most salable with you of any denomination except particular.

In every part of the transaction at Madeira I have so much reliance on my partners' skill & integrity that you may freely consider me as accountable to you for whatever ought to be expected from good factors.

You will please to insert in the Bill of Loading frt. payable in wine of any kind except particular or Bill wine: and shou'd the owners be disengag'd to any house there I shall thankfully acknowledge your interposition to get the vessel & remainder of the Cargo consign'd to your frds. which as a considerable shiper only you'll have some right to apply for—

Your Congratulations on my happy marriage are extremely acceptable to Mrs. Hill who joins me in presenting our best respects to your & yours—I am, Sir Your most obedt. friend & Servt.

HENRY HILL

0226208

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY.

PITTSBURGH June 29th. 1773.

DEAR SIR.

Since my Return from the Illinois Country, where his Majesty's business, as well as my own private Affairs had called me, I have had the honor of two Letters from you; I have also had the pleasure of Mr. Wood's company here, and esteem him a very proper person for the accomplishment of your purposes, whose abilities (I conceive) will direct him to the proper choice of Country, when he has once taken a View of the Northern Parts of West-Florida, & considered their dependence upon, & connection with the commercial situations upon the Sea Coast.1—

1 James Wood, father of James Wood who preceded Monroe as governor of Virginia, and whom Washington describes as “a gentleman well esteemed in Virginia,” was commissioned by him to select and have surveyed ten thousand acres in West Florida, which Washington claimed under the royal proclamation of 1763.

As I have the honor to know how laudably solicitous you are to be made acquainted with whatever may be curious or instructive in this Western Country; & as I experience a particular happiness in communicating any thing tending to your amusement, or satisfaction, permit me to present you with some of my Remarks made during my last Journey. As the Falls of the Ohio generally afford matter of conversation, when this River, is considered in an extensive & Political Sense, I shall begin with a description thereof. This remarkable place lies in Lat: 38,, 22 & is not formed by the continuation of any Mountain, or part thereof crossing the Stream; altho from a superficial View one would be induced0227209to adopt the opinion.—There is a small Island about three miles above the Falls, the Westerly End of which you scarcely leave behind, when an increased Stream is perceivable, & on the North, a flat kind of Lime-Stone Rock stretches along the Shore, advancing from the Wood to the River a considerable distance, & affording a good Portage. Upon turning the next Point, & keeping in with the South Bank, (which is requisite going down) the Falls are discovered, the North part of which runs with great violence, the Water dashing over the hidden Rocks, attended with the consequent Roar, presents to the View a Sight pleasing enough; altho the necessity of passing thro the noisy Tumult, will somewhat take of the edge of enjoyment. This side altho mostly esteemed impassable, is the best Route in low Water, & is the channel thro' which I went my last voyage. On the South opposite to the head of the Rapids, stands an Island, which from a rugged scaley Rock crossing the River forms the beginning of the Falls; however from the Island to within two hundred yards of the North Shore, (which may be three quarters of a mile) the Water runs moderately, enough & being but shallow, stops a multitude of stately Trees which are borne down by the successive Floods; these being parallel to each other, with their Roots opposed to the stream & spreading themselves across, add to the natural obstruction of the Water: For the distance of two hundred yards close in with the North Shore, the Fall is great, & a vast number of hidden Rocks just under the surface, together with others0228210which appear, render this way not the most eligible to a stranger; altho' (as I before observed) in dry Seasons, it is the best. If the distance of two hundred yards be ran down without striking, the danger is then over; & altho you toss on with wonderful rapidity, & may ship some little Water, there is nothing to be feared. About two hundred paces above the Island last mentioned, & on the same side enters a small Water, called Bear-grass Creek, into the Mouth of which most People are directed to put, to examine the condition of the Falls. If the River is full or moderately high, they set out, keeping the North side of the Island about 150 yards upon the Lar-board side, & thence gradually gain the middle of the River, which direction is to be kept untill they come opposite to the West point of the Island, when the shore must be approached to within the distance of two hundred paces, & then continue on, observing this last course, which shoots the Boat thro' the Southermost opening & end of the Rocks, & Falls immediately below the Falls, the Road for the Portage of goods comes in upon the River, which does not exceed one mile & an half to where the Adventurer disembarks his Property, if any Risque is apprehended.—At the West end of the Falls, the Rocks with the accumulated Sand & Mud retained by their roughness & inequality, pushing out various Shrubs, & vegitable substances, together with the beautifull Cascades made by divers Breaches thro' the Rocks of different descent, render the prospect variegated, & delightfull.

0229211

Batteaux in coming up Stream find it most expedient to keep the second opening from the South side, & by severe dragging, are capable to force up such Vessels half loaded in the lowest Water—This Route Major Hamilton with the Royal Irish pursued last year in returning from the Illinois.

Altho both sides of the River afford good Portage, the North being a smooth Rock, & the South a Level Country with a tolerable open way; yet the Preference is to be given to the South Shore, both on account of the Creek's Mouth before spoke of, affording a close approach to the Land, denied on the opposite Shore by the Rocks irregularly projecting into the River, rendering the Landing difficult if not impracticable for Loaded Boats; as well as on account of the smaller distance of portage on the South. Troublesome as the Falls are in low Water, they are scarcely perceptible in Floods. The 14th. of March 1772 I past over them in company with 8 other Batteaux under the command of Majr. Hamilton, & could only observe an increased Rapidity in the Water with a small noise towards the North Shore. Various Petrifactions are to be seen upon the Shores, & upon the Rocks at this Place; even Buffaloe excrement, with the small vegitable substances discoverable therein, curiously turned into Stone, yet so nicely retaining the original appearance as to be immediately known.—

On the East side of Scioto not far distant from a House known by the Name of the blinking Woman's (a Shawanese Squaw), is to be seen a very curious Piece of antiquity. I mean what is generally0230212 called an Indian Fort The Country hereabout is level; however this Work (as well as every other of a similar Nature, which have fallen under my observation) is placed upon an Eminence. Major Collins (who perhaps you know) was in Company with me returning from the Shawanese Towns, when I went to examine an Affair of which I had received such various Reports.—People who are not happy in speculation have a speedy method of accounting for every thing of this Nature in America, by attributing the whole to the Toil of Nature. I must acknowledge that I was apt to give in to the general Opinion, from the slight Vestiges which I had frequently met with, until I saw One upon the Shawanoe River, which altered my conception, & this I am about to describe thoroughly convinced Me of the falsity of the general conjecture. It is of an oblong Figure, or rather two ovals joined together, which junction cannot be observed from without; the sides appearing to the external observer indented parallel to each other. A Ditch of about twelve Foot perpendicular depth surrounds the whole; the Earth thrown upon each side forms an oblique descent to the bottom thereof, & renders the Levé on each side of an equal height. On the North you enter by a Gateway of 20 Foot which for that distance intersects the Ditch, being level with the common surface: by this means you are conducted to the Centre of the first inclosure, the Area of which may be about 350 yards. From hence may be seen a seperation by another Levé, the ear[t]h composing which is thrown from the East side, leaving the North inclosure entire & level,0231213exclusive of the Gate-way just mentioned, & another to communicate with the Eastern Oval of the same Nature. From the middle of the East work, you may discover three large Openings, & by a Compass found the largest East, one N. E. & the third S. E. all corresponding in Point of Appearance to the North Gate already described; except that the Walls on each side of the East Gate seem mouldering away, & the opening increased by the depredation of Time—The Ruins of Fort Pitt twenty years hence, will not exhibit half the labour discoverable at this place; altho by whom performed, is an impenetrable secret to the Savages who inhabit the Country. I shall not trouble you with a more minute description than what I have just extracted from a rough Journal, which alone I flatter myself, will convince you & every other reasonable Gentleman, that it is not the irregular & fortuitous effects of Nature, but the consequence of a laborious, & even an indefatigable Body of Men. To corroborate this belief let me assure you that from a Work equally astonishing which I saw upon the Shawanoe River, I took a Cruse the handle of which had been broken off, the One side bearing the appearance of a Man's Face, with an opening at the Top & another at the Eye for the receipt & discharge of any Liquid. These Traces together with a variety of other Circumstances equally true, & astonishing, have induced me to believe that this Country hath been formerly inhabbited by a politic, & numerous People; & that those appearances under the general denomination of Indian Forts, have been places rather of Religious Worship than0232214Fortification. In support of this Hypothesis I could produce many Arguments founded upon plausible conjecture, but as it would inevitably lead me into a train of reasoning exceeding the Limits of a communicative Letter, I shall not here attempt so arduous an Undertaking; yet I am irresistably induced somewhat to connect my suppositions in support of my opinion. Might not a Warlike Sett of People from the North, or North West part of this Continent have overan & defaced a cultivated & polite Country; burying in obscurity, every Sign of former Accomplishments, & Government? All Europe underwent, nearly a similar change. An Opinion so new may appear singular; but as the conjecture may afford entertainment, so neither does it want some plausible reasons to alledge in its support. The Antient Inhabitants of South America were by no means destitute of civil policy & order; the Arts & Sciences flourished amongst them in no contemptible degree, if we credit the Reports of the first European Invaders.

Altho the Use of Letters was not one of their accomplishments, by which traditional accounts might have been handed down to after Ages, yet the Traces of a Polite People, were many, & evident; particularly in their Public Edifices, dedicated to the Deity. If to these appearances We add a comparative View of the rude, & uncultivated state to which the most famous Countries on the other side of Atlantick were Reduced, by the destructive Rage of their despoylers the supposition may not seem altogether Chimerical.0233215Antient Italy the Seat of Roman elegance & refinement, appears to have been covered with Forests & Marshes, of vast extent in the eight century, by the overflowing of Rivers, & the scarcity of its inhabitants; neither were these confined to small & barren Tracts, but comprehended large districts, which antient Writers represent as very fertile, & which at present are highly cultivated. In many Charters given from Charlemagne, & his successors Lands have been granted to Private Persons, because by them they had been taken from the Desert improved, & inhabited.

Famine & Pestilence which generally march in the rear of a Numerous Body of Men, in the Northern, as well as the Southern parts of the Globe, might have probably diminished & dispersed the Conquerors over the different parts of North America, & reduced them to the trifling Tribes now known to Us, speaking different Languages, & retaining their independency. The Arts, & Sciences, together with different systems of Policy advanced in Europe from evident Causes, & at present equal if not exceed what might have been remarkable in former Ages in point of human Attainments, but in America the Omniscient Judge of all things may have re-illumined accomplishments, as glorious, as any of the Mother-Country, by means equally efficacious, & manifestly more expeditious, in pointing out the discovery to Columbus. These are only Hints rudely thrown together upon which I might greatly enlarge, & perhaps support my Hypothesis from many Circumstances; but as I fear, it is a Task to which I am0234216unequal, I wave farther suppositions, & shall leave the matter to the scrutiny of some more adequate Capacity. I would be much obliged to you Sir, to acquaint me what expectation I might have in procuring a Right to two thousand Acres of Land from the Government of Virginia, by Virtue of his Majesty's Proclamation, being entitled thereto as a Staff-Officer. I have given Capt. Bullit a Location, & should be proud of your advice, & interest—Who am with true Respect

Your most obedt. humble : Servt. JOHN CONNOLLY.

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR.

NORFOLK June 30. 1773.

SIR

I received yours of the 14th will take care that your Letter to Mr. M Micken shall be forwarded by a vessell that will sail in a few days. I now send you the prices of the flour herrings & ship stuf sold for which I hope you'l approve off. the first quantity is not all sold yet tho there is but few barrels left. I am realy at a loss what I shall do with the middlings as the Bakers will not touch them & they will not answer at the West India markets. I am now fitting a vessell for Madeira where I have been inform'd they will answer, if you incline to send them I will ship them for you, your answer will much oblige me by the first post as I expect the vessell will sail in a few weeks. We have no demand for ship stuff at present but if you incline to send what you have on0235217hand imagine I cou'd get ten shillings & freight down for it. I am

Yr. Hble. Servt. THOMAS NEWTON JUNR.

Superfine at 16/8 most of it freight paid down payable Octr.

Ship Stuff - - @ 10/ - - freight paid - payable in July Herrings payable in July at 15/ per Barrell—

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON.

July : y [mutilated] 1773

HONOERD SR I Receved your Letter of the 8 of Junly in which I Find you are much disturevd and I am Reyley Sorrey that you Should be so much uneasey at a thing of that kind before you know that you are a Loosing anything I Full well know I must bear all the blame and Sure I am to bear all the Loos tho verey Ill able to bear any for I know my Self to be a Great Looser in this present year and not only So but I verely beleve I am a Greatter by not Going to yor Land for Good by but what must becom of that house that devids against its Self for my wife never Let me fairly know her intencions unteel your Negro,s and other things Came to me and then I thoug[ht] it was best to gooe out and Settle In hoops She would Com in to another way of thinking but I the more I Strove to persuad the Further She Semd to be of and to Give a person so Nearly Connected as0236218a wife is uneasenes perhaps all there days I Could not So I think my Self at this time to be in a fare uneaseye way than what you Can have any Right to be in For Sr I am Going [to] Let you know why I think you Can be at no los in the first plase you Furnish me with two hands as Sorrey as they Could well be for the fellow is a worthless hand and I beleive allways will be so Sum occasiond by his feet and Sum Natural in his boons1 as for the Garl She knew nothing of work but I beleive She will make a fine hand after two or three years in the next plase I Saved you teen or twelve pounds by Settleing on yor Land as I did for it was taxt as unCultavated Lands but Capt. Crawford told me that my Coming on the Land he would have the tax taken off in the Next plase there is a hansom Little Improvement made on your Land according to the time and hands For I Neve[r] Lit of harder work nor did more of it in the time than I did ther for I find the Clearing is as hard there as any where for tho the Grubing is Lit[t]l[e] the Cuting is vastly heavey occasiond by the Great Number of old trees Lying on the Earth tho I Got Six acers in Corn and under Good fens from the 6 of aprel unteel the 7 of may and the Ground well brook up and Cleard th two acres more and had my Corn all hild up before I Came awaye which was abot the first week in June which was a fort night Sooner than intended to Com in in but had I not a Com when I did I mus have Lost my horses by the Great Number of Flyes and no paster0237219to keep them in and as I had a Good deel of harvisting at home I Could not a Stayd above a fort night Longer and as for the work Going on I am not the Least affrade for I Laid off anuf to bee don and am nowise affrade of its being don according to the Goodnes of the hands for I allwise found my fellow faithful to his trust and to do more when I was from him thn when I was present and as I Got a nye Neibur to Com onst a day to derect them I think there is but Little daynger of the work Going on by which meens Sr I think your Land 50 better this day than it was the first day I Set feet on it for to Consider the hardship of Going into the woods and haveing Every mouthfull of bread to buy and not noing wheare to buy it for Sum time Conciderable and no house to put ones head in Except an of old bark Cabbin of Nine feet SQuair in which I was forst to Remain for fifteen days and Nights occasiond by bad wether which had Like to have been my Last by Catching bad Colds unteel it flung me in to fevers but now the worst is over there is a Good Large Cabben of Eighteen feet SQuair and the inside hulld all down and in Good order to make a Qu[a]rter of or to take of ruff and to put a Shingeld on whch was the in tent of it at first So to Concider all things I beleive Sr you will not find your Self at Such a Loos as you Complan of as for I am Certain that ther is not Such another plase to be found as yours is booth for the Goodness of the Land and the Convenans of the plase for I do beleive had I a been provided with Corn and oats and pastering that I Could have maid0238220fifteen pounds this Spring by Travelers and a been at Little trouble So your plase is now in a fine begining way and I do verely beleive that you may See more profit in Seven years time by keeping Six hands and Stock on that plase with an overseer if he be a fathfull person than you would by twelve hands on any of your other Lands otherwise if you was to Rent it out I Look on it to [be] worth Six or Eight pounds a year from the Jump and your hands Could be brought baik and all your other affairs Could be Sold to a Great advantage So that I am Sorrey Sr Should Complain before you Consider the matter aright it is true you may be at a Loos to Get a proper person to undertake your buysness for you tho there is ma[n]y will offer of which this Letter Coms by one of the Name Richard Stogdon from the Nor[t]h and a utter Strainger to me by whos hands I hope you will Send me a Line or tow mor to Let me know whether you will bee at home at your august Cort or not for then I would Com down to alexandria I would have Com to you Long Sens but I have been Tormened with boyles insomch that I Could not Ride ever Sence I have been at home but Sr my advise to you is to Get an Overseer if you Give him Standing wag[e]s for depend it will bee more to your profit than to bee in partnership with any person for the profits ariseing from the plase must bee Great I would bee Glad to know whether you perpose to take any part or all my things or not So Sr I Remain your humble Srt GILBT SIMPSON

1 Bones?

LOUDOUN

0239221

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

YORKE COUNTY 2d July 1773

SIR/

I have been very uneasey relative to the Shiping the Tobo. since I have recd your instructions to put 10 on board Eastin but yr. Letter got Mislaid in ye. Office for I applyd the 25th or 26th of May & the young Man Appeared to be at a stand But at last said there was None & Capt. Peterson hastend me to put what Tobo. I had on board immediately & by your Shiping to no other Person last year Made Shure you intended it all for the same agn. as Easten Applyd last year & ye let him have none for I have put my Self to a Great deel of Trouble since I got your Instructions for Just as I returnd from up the Country from havg. an Acct of the flat being loaded there was abt that Qnty. left & I immediately after recg. yr. Letter went up to Stop that Qnty. but was two Late which hope it will Make no Great difference with you As I have Acted & don for ye best—The inclosed is the Wt. & Numbers of the Tobo. yt. was shipd; at the time I sent & took the Wt from Litlepages Trowers Tobo. Was not put on Board only one & there was one Hhd of Richd. Streets yt was not heavey Enough wch I had Reprised to a 1000 Which is since Shipd & Trowers too & one Hhd of Hanover Tobo. for the Rent of that Land in Hanover 1005 Nt. to ye Best of my Recolection I woud have sold it in ye Country but they gave me a Tollerable Carrecter of it & Tobo. Sold Low; I had Purchased the overseers Tobo. Before your letter got to hand at 2d the Tobo. in New kent & Davenports in K Wm. the overseers below did0240222not care to take that Price & agreed to take what Wm Graves Gave the overseers in that Estate which is not yet setled—Joseph Davenport & my Self had some Conversation when I was up last respecting his Lay he has Always had the 8th of what was made in Corne & Tobo. & a 3d of the Butter wch I refused Givg. & he desired it might be Refered to you & that he hoped you woud not think of Alterring his Lay the agremt with what men I have employ d has been A Shair for Every 8 hands & he thinks its two little & Likewise what part of Butter you woud think of Givg as you have A list of the Hands & there Ages please to give me yr Opinion he says you know what Business he left to come in your employ—You desire me to inform you how our Crops come on I think they are tollerable Considg. the Poverty of the Land & the Sickness of the people I am in Hopes to make a Crop of wheat but have had the most Trouble with my Harvest I ever had in all my life the people at Mill Quarter has lost a perdious deel of time with the Measles which has put that Plantation much behindhand I expect to make a very Good Crop my own Place where I live I am in hopes of makg between 4 & 5 Hundred Bushls. wheat & our oats are pretty Good but not in yet, I sew d 35 Bushels at home & Near that Qnty. at the Quarter over the mill our wheat is much Better below than above our Corne is Low & the Tobo. all Standg. Very well & looks Very well only Small we have some Just a comg in the Top—

I woud have Sent you an Acct of the Tobo. Shipd0241223before this but have Waited for to know if the Eastenshore Tobo. was come over I spoke to Capt. Peterson at KWilliam Court & it was not come then & he informed that he had his load for some time & only waited for that Tobo. which woud fill him up & they wrote me from the Easten shore that Wilkins Vessell was Expected in Every day which woud be Sent of immediately with the Tobo. which was abt. the 10th. June & I have tryed Every Vessell that I saw at the Capt. Landg. & coud not get one some two small in ye Hole & those yt. were larger Were otherways engaged & no one on the Easten shore will undertake but Wilkins there Vessells Genally two Small but hope he wont let us meet with Another Disappointmt. as he promisd a second time at ye last meetg as he had disapptd. Last he woud be shure to send it now however Capt. Peterson said if it came two late for him they had another Ship in Jas. River which he woud have it sent on board of her, I wrote over yesterday to know the reason of its not comg. tho much Expect it is on board but had not an oppertunity of Seeg the Capt since K WmCt Relative to an Invoice Please to look at the Last years invoice & Qnty. of Ognabgs fell short 80 Ells wch was obliged to Purchase & 20 yds. of Cotton there woud abeen Cotton Enough or near it but the man I got to Cut out Cut Several Suits two Small which will do for this year & as I shall have a good deel of Woollen Cloth Spun hope we shall have some negro Cotton to spare & as you Sent for no Blankets must have it Cut up into Blankets for the wenches with Child & those who have young0242224Children & make it go as far as it will & as to Nails hoes & Rakes &c there was Just Enough & not any to Spare I have sent you a list of what other Nessaryes I think will be wantg. or what I can at this time recollect—the above I wrote yesterday & Sent to town for yr. Letter on Satterday morng. & in answer you desire I will give year to what yr. Direction Which by that you think I have Invented a falcity abt. the yr Letter being Mislaid in ye Office as Ive above Mentiond I applyd the 25 or 26 of May & they Sd. there was none for which reason I supposed you Intended the Tobo. to go as it did Last year to Cary & Copy. & as to followg. yr. Direction there is no man has ever endeavourd to come up to any Direction more then I have to yrs in Every respect, & there is no man Borne that has undergone more to Serve you & the Estate then I have done & as to a falcity I Scorne to tell one as much as any man Breathg., which I told you when I took the Business that if you thought I did not answer every Purpose I was willing to give up to those you thought answered the Business Better, it was no advantage to me to Send the Tobo. contrary to your Instructions I last year told you that Capt Easten applyd for abt. 10 Hhds wch you Sd. you formerly let him have the Easten Shore Tobacco but if you think Proper for me to continue I never will ship one Hhd. without yr. Direction nor woud not now only the Capt desired I woud make all the Despatch I Possably coud & I expected you was to ye Norw,d & by my Getg. no Instruction0243225thought it might be a disappointmt to wait till you returnd

I have had the Misfortune to Loose the Miller dyed a satterday last which obliges me to put one of the old Carpenters old ned which by his Caracter when he was there Before I came in ye Estate was not approved of by the Custommers therefore I think it the Best way to Continue him Till the Mill is rebuilt this fall as the Person employd Will be Idle while the Mill is buildg.—I am Likely to Make a Tollerable Crop of wheat & whether you woud like of my Geting of two wheat Fans to clean the wheat I think to the Best of recollection Colo. Syms told me his was 5£5 or there Abts. wch I did not care to Engage two of them till I acquaintd you wch please to direct whether I must get one for the upper Plantations & one for the Lower; I have been so busily Engaged for this fortnight Past with my Harvest the people provg. Sickly & the rest so very Auquord that I have been fateauged almost out of my Life that I at this time Recollect nothing more then if Mrs. Washgton & yr Self woud let nanny & her Famyly Come down as its so vastly Ilconvenient at these Busy times to spare a boy & horse to send the cloaths up to be made as She cant Spin that wench Better that you were Lookg at when at the white house I have [had her] down & put her under the Doctor & she begd to go up to see her Children & she ant able to go into ye Crop so she is a spinner & thought they did not do so much there as if they were down & proposed Bringg. ym down & it seems like death to them0244226to be removed wch I think if they were down it might be an advantage to ye Estate for the Teemsters & Spinners all to be up there dont do half as much as to be down

Yr. Very Hble Servt. JAMES HILL

FROM THE REV. DR. COOPER.1

1 Born in England, 1735; died in Edinburgh, Scotland, May 1, 1785. Thomas Jones in his History of New York referring to Dr. Myles Cooper, says: “I knew him well. He was honest, just, learned, and liberal; judicious, sensible, friendly, and convivial; he loved good company, and good company loved him; he was by no means dissipated. He loved God, honoured his King, esteemed his friends, and hated rebellion.” On account of his tenets and publications, Dr. Cooper was obliged to flee from America.

KINGS COLLEGE, NEW YORK, 2d. July 1773.

DEAR SIR,

I recd. Your's the Day before Yesterday Unfortunately, Mr. Custis himself, having taken it from ye. Man employ'd by ye. Post Master to carry Letters about, brought it to me: so that I gave the inclosed to him immediately, little suspecting the mournful Contents.2 The Shock, You may suppose, was severe: however, he is grown much more composed; & I hope his good sense and Christian Fortitude, in a reasonable Time will perfect ye. Cure.

2 The announcement of the sudden death, on the 19th of June, of Patsy Custis.

He lives now altogether in the College, and dines with the Professors and myself in the College-hall. He has fitted up a Room in a neat plain Taste, attends his Instructors punctually, and, I doubt not, will make a proficiency equal to ye. Warmest Wishes and Expectations of his best Friends. At present,0245227 indeed, as must be expected, his Mind is not in a State to admit of any Intentness of Application; but I am persuaded, as his Grief wears off he will do every Thing that is reasonably to be expected from a young Gentleman in his Situation. He has already gained much upon ye. Affections of his Instructors; which is a Circumstance that cannot fail of producing very beneficial Effects, with Regard both to his Learning and Happiness, during his Residence in this Place.

I fancy he will not chuse to write to you himself for a few Days; but he has desired me to inform you that his Situation among us is perfectly agreeable.

I have ye Honour to be, good Sir, yr. Most obedt. and obliged Servt &c. M COOPER

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

WMSBURGH July [multilated] terday 3d. 1773—

SIR/ on Receivg. your Letter I went to Mrs. Molley Davenport who informs me the Mourning will be ready by Satterday Next & not Sooner & went in Serch of the Post But could not find him howeer Mr Purdee Informs me he Applyd to him & agrees to take the Care of them. I Shall go to Town agn. on Satterday Next & if the Post dont undertake to Carry them I must send a messenger but how he will Carry them I know not as we have no Port Mancher as I suppose it will require somthing of yt Sort to Carry them with Safety—there is a Matter I omited in my other Letter wch is you write me0246228 you Woud be Glad I woud make Sail of what corne I have payable in Octor. I have Sold what I have at your Plantation KWm. & the New Kent Qrs. at 12/6 payable in Octobr. to two Gent on the Easten Shore Henrey Guy & Isaac Moore who was if Possable to take it away by the Last of June & that from the Easten Shore by the Last of May which By the overseers Letter to me dated the Last of May he had not Deliverd his Corne for there Vessell was not returnd from the West Indias but was Expected Every day & then they take Whats upon that shore & then send over for a load of ours from New Kent & yours from King William I made inquirey if they were Good for that much & am informd they are very Able people begin to think much to give 15/below & if I make an alteration people who have been Customers to the Mill will think much of givg. of that Price & others purchaseg. of @ 12/6 However I think to Sell where they take as much as five Barls. at 12/6 & over & under that Qty. 14/ I have sold 50 Barls. to Doctor James Carter 50 Barls. for Mrs. Nobe @ 15/ & have Deliverd 45 of it, & Likewise 40 to ye best of my Memory to the Joaler & taken an order on the Parish Collector & as to the Ballce. I sell out but Slowly as they think the Price two Great

I recollect no more at Prest But remn. yr. Mo. Obedient Hble Servt JAMES HILL

0247229

FROM HIS EXCELLENCY LORD DUNMORE.1

1 John Murray, Lord Dunmore, born in 1732, died in May, 1809. Governor of Virginia from July, 1771, to June, 1775.

WMBURG July 3d. 1773.

DEAR SIR

I received the favour of yours of the 20th of last Month on saturday last, as I did your former in April, & most certainly should have answered it then If I had not expected to have been in your Neighbourhood before your return from the North, & I then proposed to have waited upon you at Mount Vernon, where I was in hopes we should have settled every thing for our intended journey; But I am now most exceedingly sorry to learn by your last that you have so good a reason for chainging your resolution, & I do sincerely condole with you, & poor Mrs. Washington for your loss, tho as the poor young Lady was so often Afflicted with these fitts. I dare say she thinks it a happy exchainge. I propose to leave this in a day or two in my way to Mr Wormly's, to take up the Old Gentleman, who has promised to accompany me up to your part of the world, & if I thought it would not be disagreeable to Mrs. Washington I certainly would do myself the Honor of calling upon you, but if it should not be agreeable to Mrs. Washington to see company I hope I shall have the pleasure of meeting you at some of your Neighbour's which will oblige

your most Obt. & very Hble. Sert. DUNMORE

0248230

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS.

KINGS COLLEGE July 5th. 1773

HOND. SIR

Pardon me for having thus impos'd upon your good Nature by not writeing to you sooner, I neither could nor had it in my power to say any thing with certainty concerning my establishment here till now. It gives me Pleasure that I now have it in my Power to inform you how agreably every thing is settled. there has nothing been omitted by my good Friend Doctor Cooper which was necessary to my contentment in this Place, And Gratitude as well as Truth oblidges me to say, that the other Professors are not the least remiss in their Duty but give all the assistance they can consistant with the Duty, they owe to the other students, I attend at stated Hours, the Professors, in Mathematicks, Languages, moral and experimental Philosophy. & I Hope the Progress I make in these useful branches of knowledge will redown not only to my own Credit, but to the Credit of those who have been instrumental in placeing me here, & in particular render you some compensation & Satisfaction for the parental Care and Attention you have always & upon all occasions manifested towards me, & which demand my most grateful thanks & returns, to make which shall be the constant Care of J. P. Custis—

I found great difficulty in disposing of my Grey Horse. his Colour made so much against him that I was oblidged (to avoid expence) to sell him at public Vendue for only 34 pounds this Currency a price0249231 tho below his value I was oblidged to take. The Bay I have kept & shall keep unless I hear from you to the contrary. He is a Horse I know to be good, & one I have a vast effection for, & except riding; there is no other exercise to be us'd here, which makes it necessary either for me to keep a Horse or hire a poor miserable hack to take an Airing twice or thrice a Week. the Distance of 4 or 5 miles into ye Country for the Benefit of my Health.—

There is nothing now, which interrupts my tranquilyty, but the melancholy Subject of your last Letter, & the uneasiness I fear my poor Mother suffers on that account, I myself could not withstand the Shock, but like a Woman gave myself up entirely up to melancholy for seveal Days, I shou'd most gladly have answer'd your Favor when Doctor Cooper did & have endeavoured to administer some comfort to my distrest Parent, but my Mind was too much agitated to admit a thought, & was illy capable to give others what, it stood so much in need of itself. But I am perswaded your goodness left no stone unturn'd to render this shock as easy as possible, And I think the only & most effectual means to remove from Her Mind the Impressions of my Poor Sister, is to carry her from home for some considerable Time, for every thing at Mount Vernon must put Her in mind of her late Loss. shoud this thought of mine be approv'd of, the seeing of you at this Place would render me extremely Happy and answer fully the end of Her Comeing. Doctor Cooper was speaking0250232 to me on this Head the other Day, & said then, that He would write to you to that effect, and recommend it as strongly as He could. if you should approve of this Scheme & will let me know beforehand I will exert myself in getting you Lodgeings, & every thing else convenient. Dr. Cooper has some thoughts of takeing a tour to the Southward & of making you a Visit this Fall, which if he does I shall accompany him, as there is a Vacation then of four or five Weeks.

before I conclude I must beg you to write me immediately on the receipt of this Letter, as I am extremely anxious to hear how my Mother bears this Misfortune, & of your own Health, & be certain that I shall do every thing in my Power; to prevent your good advice being thrown away upon me.

I am with sincere regard & effection your's JOHN PARKE CUSTIS

FROM JOHN PARKE CUSTIS TO MRS. WASHINGTON.

KINGS-COLLEGE July 5th

MY DEAR MAMMA,

I have at length the Pleasure of informing you that I am settled in every respect according to my Satisfaction. There has Nothing been omitted by the Professors, which could be in any means condusive to my Happiness, & contentment; during my residence at this place, and I beleive I may say without vanity that I am Look'd upon in a particular0251233 Light by them all, there is as much Distinction made between me, & the other Students as can be expected. I dine with them (A liberty that is not allow'd any but myself) associate & pertake of all their recreations, & their Attention to my Education keeps pace with their other good offices, and from their Words, as well as, Actions, I have reason to form the most pleaseing Hope of Pleasure, & Satisfaction entertainment in the pursuit of my Studies. It does not become me to Speak much in praise of my own attendance but I assure you that I have done as much or more in 2 months than in the eight Months before, and I flatter myself you will never hear any thing but what is agreable from Doctor Cooper or any other of the Professors.

It is now time to give you a short plan of my apartments, & of my way of living. I have a large parlour with two Studys or closets, each large enough to contain a bed, trunk, & couple of chairs, one I sleep in, & the other Joe calls his, my chamber & parlour are paper'd, with a cheap tho very pretty Paper, the other is painted; my furniture consists of six chairs 2 Tables, with a few paultry Pictures; I have an excellent Bed, & in short every thing very convenient & clever. I generally get up about Six or a Little after, dress myself & go to chappel, by the time that Prayers are over, Joe has me a little Breakfast, to which I sit down very contentedly, & after eating heartyly, I thank God, & go to my Studys, with which I am employ'd till twelve than I take a walk & return about one dine with the Professors, &0252234 after dinner study till Six at which time, the Bell always rings for Prayers they being over College is broak up, & then we take what Amusement we please.

Things My dear Mother were going on in this agreable Manner, till last Thursday, the day I receiv'd Pappa's melancholy Letter, giveing an account of my dear & only Sister's Death. I myself met the Post, & brought the sad Epistle to Doctor Cooper; who I beg'd to open his Letter immediately, the Direction I did not know, but the Seal I knew too well to be deceiv'd, my confusion & uneasiness on this occasion is better conveiv'd than expesst. Her case is more to be envied than pitied, for if we mortals can distinguish between those who are deserveing of Grace & who are not, I am confident she enjoys that Bliss prepar'd only for the Good & virtuous. let these considerations, My dear Mother have their due weight with you, & comfort yourself with refecting that she now enjoys in substance what we in this world enjoy in imagination, & that there is no real Happiness on this side of the Grave. I must allow that to sustain a Shock of this kind requires more Philosophy than we in general are possest off, my Nature could not bear the Shock, but sunk under the load of oppression, and hinderd me from administring any consolation to my dear & nearest relation; this Letter is the first thing I have done since I receiv'd the malancholy News, & could I think my Presence wou'd be condusive to the Restoration of your Tranquillity neither the distance nor the Fatigue of traveling0253235 cou'd detain me a moment here. I have put myself & Joe into deep Mourning & shall do every Honour in my power to the Memory of a deceas'd & well belov'd Sister, I will no longer detain you on a subject which is painful to us both, but conclude with beging you to remember you are a Christian & that we ought to submit with Patience to the divine Will, &, that to render you happy shall be the constant care

of your effectionate & dutiful Son JOHN PARKE CUSTIS.

NEW YORK July 5th 1773.

FROM COLONEL FIELDING LEWIS.

July 7th. 1773

DEAR SIR

On examining my papers I find that Mr. Charlton paid me only Two hundred pounds owing to my mistake in returning him part of the Money he had paid me for the whole Bills wch. he was to have had, I must endeavour to convince him of the matter when I go down or I must lose it; Mr. Montgomery gave me no reason for not paying the Money, only that he could not advance it. Mr. Whiting will pay it on demand I dare say. I only sent you the Acct. of my last transaction at Wmsburg by Mr. Washington I should have stated the whole Acct. and sent the Ballance but as there was between Twenty & Thirty pounds to pay Mr. Fras. Thornton for pailing ye. Lott I immagin'd we might settle at our next meeting.

I am a Stranger to Mr. Mercers Affairs but am apprehensive the heavy debts his Father left with his0254236 Brother George's long stay in England must have distressed him greatly, as the Mortgage he gave you was not recorded I think he cannot refuse to give another, or other satisfactory Security for its difficult to say who at present is safe, I am likely to suffer Two hundred pounds by Mr. Roger Dixon who used to say he was worth £20,000—indeed I think where any person refuses to give undoubted security for Money but the principle should be got as soon as possible. Our Crop Wheat is large, the quallity not so good as last I finish'd on Munday & I think there may be on an Average Twenty grains in a head thro' my Crop, its said here you will make Nine Thousd bushls. I wish it may be so, it will make a pritty Sum after grinding, I can't immagine Mr. Adams motive for giving 5/ for Wheat, as our last advices from Urope were that the Crops were promissing, The distress of the Merchts. in England will prevent any Commrs. or very few will come be sent over to buy Wheat, indeed times are so very precarious that I dont know any body that would, chuse to purchase on Commn. as the risque is more than equal to the Comn. Money very scarce. no person this way will engage for any & the Crops on James River are I am told near double, so that I cannot account for Mr. Adams conduct, perhaps the frost has destroy'd the Wheat in Pensylvania & the Jerseys wch. I think we must have heard off was it so; Flower is a drug in the West Indies and in Virginia no Money to be had for it, in short I am determined to give no more than 4/ untill I am convinced it will be my Int. to give more wch. I do not expect, Mr. Adams cannot buy0255237 all the Wheat let him get his Quantity and he will be satisfied. As the heat of the Weather will damage your flower I think you had best get clear of it as soon as you can the Biscuit Stuff will sell readily at Norfolk at 10/ Corn on this River may be bought at 10/, no purchasers for Money at any price, Corn & Flour has been very high as I am [mutilated] but you may depend by the time you could send them [mutilated] be as bad as any in the West Indies. I shall prefer [mutilated] but if you chuse to have Bills I advise the sending of it to Lisbon or Cadiz and order the proceeds, to be remitted to yr. Friend in London tho' I had rather take 10/ than Ship it any where if it was mine, You cannot get the best Wines from Madeira for Corn, or flower, Bills only will command the best sort; You may get of the New York Quallity which is the best they will send you for goods altho' You Order the highest price to be given, I intend to be in Frederick the beginning of August on my way to the Springs but must dispatch my Brigg before I go, she being just come up & is to load Tobo. for Liverpool. poor Patsys death must have distressed Mrs. Washington very much, but when she considers the unhappy situation she was in and the little probability of ever getting well, she must conclude that it's better as it is, as in all for there was little appearance of her ever being able to enjoy Life with any satisfaction

I am Dr Sir your most Affectionate Hum Servt FIELDING LEWIS

0256238

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR.

NORFOLK July 22. 1773—

SIR

I Received your favors of the 5th & 10th of this month, shall take care to follow your directions in shipping the midlings & hope you'l have a good sale of them the vessel will sail in fifteen or sixteen days from this she has been detain'd longer that I expected owing to some necessary repairs; I shall be glad to know if you'd choose to have these midlings insured & whether it shoud be done here, the insurance from this to Madeira is from two & half to three per Ct. we have no sale for Indian Corn at present I do not think we cou'd get 10/ Cash for it & unless a hurricane happens in the West Indies I realy believe it will fall very much I will apply to Mr. Hite and pay him the money I receive for the goods sold on your acct. and give him the accts. sales. I am

Yr. Most Obt. THOMAS NEWTON JR.

PS

I shoud have answerd your letters before but have been very sick. I also receved yours inclosing an order for wine for your ward you may depend that I will take perticular care to send it as you direct—

0257239

FROM MR. JAMES HILL.

YORKE COUNTY, 23d July 1773—

SIR/

when your Letter came down I was at the Easten shore to make Inquirey about the Tobo. to know if it was Carried on board the Ship As I never Coud hear & when I got over found it was, & Never has been right well Since for I was Catchd in a squall & being much afrighted & Sea Sick withall have not yet recovered; The Tobo. was Brought on board the 3d of this month As soon as I returnd Capt. Peterson was ready to give me the Bills of Lading & was to go sail the first fair wind there was 90 Hhds in all with yours with that one for the Rent in Hanover The crop of corne on the Eastenshore is Tollerable Likely & there oats but Midling the overseer sowd 120 Bushels but they had Great waist in the Mowing please to let me know if you want all that is made for yr own Use & Whether any must be disposed off I intended to [have] removed old biggs & put Mr. Tandey over there but the old Man begs to continue he is very carefull but I think I coud have more made by makg wheat then he makes by makg oats but he thinks not & Petisions as he has been so long in the Estate that you woud let him Still continue & I have postponed turng him of till I consult you he has five Negroes with a young suckg one & 3 Horses with a mare & colt which he says he finds the Hole out of His share & insists they are no expence to ye Estate & appears to be Vastly carefull of what he has under0258240 his care otherways tho think I coud have more maid then he makes for I dont think his conduct is quite so good as some others I coud chuse provided you insist to make the most I can he must go off unless you are a mind to indulge the old man as an old Slave in the Estate.

respectg that suit on the Easten Shore I realy did not know in what manner to order it tho Colo. Pendleton advises me to bring Suit in County Court & upon an appeal we may come at much sooner than to sew [sue] to the Genl cot & I was at aloss to know in what manner to order the Suit but at last thought sew him for a trespass tho there is three or four old Standers that will sware hard agst. us, & thought it might be Easyly determind if I coud find how old Colo Custiss land was bounded if it was Purchased or Patented for that is all ye young man Claims by is what them three old Standers has to say—& if you can inform me whether any Part was Purchased & where I must Serch for the deed suppose it must be Enterd upon Record I had a Notion of Serchg the Record but thought I would write to you first I saw one old Custis Kendall who says old Colo. Custis was his Uncle & that he will Sware his Uncle has had the Land in his Possession 40 Years & had not left him but a Little while before I heard from aNother Person that he had Said that it was the young mans Property that I am put to it to know how to Act as I look upon it they have taken Possession in this way that we may shew our Title & to be at no Expence him self; Tho at all Events have instructed Biggs to sew him for a0259241Tresspass but it is Possable you can informme how to Carry it on for that is the only Plea I have is havg Possion on it for a Considerable time some Says the Colo. Purchased part of ye Tract of one Willett who is the Person this young man Claims from; by marrying some of The Family which if the Colo. Purchased any Land of this Willitt The deed will inform us how it was bounded the Man that now Claims it is named Southy Nelson & fixt a Tent much to the Prejiduce of our Plantation for he Keeps a tipling house at the Gate where there is a Company frequently leavg open the gates & by all acct. Purchases come of Negroes & Every other thing that he lives on

I once thought I should have had the pleasure of Writeing to you that I had as Likely a Prospect as coud have Possably been Expected from so poor a Piece of Earth at my Plantation where I live but it is Very far from it now for we have not had as much rain as to wet the Earth one Inch for 7 or 8 Weeks which make Every thing Look very Shockingly they have been more Seasonable up the Country—yr. Mourng was Sent by the Post Which I hope got Safe to hand I was much put to it to Get the Post to Get undertake, for our fellow Billey who is the only one that coud agone & he has been down with the measles & a Violent Lax & Vometing that follow it which have carried A Number of People off Abt. us he is now very Ill & have not yet imployd a Doctor or they Have had bad Success to those where they have been imployd tho Shant Trust to my Judgmt. incase0260242it shoud have a change for the worse If you have not sent your Memo. Home I have thought Proper to mention our being in Great want of Salt &c, Cant get any under 2/ per Bushl. & want to advise with you if woud not come Cheaper to import Salt as all the Plantations are in want of Bags to send for Sacks of Salt Except your Plantation I was obliged to purchase Bags in Town & for one of the others I have made Use of some of the Rolls as it was very Good & provided we had aplenty Shoud have Supplyd more with the Same Which I think will answer very well as we Generally go to mill in Carts—As soon as the Merchants brake up I shall go up to see about that Suit in New Kent I had A Mans Deppostion to take before I orderd A suit that Mr. Dandridge Might perruse it which I have been much Put to it to get & cant tell whether it is done yet I left instructions with one of the overseers to get it & give it to Mr. Dandridge when I was up Last which was the begining of Harvest I dont at this time recollect any thing more

But remn. your Mo. Hble Servt. JAMES HILL

FROM THOMAS ADDENBROOKE, ESQ.

26 July 1773

SIR

In December 1771 I took the liberty to write to you requesting the Favour of you to Enquire After An Estate in Virginia that I had a right to not being favour'd with Your Answer makes Me imagine my letter Miscarried0261243by some papers in my Custody I find my Great Grandfather (by my Mothers side) Walter Broadhurst left a Widdow who Married Mr John Washington of Westmoreland County I suppose an Ancestor of yours by which I have the Honour of being related to you—My Grandfather came to England very young left a Brother whose name was Gerrard Broadhurst, at Virginia who died after a Short illness at the House of Mr. Lawrence Washington in Christmas 1677 and left all his real and personal Estates to My Grandfathers Children of whom I am the Only descendant, his plantations Were Situated at Nemanie in the County of Westmoreland, he left Mr. Nicholas Spencer and Mr Washington Trustees for My Grandfathers Children, upon the Death of My Grandfather My Mother and her sisters sent one Penson to manage the plantation and very imprudently trusted him with their papers Penson made remittances for some time but for a great many years past took no Notice of them but possessed himself of the Estate and as I am informd his son now enjoys it—I shall think myself greatly Obliged if you will favour me with a line, if you think the Estate is recoverable or not, what may be the Value, and if It woud Answer for me to come over, I am told that According to your Laws No time takes away my right. I hope you will excuse the Freedom I take in giveing you this trouble but presumeing you are a relation Occasiond. me takeing this freedom, and hope you will favour0262244me with an Answer as Soon as Convenient Directed to Sir

Your Very Humble Servt To Comd THOS. ADDENBROOKE

at Coalbrookedale near Shiffnal Shropshire England

FROM THE REVEREND JONATHAN BOUCHER.1

1 This copy, inserted in the manuscripts in lieu of the original, is very illegibly written.

[A Copy.]

MY DEAR SIR,

I persuade myself you and Mrs Washington as well as the hospitable [illegible] family you are in will readily excuse my not waiting on you, when I assure you that nothing should have prevented me, but my being in a situation which renders me totally unable. It is but the third time I ever had the toothache, and no ideas I had formed how painful so slight a cause could be are adequate to what I have felt and still feel I have gone thro' all the nostrums to no purpose; like Macbeth it has murdered sleep beyond the power even of laudanum to recall.

Making sure of being with you last evening or the Saturday, I ran out Mr Custis's account, which if it be right, you will much oblige me by leaving me a Bill on London for the amount. You spoke last year, I remember, of my having to allow you something on the score of Exchange; but I see I have made a mem: in your letter that the state of it then0263245was in Annapolis as I had said. You will now please to be guided by the information you will receive from his Excellency and Mr Calvert. The inclosed letter from Jack may not be unacceptable to Mrs Washington nor perhaps to somebody else; at the same time that it justifies a little, I hope not unbecoming pride in me. I have often owned with shame and terror [?] that I did not do so much for him as I could or ought, but I really did more than I feared you thought, or than many would who appear more regular & attentive

It is peculiarly vexing to be interrupted & disappointed in the pleasure I had promised myself from this visit to a family and some friends, I am proud to rank by far the nearest to me. Your humanity will plead my apology to them, and in the hurried, distracted condition I am placed to write, excuse my adding more than

that I am with great regard Yr. most obedt. servt. J. BOUCHER— 2, Augt. 1773

FROM CAPTAIN JOHN POSEY.

ROVERS DELIGHT1 Augt. 9th 1773

1 The name of Captain Posey's place on the Potomac.

SIR/

You have granted me many Favors since I have been Acquainted with you—I am now Reduc'd Very Low—And Advanc'd in years—I have noe Person0264246in the world to Apply to, for Assistance—And Really am not Able to work—Pray would you be kind Enough to Let me have the Some About £50—Maryland Currancy I think with that Some I could fix myself for Life, and not to want Again—If I should not Succeed with my Plan—you may Depend I will Return the first of Aprill—And. Doe any kind business for you that I Can—If I Die in Few month you will Luse Principle & Interest If not you would be shore of it. I wanted to mention'd this Affaire to you when I was at Your house—but I could not have the Face to Doe—I am to Return by first next month If I Can—You have never mention'd St. Lawrence to me since I have been at yr. house—I suppose you heard he was in a Barr—If you knew the Truth, I am not so much to blame, as you may think for, while I was over here Last summer St. Lawrence was taken sick at Mr. Pattons—Mr. Wm. Minor Living neare there having Regard for me, and St. Lawrence—he took him home—he tend'd I beleave in Minors Barr for near three months—yr. Letter that you kindly wrote Mr. Francis Baker that you would Pay Broad & Schooling for St. Lawrence—I never gave it Mr. Baker—I beleave I have Lost it Baker acquaint'd me he wrote you & sent his Acct.—You nev[er] sent Ret'd[?] to Pay Baker—Mr. Moor Pd. him in June Last—I am Yr. obt. Sert.

JNO POSEY

0265247

FROM THOMAS NEWTON, JR.

WILLIAMSBURG August 13th. 1773

Mr. Hill has the Sales of Flour & herrings.

SIR

I have Just time to inform you I have paid Mr. Hill one hundred and ninety five pounds, and one hundred & ten dollars in the whole two hundd. & twenty eight pounds. I am sorry that I cou'd get no more but am in hopes the whole sales will be paid at the next meeting. I have not been home since I received yours for examining the seconds but will follow your direction's and make the most of them shou'd they prove bad. I am

Sir Yr. Hble Servt THOMAS NEWTON JR

FROM EDWARD ANDERSON

ANNAPOLIS 13th August 1773

SIR

Col: Thomas Colvill having bequeathed “unto the “Youngest Daughter of Mr. William Anderson Mer-“chant in London the Sum of Eighty Pounds Ster-“ling” --- I beg leave to inform you that Harriot Rebecca Anderson is the youngest Daughter of Mr. William Anderson, & that her Guardian Mrs: Rebecca Anderson has sent me a Power of Attorney to receive that Legacy—

As it would be inconvenient for me to wait upon you at present, & my Residence on the Eastern0266248Shore will prevent my seeing you, when you may be in this Province, I shall be obliged to you to pay that Money into the Hands of Mr. Anthony Stewart of this Place; & you will please to write to him by return of Post whether you can make immediate Payment, or whether you judge it necessary for me to take any further Steps previous to your paying the Money—I am Sir

Your obedt: humb: Servant EDWARD ANDERSON1

1 TO—MR. EDWARD ANDERSON—

To the care of Mr. Anty. Stewart

SIR,

Your favour of the 13th. of last Month came to my hands a few days ago.—you will be pleas'd Sir, for the justification of Colo. Colvills Exrs., to have the Powr. of Attorney sent you by the Guardian of Miss Harriot Rebecca Anderson recorded in the Court of this County (Fairfax) after which the Money shall be paid to you on your Order.—This Step we are told, is essential to our justification, and will therefore plead an excuse I hope, for the trouble we are forced to give you on this occasion

I am SirYr. Most Hble Servt.GO. WASHINGTON

MOUNT VBRNON Sept. 10th. 1773

FROM COLONEL JOHN ARMSTRONG.

CARLISLE 17th. August 1773

DEAR COLL.—

Such is the uncertainty of human affairs, that I have again the unexpected occasion of giving you a Letter on Some business, which if it is to be done at all, it seems must be transacted in your Government.

Sundry Gentlemen who had formerly held Military Commissions in the Pay of Pennsylvania &0267249Serv'd in conjunction with the Establishd troops, have lately fallen upon a method of asking their respective Quotoes of Land (pursuant to his Majesty's Proclamation) within the jurisdiction of Virginia, prompted I presume partly by Captn. Bullets Advertisement (WCh. by the by I never well understood) and partly as they inform me by assurances given them by some Gentleman from Virginia whos Name I forget, that Lord Dunmore wou'd undoubtedly order Patents to all such Officers as shou'd produce Governor Penns Certificate of their Commissions & Service as above; In consequence whereof we have Sent off Captn. Wm. Thompson 1 to attend Captn. Bullet at the Mouth of Sioto, who is furnish'd with Our Governors Certificate &c. in order to get the Lands Survey'd in that new Country. On the 6th, Ist: of July Thompson arriv'd at the mouth of Sioto, but found that Mr. Bullet had left that place and was gone quite out of his reach to the Falls or a place called Bigg-bone-Lick. not expected to return till Spring or Summer next. This being the Case Captn. Thompson writes us, that as the lands are Survey'd on the Front of the River (on the South Side) a great distance above & below the mouth of Sioto, he is determin'd to go back from the River & lay Out & Survey the lands expecting that thro' the good Offices of Some Gentlemen of your country, those Surveys to be made for the Officers by him, may be accepted & approv'd in the land-office of Virginia—and indeed ’tis now evident to me, that if this favour cannot be obtain'd, we fall through, and shall be Subjected to a considerable0268250loss of expense. having thus Stated the whole as far as I know it & being totally a Stranger to the usage & conduct of your Government, I now on behalf of a great number as well as my Self who always respect your name, beg to be favour'd with your advice, whether this thing is practicable, and if you think it is, by what Steps or means you shou'd be of Opinion it may best be attain'd—and to this favour I shou'd never doubt the addition of your Salutary influence if at all in your way, or not contrary to yr. Judgment. I expect Dr. Mercer will either write or wait on you on the same errand of this letter.

1 General William Thompson, of Carlisle, Pa.

Permit me to add, ’tis very possible Thompson may get nothing done (altho' he has about Sixty Men of whom there are Several Surveyors in expectation of being deputed by Captn. Bullet for the sake of dispatch) as of four Men with ten or twelve Pack Horses which he Sent by land, at Set of Villains of the Minggo Tribe for such I'm told is their Character has actually Kill'd One or two of the Men & taken all the Horses &c. of which Thompson knew nothing when he wrote. 1 Tis also said they are ill pleas'd with Bullets going down the River—but the Shawanees at least appear to disapprove the act of the Minggoes mention'd above. Time prevents me to add farther, than

1 “The whole of the Delawares, Shawnose and Six Nations in this Country are much alarm'd at Capt Bullott & Capt Thompson going down ye River with numbers of people to Settle a Country wh they were Informed by the Kings Messages was not to be settled.”—Letter from George Croghan to Thomas Wharton, published in the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography.

That I am with perfect respect, Your Most Obt.

humbI. Servant JOHN ARMSTRONG

0269251

FROM MR. THOMAS GLASCOCK.1

1 An English name of antiquity. If the threadbare tradition of the “three brothers” is correct, there is another family of this name in Virginia which descended from “three brothers of the name who came from France with La Fayette, fought through the Revolution with him, and located in Va., married and raised families on the James River.” (Power's Sangamon Co., iii. p. 331.) Lieut. Thomas Glasscock, of Virginia, served in the Continental Line. … Bishop M. names the Glasscock family as among the prominent ones of Richmond Co. from 1692 to 1775.—HAYDEN.

RICHMOND COUNTY Augt. 22. 1773

SIR.

I have seen your Advertisement in the Gazate for the disposal of your lands on the Banks of the Ohio and the Kanhawa's, 2 You have not been so particular as to mention that the Leases are to be for Years or lives, but I am willing to suppose they are intended for Life or Lives, and therefore (as I am now in the Gout, And consequently Cannot be at the meeting of the Ohio Company, where I might probably see you in person) Write, and desire that you will lay me out 500 Acres of as good land as I may have a right to expect, and as near the supposed intended seat of Government as possible, to which (as soon as I can receive advice that it is really done and where) I will repair, With the remains of my shattered fortune, and shall farther hope that the Lease will be for my life at least, and one or two I shall hope for, Of this you will be kind enough to advise me as soon as may be that I may sell out and be0270252ready for movement as soon as may be, in the Interim I am Sir

2 In an advertisement dated July 15, 1773 (see Ford's Writings of Washington, vol. i. p. 386), which appeared in The Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, and in The Pennsylvania Gazette, Washington offered his lands upon the Ohio and the Kanawha for lease in desirable quantities. In a letter to Henry Riddell, February 22, 1774, he enters into an explanation of his scheme for importing “Palatines, or people from Ireland or Scotland,” at his own expense, to settle on these lands.

Your devoted hble Sert. THOMAS GLASSCOCK P. S. Could I serve you in the Capacity of a Clerk, (tho' my pain now vexes me) or in any other capacity, so that there may not be too much travelling I shall hope for your favours— T G—

FROM BENEDICT CALVERT, ESQ.

MOUNT AIRY Augt. 25. 1773.

[A Copy.]

DEAR SIR,

I rec'd yours by Major Jennifer at Annapolis and have given orders to my deputy to look out for such a person as you want. He tells me that Tradesmen well recommended sell very high. I have desired him to buy none but such. I was in hopes to have had the pleasure of attending the Govt. to Mt Vernon; but some business at my office on the Eastern Shore obliged me to set off on Sunday. I expect to be back the last of next week. If you have any commands there, shall be glad to execute them. I am very much obliged to you for the wheat you were so kind as to spare me—I wish mine in return had been better. Every body here joins in their respectful0271253Compliments—Nelly who goes with the Govr will deliver hers in person.

I am, Dr Sir, Yr most obedt. BENEDT. CALVERT.

FROM DOCTOR JOHN CONNOLLY.

PITTSBURGH August 29th. 1773

DR: SIR.

I have lived some time past in the greatest hope of seeing you at this place; but whatsoever might have deterred my happiness in that respect must be attributed to purposes superior to my expectations; tho if consistent with your happiness nothing inferior to my warmest wishes.—Lord Dunmore bath done us the honour of a visit, 1 I dare not presume to give my opinions touching the Character of so considerable a Personage, but if I flatter myself I shall not widely differ from your sentiments if I conclude him to be a Gentleman of benevolence & universal Charity, & not unacquainted with either Man or the World.—I have his Lordships promise for 2000 Acres of Land at the Falls of the Ohio, which will induce me to wait upon his Excellency this Fall at Williamsburg, & in the excursion, I have the satisfaction0272254to hope I shall have the agreeable opportunity of enjoying your Company on my Journey thither, in making your house a Stage.—

1 Burk (History of Virginia, vol. iii. p. 374) ascribes to Lord Dunmore something more than idle curiosity in his prolonged visit to Pittsburg, and accuses him of then selecting Connolly as his instrument in the unfortunate scheme that later on involved him in such difficulties,—the scheme “to engage Virginia and Pennsylvania in a civil war about their territorial boundary, and to rouse once more to arms the warlike tribes of savages, whose fury had so often deluged the western settlements with blood.” Later historians, however, scout the idea that such motives should be attributed to Dunmore.

I have been at the expence of sending a person from this place to survey the Falls, not having a sufficient dependance upon Captt. Bullit, whose Aerial Schemes have urged him to act in an extravagant manner; laying off Towns, & Townships every sixty miles upon the River; & corresponding to his Ideas has concluded the Falls to be a proper place for such intention, amongst others.—The Bearer of this Mr Wilper a german Gentleman has been with him & reports him to be so extraordinary a Genius, that I am glad I have had his Lordships permission to appoint a person to transact my business in that Country. Comparing the Date of this Letter with my expectations of your arrival here, urges me to think that I must postpone the pleasure of seeing you, untill I may have the honor of giving you a personal Visit, which will at any rate, be highly satisfactory to him who is with respect

Dr Sir your most obedt: Servt: JNO: CONNOLLY

FROM MR. GILBERT SIMPSON.

LOUDOUN August : ye: 31: 1773

Sr With the almightys permission I Will do my Endevour To See your Land Tax discharged before the Last of next Week from this date and Sr I hope To See you before you Go To Williamsburg but0273255For Feare any Thing Should happen That I Could not Com inn as Soon as I hope To do I Beg the Favour of you To Leve all That is To be don With Mr Lum Washington Which is one Good Stanch Negrow Fellow That understands how To work With horsses and other plantation business and one youngish Negro Woman and money To Carrey on your Mill For if the Mill Should not be begun This Fall The provisions must Cheifly be Laid in This Fal Whil it is To be had For I inten To have her begun Early in the Spring provided I Cant begin This Fal Which I Would do With all my heart but I am affrade it Will [be] Late before I Can moove my Family out heare is one Joseph Croos Who says he has don Sum Work at your Mill and Says your Miller know him perfectly Well and he is Said To be an Exstronary Mill Right and is at work on a Mill For Mr Simon Triplet at This Time Who Gives him a dollar a day and alows that he is very Worthy of his higher and the said Croos says he Will undertak To buld your Mill if he and I Could agree and I Told him that I would Give him and answer after I saw you again So Sr I Would be Glad you in Quire of your Miller and by that means you Would Likely Find out his workmanship as I Expect the Miller is a Good Judg of Mill work

Sr I Send you in Closd the vallue of my horse and Gun and Remains your humble Ser To Commd

GILBT. SIMPSON

0274256

FROM DANIEL CARROLL, ESQ.1

1 Brother of Archbishop Carroll, and one of the commissioners for laying out the Federal City.

ROCK CREEK Sepr. 1st. 1773

SIR,

In the winter 1771 I received a letter from a Mercht. of my acquaintance in Galway, in Ireland, strongly recommending, some Irish families, who had embark'd for America: These poor people, finding they cou'd not live under the exactions of their Land-lord, on their leases falling, resolv'd to venture into this part of the world, were able to pay their passages, & bring with them some family goods, & working utensils; besides the particular, & strong recommendation I received, they will shew you the testimony given in their Favor by the Mayor, & principal inhabitants of Galway. They have had house room, & fireing on my land since their arrival: The men have work'd abroad, & by their Conduct, justified the recommendations given of them, & I am certain will be of Singular Service whereever they Settle, particularly in making meadows to which they have been chiefly accustom'd: Thus much in justice to these poor people, I have thought propper to say, as they have an intention of treating with you about some of yr back land; Three of these men have been as far back as Buffaloe land over the Monongahela—Upon their report, they had all concluded, to move with their families, & occupy lands, as many others have done, in expectation of haveing the refusal, when the property is ascertained; but on seeing your advertisement,0275257I adviz'd them to wait on you, & know yr terms. I have reason to expect, if these people settle themselves to their Satisfaction, a very Considerable number of their relations will be soon with them, who are now only waiting to hear from them: It would not I apprehend be bad pollicy in those who may possess large bodys tracts of land to lay out a Glebe for a Clergyman, this wou'd have considerable weight with many Irish Roman Catholicks, who woud probably bring their own Clergyman with them. I intended myself taking a trip into these new Countries as they are call'd, & purchasing some land if the terms & title were agreeable, in hopes of making it turn to advantage, as my Connections in Ireland, enable me to procure a number of very industrious settlers, & among them some of property with whom, I correspond. I have lately received a letter dated New York July 26th. from Mr. Foxcroft one of the 72 intended proprietors, by which I find the Charter was not then obtaind: shou'd matters be settled, time enough this fall, I shall putt my resolution into execution, & if you intend to make an excursion that way, shall be glad to attend you—& am, Sir with esteem,

Yr most Obt Servt DANIEL CARROLL

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQ.

ALEXANDRIA Sept 8. 1773

SIR

I hope that my indisposition will be received as a sufficient excuse for my not having done your Lease0276258sooner, and for the Several black lines and erasements in it, when done; had I been perfectly well, they should not have appeared; however I hope that it will appear sufficiently plain & legible for the printers—I have made it as short as I could, to be substantial which I flatter myself it is, in all its parts; indeed it is in substance, the same with yours, differg very little therefrom, but something in form—I think your Clause or Covenants No 1 & 2 very material & consistent; they give distinct Remedies, the former a distress, and the latter an Action of Debt or Covenant, which often times is of material use—I have Introdd. the right of Entry in case of Nonpaymt of Rent & no distress to be found, under a Proviso which is more agreable to Law, than by way of Covenant; the word Proviso being a favorite expression of our Law, to raise or imply a Condition for Suppor [multilated] Ejectment in case the Lessee or any other should hold after breach—Tho I think in point of reason & in point of Law, that Covenant will Answer the purpose, but as the other has been used & approved of by the Judges from the earliest period of english jurisprudence as the most proper, I have adopted it—It is not usual to Incur a forfeiture of the Lease upon breach of all the Covenants contained in this Lease; however as It may be the means of enforcing an exact compliance with & performance of the several matters, I think the whole proper enough; but should you apprehend that it may alarm any who may incline to be Lessees, you may draw your pen thro any part that you incline—You'l Observe0277259that I have not Inserted the Heirs of the Lessees respecting the Estate, It would have been improper; It being a Term for years, it is a Chattel real and devolves in case of death not upon an Heir, unless he is Exor Admtr, but not as heir, Yet I have bound the Heirs for the performance of all the Covenants—Your Observtns about the unny multitude of Words & Repitns in Conveyances, are very just & can only be accounted for upon Principles of Interest, the longer the Deed the greater the price being the rule established when Scriveners formerly were paid per Word or side—pecuniay penalties would have Answered no purpose but what the Covenants within will—I have only to wish that it may be agreable to your min [covered by seal] you conceive that it may want [covered by seal] alteration please to communicate it with freedom and it shall be done by

D Sir Yr most Ob Servt ROB H: HARRISON

FROM ROBERT H. HARRISON, ESQ.

ROB H HARRISON Sept 11. 1773

DEAR SIR

The Lease which you have & which I immagine you Intended to have sent, instead of an Inventory of Col Fairfax's Furniture &c, may be made to answer every purpose by an Er