1To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel Burgess Ball, 30 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
Having been indulg’d with a Parole, unsolicitted, and unexpected, thro the Interest of Genl Phillips (as I’m inform’d) for Virginia or elsewhere, and, ever desireous to conduct myself so as to avoid any reproach from Your Excellency, I have thought it expedient thus to write to you. It being, in my present situation, improper and out of my power to take any active part in a military capacity,...
2To George Washington from Burgess Ball, 25 August 1789 (Washington Papers)
I am sorry that it devolvs on me to communicate to you the loss of your Mother who departed this Life abt 3 oClock today. The Cause of her desolution (I believe) was the Cancer on her Breast, but for abt 15 days she has been deprived of her speech, and for the five last days she has remain’d in a Sleep. She has lived a good Age &, I hope, is gone to a happier place than we live at present in....
3To George Washington from Burgess Ball and Charles Carter, 8 October 1789 (Washington Papers)
We have perused your Letter to Mrs Lewis dated the 13th of September, and shall take pleasure in giving her all the Assistance in our power. We shall in the next paper advertize the Stocks &c. to be sold abt the 29th Inst., and, in the same Paper shall request all Persons having Claims against the Estate, to bring ’em in properly attested, but, we believe we have already the whole Accots (as...
4From George Washington to Burgess Ball and Charles Carter, 18 October 1789 (Washington Papers)
Having set out on a tour through the Eastern States, it was at this place your letter of the 8th Instt overtook me. Not having my fathers Will to recur to when I wrote to my Sister, nor any recollection of the Devises in it, I supposed she was entitled to a Childs part of the Negros; but if they were otherwise disposed of by that Will (as I believe is the case) she is certainly excluded; and...
5To George Washington from Burgess Ball, 26 December 1789 (Washington Papers)
I fear you will think we have been very dilatary respecting the Settlement of the Old Ladys Affairs &c., as it has been a long time since we have given you any Information of them. For my part I have been so embarrass’d for some time by being Security for Majr Willis, that I cd scarcely think of any thg else. The Negroes are at length divided, but all the things of the Old Ladys are not yet...
6From George Washington to Burgess Ball, 18 January 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 26. of December came duly to hand, but occurences of various kinds have prevented an acknowledgement of it till this time. I am not at all uneasy at the delay, or impatient for the settlement of the estate accounts of my deceased Mother; I am persuaded they will be rendered in due time, and to the satisfaction of all concerned—To pay all she owed is my first wish—to render...
7From George Washington to Burgess Ball, 19 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 7th instt came duly to hand, but the multiplicity of matters that pressed upon me at the time, prevented an earlier acknowledgment. I write to you now respecting an exchange of Lands because you wished to hear from me soon, on that subject—not because I think there is the least probability of such an exchange taking effect; I judge so from the ideas I have formed (from the...
8To George Washington from Burgess Ball, 11 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
Being sensible that the sooner your communications were made known to Mr Fitzhugh, and the result to you, so much the sooner wou’d your mind be reliev’d, I waited on him today and fully inform’d him of everything respecting the Conversation the Gentleman had with you at the Dinner in Alexandria on the 4th of July, and of your Sentiments on that Subject—Mr Fitzhugh had hear’d nothing, and says,...
9From George Washington to Burgess Ball, 21 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have in due course of post, been favoured with your letter of the 11th instant. I thank you for the prompt compliance with my request—as I do Mr Fitzhugh also for the ready belief he yielded that I would do nothing unfriendly, or ungenteel in the case you were desired to mention to him. Before the receipt of your letter, I had dispatched Howell Lewis (who was first to go to Fredericksburg...
10To George Washington from Burgess Ball, 25 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
I recd yours of the 21st Inst. this Evening, and, as you seem to be misinform’d respecting Mr Laurence Lewis’s Intention of changing his State, I thought it best, on Information from Mrs Lewis (he being at present in Berkly) and his other friends here, to lose no time in writing to you again—They say (& I also believe) that he has no Notion at all of entering into the matrimonial State, and...