From George Washington to Richard Washington, 7 May 1759
To Richard Washington
Mount Vernon 7th May 1759
Dear Sir,
Your Letter of the 9th of Septr Inclosing a Copy of your former of the 5th July preceeding came to my hands about the first of March last:1 I am glad to find that the several Bills remitted you were accepted; I had no cause to doubt their goodness, but we notwithstanding are often deceivd2—I now Inclose you one for £40.9s.3—as I find Mr Knox has sold my Tobo for about one third part of its value, and Mr Bacon that which I sent him under its real worth4—I have no Accts yet of the Sales of that sent you.
The Short Crops last year puts it out of my power to Ship you any Tobo this—I made very little myself, and none is to be bought under 50/ pr C[w]t. I shall shortly take an oppertunity of remitting you another Bill as I don’t know how our Acct Stands Ballancd.5
’Till I hear from you, I have nothing worth mentioning—I have quit a Military Life; and Shortly shall be fixd at this place with an agreable Partner, and then shall be able to conduct my own business with more punctuality than heretofore as it will pass under my own immediate Inspection—a thing Impractacable while I dischargd my Duty in the Publick Service of the Country. I am Dr Sir with very great truth Yr Most Obedt Hble Servt
Go: Washington
LB, in GW’s hand, DLC:GW.
1. Neither of the letters from the London merchant has been found. GW hereafter consigned only a little tobacco to Richard Washington and in 1765 broke off all correspondence with him.
2. GW recorded in his account with Richard Washington (, folio 15) that in April 1758 Fielding Lewis remitted for him to Richard Washington a bill of exchange of £50 and that he himself remitted one of £40 “on Alexander Edinbourg” (perhaps William Alexander & Co. of Edinburgh).
3. This was a “Lett[er] of Excha. on Mesrs [James and Robert] Berrie of Glasgow drawn by Jas Corbett” (ibid.).
4. GW sent fourteen hogsheads of tobacco to the Bristol merchant Thomas Knox in early 1758 (GW to Knox, 26 Dec. 1757, n.6), which Knox sold for £78.15 (, folio 16). GW sent eighteen hogsheads of tobacco to Anthony Bacon & Co. in London in September 1757, the net proceeds of which, £57.16, he turned over to Richard Washington (GW to Anthony Bacon & Co., 10 Sept. 1757; , folio 16). See GW to Farrel & Jones, 30 July 1760, n.2.
5. In August GW drew a bill of exchange of £50 on the Hanburys for Richard Washington. See GW to Capel & Osgood Hanbury, 26 Aug. 1759, and GW to Richard Washington, 20 Sept. 1759.