To George Washington from Lamar, Hill, Bisset, & Company, 20 August 1785
From Lamar, Hill, Bisset, & Company
Madeira 20th August 1785.
Sir,
Since we had the honor of writing you under the 22d last June, no oppr. has offered for Alexandria ’till the Bearer of this Captain Moon of the Brig Industry, & having requested the favor of him to take on b[oar]d a Pipe of Wine for you, he told us he could not possibly do it, as only 5 Pipes in all offered on Freight, which he would not venture to carry, because they would subject him to make an entry in the Customhouse, which is attended with additional Expences. We hope same oppr. will soon cast up to our satisfaction, but for fear one should not, request your sentiments on the plan mentioned in our last,1 and not having at present to add, take the liberty to subscribe ourselves Sir Your most obedient humble Servants
Lamar Hill Bisset & Co.
LS, DLC:GW.
1. GW wrote on 1 Sept. 1785 to Lamar, Hill, Bisset, & Co. in response to their inquiry of 22 June 1785 about filling his order of November 1783 for “a Pipe of fine old Wine.” Before receiving GW’s instructions to the contrary, the wine merchants sent the pipe of wine for GW to Dr. James Taylor in Norfolk (Lamar, Hill, Bisset, & Co. to GW, 6 Dec. 1785; James Taylor to GW, 4 Feb., 13 Mar. 1786). GW enclosed a letter to the merchants in a letter to Henry Hill of Philadelphia, 3 Aug. 1786, acknowledging receipt of the wine and remitting to Hill “a draft for £43.12.4 on Wakelin Welch.”