George Washington Papers

From George Washington to Francis Deakins, 1 July 1794

To Francis Deakins

Mount Vernon July 1st 1794.1

Sir

The letter with which you were pleased to favor me, dated the 12th Ulto I received at George Town on my way to this place.

I am much obliged to you for your ready compliance with my request, and for the trouble you have taken to examine into the trespasses which have been committed on my part of Woodstock manner. The footing on which you have placed the collection & deposit of the Rents, on my behalf, is very agreeable to me; & I thank you for the assurance that you will have an eye to my interest in your neighbourhood.

I should greatly prefer the cultivation of Wheat to Tobacco, on those Lands; & I should have thought myself happy in having such a tenant as Mr Oneil; but it is long, since I have formed a fixed resolution never to let land to any one who does not live on it; but adjoining thereto because from experience I have found in all these cases that my land has always been pressed hard to save their own;2 and of the improvements which it ought to receive from the stock, Litter &ca it has been robbed for the benefit of the other. I mean by no means to suggest that this would be the case with Mr Oneil; but to shew the principle on wch my resolution has been founded. Besides, it might be inconvenient perhaps to the Tenants that are on the land to be dispossessed. With great esteem, I am Sir Yr most Obedt Servt

Go: Washington

ADfS, NN: Washington Collection; LB, DLC:GW.

1On the draft, the dateline initially read: "George Town July 3d 1794." GW also revised the end of the first paragraph, which initially read "received at this place on my way to Mt Vern.," to correspond with the altered dateline.

2On the draft, GW first wrote "the other"; he then struck out "other" and substituted "their own." Although "the" was not marked out, its omission was clearly intended.

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