To George Washington from William Augustine Washington, 2 May 1799
From William Augustine Washington
Haywood May 2d 1799
My Dr Sir
The Vessel I ingaged to take my Corn up to you, never returned from Baltimore untill the 23 Ulto after repairing her Sealing she came down on friday last to Load, but the rainy and Windy weather ever since has retarded us—she will I hope get ⟨on⟩ her Load in a day or two & will deliver you Two Hundred Barrels, and return immediately for the Ballance; the freight you will be pleased to settle with the Bearer Capt. Bowcock & charge me with the half; you can settle wth me for the Corn after the Ballance is delivered.1
If you have any Whiskey of fine quality made intirely of Rye, you would oblige me by sending me a Barrel, it is the only Spirit I make use of, when I can get it good agreeing better with my Complaint, than any other.2
I suppose you generally put up a good many Herrings; If you have any to part with, shou⟨ld⟩ be glad to get a Barrel of well cured for my own use.3
It give me pleasure to tell you of my improvement in health, & that I leave home tomorrow, with a hope and prospect of making myself as happy as Man [can] be in this World of Woe.4
I congratulate you on Genl Lee’s & Genl Marshals Election to Congress; I hope it will half retrieve the Honor of the State. with my best respects to Mrs Washington I conclude My Dr Sir Your ever Affectionate Neph⟨ew⟩
Wm A. Washington
P.S. I have directed Bowcocks rect to be inclosed & left my Letter open for that purpose.
ALS, ViMtvL. The letter was sent “By Capt. [Henry] Bowcock.”
1. For GW’s arrangements with his nephew William Augustine Washington to supply him each year with corn for his distillery at Mount Vernon, see GW to W.A. Washington, 26 June, 3 Oct. 1798, and W.A. Washington to GW, 24 July 1798. There was a good deal of confusion at this time about the shipment of corn up from Haywood to Mount Vernon and the sending of fish and whiskey down to Haywood, resulting in the exchange of a number of letters (see GW to W.A. Washington, 20, 24 May, 10 June 1799, and W.A. Washington to GW, 20 May, 1 June, 13 July 1799). In the corrected account with William Augustine Washington in the Mount Vernon distillery and fishery accounts (, 14), William Augustine Washington is credited on 11 May with the delivery of 187½ barrels of “Indian Corn” valued at $500 and 166 barrels valued at $456.50 on 25 May.
2. On 25 May William Augustine Washington was charged $27.50 for “30 Gallons Rectified Whiskie 4th proof 5/6” and $16.95 for “30½ Gallons” common whiskey (, 14; see also the references in note 1).
3. GW presented William Augustine Washington with a barrel of “fine Herrings” (ibid.; see also GW to W.A. Washington, 20, 24 May, and W.A. Washington to GW, 1 June).
4. William Augustine Washington was married on 11 May to his third wife, Sarah Tayloe, sister of John Tayloe of Mount Airy.