To George Washington from James Cleveland, 13 February 1775
From James Cleveland
February the 13 1775
Sir,
I arrive’d home on Saturday Night the 11th of the Said instant but with much Difficulty being taken very ill with the Slow Fever the 7 of the Month and am worse since I came home and may Prabably not be able to come to you for some time when I got over I found nothing purchas’d and I found it hard to get the commoditys on any terms I roed twelve or thirteen Days before I bought one individual and in this time I got intiligence of some1 I bougt the Corn and Bacon that you directed at least near the quantity but the greater Part of the Corn at 5S. ⅌ bushell the Bacon at 8d. ⅌ pound also 3 and ½ ⅛ bushels salt at 17S. 3d. ⅌ bushel one Pair of Hand Mill Stones at 20S. Casks agreed for to put the Corn and Salt in and Part of them Deliver’d I laid all in at Gilber Simpsons; Concerning Mr Vauld Crofford the nails and tools that you gave me an accompt of that is there I could not get mov’d the going being so bad that noboddy would angage to do it at that time Major Crofford is to have it done without fail one Coat two westcoats and 3 Pair of Stockings not to be found2 Major Crofford has under taken to prepare the other things by the time they will be wanting without fail; Craft enough to carry the ware having several ready made by him ten axes and four Mattocks and Irons for the Hand Mill Mr Crofford having a printy of Iron in Store is very glad to serve you the two Servants he is willing to give up Mr Vaulentine Crofford chuses to keep his. Major McCulluks Bond I have taken up and deliver’d as directed.3 I am your Hble Servt
James Cleveland
N.B. I receivd four half Joes of Vaulentine Crofford and three half Joes one thirty Shillin bill and three Dollars of Major Crofford4 he has referd several perticulars to me that I cannot relate at present.
Sir,
Just as I had seald the Letter Cap. Rusel Sent Me Wourd that he should Not brack up the Garrozon5 Tho he has orders from Lord Dun more Near six Weackes so that you May Not Depend6 on My gitting the things I Rote you I had the Promis of he is a gwine to send to the Congress a bout it As the Indanes does Not seem sattes Fied But I had rather Run the Chance of being hurt by them then to have so Many hunting in the Woods if thay Weare gone the game would soon return a gain so I Conclud yours to Command.7
James Cleveland
L, DLC:GW. The letter and signature are in an unknown hand, except for the undated ALS at the end, which Cleveland himself wrote.
2. The “Coat two westcoats and 3 Pair of Stockings” may have met with the same fate that Nicholas Cresswell’s clothes did when he left them with Valentine Crawford for several months in 1775. When he returned he found “these rascals have wore out all the clothes I left here,” leaving him with only a few ragged clothes he had taken west with him (, 97).
3. William Crawford had taken “book keeper” John Knight and convict laborer Thomas Wight (see Valentine Crawford to GW, 27 July 1774, and note 3 of that document). He was willing to part with Wight, but see Cleveland to GW, 10 April 1775. John McCullough and James Ennis had bought three servants (Valentine Crawford to GW, 27 July 1774).
4. Under his account with Cleveland GW entered under this date £9.12 and £9.6 Virginia currency received by Cleveland of William and Valentine Crawford respectively (, 34). See also Cash Accounts, March 1775, and note 16 of that document.
5. That is, the garrison at Fort Blair.
6. This word has a correction mark over it.
7. This undated letter could belong with either this letter or Cleveland’s letter of 15 February. At the Library of Congress it is pasted at the bottom of the letter of 15 Feb., on a separate sheet, and across the page from the letter of 13 Feb., which ends at the bottom of the page.