Mr. John H. Freeman hired for me four negroes of your property & five belonging to miss Sarah Dangerfield, for the present year, who are now at this place. mr Freeman’s constantly declining health will probably induce him to leave my service within a few weeks. this is the occasion of my troubling you at present, as I am desirous, during my present visit to this place, to take measures for engaging labourers for the ensuing year. being satisfied with the conduct of these people, & they I believe satisfied with their situation (for I have never heard a word of complaint from them) I should be glad to engage them for another year on the same terms. their hire shall always be deposited in due time in the bank of Fredericksburg subject to your order & that of miss Dangerfield of which you shall be notified at the time. and indeed as I have always to hire about that number of labourers, it would be much more agreeable to me to continue the same set from year to year, than to be always changing. they have been employed this year in some millworks, now nearly compleated. the next year they would be engaged in levelling some garden grounds, making roads, and other improvements of that nature. I will ask the favor of you to consider this letter & proposition as addressed to miss Dangerfield as well as yourself, and that I may be favored with an answer as soon as convenient, as it is necessary for me to make some final provision before I leave this place. a letter put into your nearest post office will come to me without delay. accept my salutations & assurances of respect.