51[Diary entry: 2 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 2d. Doctr. Craik came here to Dinner & stayed all Night. Drizzly Morning which first turned to rain, & then to snow.
52[Diary entry: 3 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Monday 3d. Doctr. Stuart—his wife Betcy & Patcy Custis who had been here since the 27th. ulto. returned home. Doctr. Craik visited Mr. Peake & returned to Dinner. While we were at Dinner Colo. Blackburne & his daughter Sally came. The whole remained the Evening. Variable & very squally weather with Snow & Sunshine alternately. Towards evening the Wind came from the No. West & blew violently....
53[Diary entry: 4 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 4th. Colo. Blackburne went to Alexandria leaving his daughter here. Doctr. Craik attempted to cross the river at my Ferry, but failing on acct. of the Ice returned, & stayed dinner & the evening. Wind variable & cold.
54[Diary entry: 5 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 5th. The Doctr. in vain attempted my ferry & being disappointed went to George Town with a view of crossing on the Ice. Colo. Blackburn returned this Evening from Alexandria. Wind Northwardly & cold.
55[Diary entry: 6 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 6th. Colo. Blackburn & his daughter left this after breakfast. Wind from the Southwest, raw, cold & disagreeable.
56[Diary entry: 7 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Friday 7th. Road to my Mill, Ferry, Dogue run, & Muddy hole Plantations. Preparing my dry well, and the Well in my New Cellar for the reception of Ice. But little wind, and that Southwardly. Day very pleasant—tho’ it thawed but little. The well in the new cellar was to prove unsatisfactory (see entry for 5 June ). The dry well that GW used as an icehouse was first mentioned in 1773, when it...
57[Diary entry: 8 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 8th. Drawing Ice from the river to my well in the Cellar—got it ¾ full & well pounded, as it was thrown in. Wind pretty fresh from the Southwest. The little Snow, not exceeding 2 Inches with which the ground was covered began to disappear and the ground to soften very much. The day for the greater part was lowering & variable.
58[Diary entry: 9 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 9th. Not much wind, and that at West, & So. West. Moderate & thawing a little. The Mercury in the Thermometer was at 32 this afternoon. Appearances of Rain.
59[Diary entry: 10 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Monday 10th. Mercury at Sun rise was at 38—at Noon the same and at Night 42. Drizzly all day with but little wind—that westerly. Made a finish of the Ice in my well in the Cellar and began to fill the dry well—but the Ice unexpectedly leaving the Shore was obliged to quit. But little thawing to day, notwithstanding the wind & weather.
60[Diary entry: 11 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 11th. Mercury at 38 in the Morning 40 at Noon & 44 at Night. Until Noon it was foggy, with but little wind. Afternoon it cleared, & was very pleasant. The wind pretty fresh from the So. West—which bringing the Ice to the Shore again I renewed the Work of filling my dry Well with it by assembly Carts & hands from my Plantations.
61[Diary entry: 12 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 12th. Mercury at 42 in the Morning—40 at Noon & 38 at Night. Morning very fine with but little Wind from the So. Wt. At 10 o’clock it shifted to the No. Wt. blew very hard & turned Cold. Road to my Mill Swamp, where my Dogue run hands were at work & to other places in search of the sort of Trees I shall want for my walks, groves, & Wildernesses. At the Sein Landing & between that &...
62[Diary entry: 13 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 13th. Mercury in the Thermomiter at 26 about Sunrise—30 at Noon & 32 at Night. Morning clear & cold, the Wind being fresh from the No. West, Which, about Noon, died away and grew moderate. Was envited, & went to the Funeral of Mr. Peake who died on Tuesday night. Returned to Dinner, accompanied by the Revd. Doctr. Griffith. Found a Mr. Dalby (an English Gentleman) here—both of whom...
63[Diary entry: 14 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Friday 14th. Mercury at 32 in the Morning 34 at Noon & 38 at Night. The Wind tho’ there was not much of it came from the So. West and continued at the same point the whole day. Appearances of Snow in the Forenoon but clear afterwards until Sunset—when it went down in a bank. Mr. Griffith & Mr. Dalby both went away after breakfast. Received an Invitation to the Funeral of Mr. Thos. Kirkpatrick...
64[Diary entry: 15 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 15th. Mercury at 38 in the Morning—42 at Noon and the same at Night. Wind Easterly in the Morning but before noon it shifted to the So. West & blew fresh & towards Night it veered round to the No. Wt. & blew very hard. With the Easterly wind there was a little rain which ceased with it. Grew clear & turned cold.
65[Diary entry: 16 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 16th. Mercury at 36 in the morning—38 at Noon & night. Wind light all day from the No. West. Weather clear & pleast.
66[Diary entry: 17 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Monday 17th. Mercury at 34 in the Morning—36 at Noon & 46 at Night. Day fine & pleasant—wind at South. Went to and returned from Alexandria to day. At my return found dispatches from the assembly respecting the Potomack Navigation. On 22 Jan. 1785 GW wrote to William Grayson , a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for Fairfax County, acknowledging receipt of “your letter, with the Books,...
67[Diary entry: 18 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 18th. Mercury at 50 this Morning—55 at Noon & 58 at Night. Wind Southwardly & fresh all day and now and then dripping of rain. In the evening the Clouds dispersed & the Sunset clear. Sent the dispatches which came to me yesterday to Messrs. Fitzgerald and Hartshorne (managers named in the act for improving & extending the Navigation of Potomack and) who are appointed to receive...
68[Diary entry: 19 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 19th. Mercury at 48 in the Morning—the same at Noon and at Night. Day clear & fine. The Wind at No. West & Cool. Employed until dinner in laying out my Serpentine road & Shrubberies adjoining. Just as we had done dinner a Mr. Watson—late of the House of Watson & Cossoul of Nantes—and a Mr. Swift Merchant in Alexandria came in, and stayed all Night. Elkanah Watson (1758–1842), born in...
69[Diary entry: 20 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 20th. Mercury at 40 in the Morning—42 at Noon and 45 at Night. Wind at No. Et.—day raw—lowering—damp & disagreeable. Mr. Watson and Mr. Swift went away after breakfast. I continued my employment of yesterday—arranging the Walk &ca. Began to grub & clear the under growth in my Pine Grove on the margin of Hell hole.
70[Diary entry: 21 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Friday 21st. Mercury at 52 in the Morning—54 at Noon & 55 at Night. More or less rain all night and variable wind—which, at times, blew exceedingly hard. In the Morning the wind was at No. Et. attended with rain. Before Noon it shifted to the Southward—blowing pretty fresh. The weather then cleared. This day a large Ship went up—on Tuesday last 4 square rigged vessels also went past wch. was...
71[Diary entry: 22 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 22d. Mercury at 45 in the Morning—the same at Noon & 44 at Night. Clear weather—the wind being at No. West all day. In the Evening Doctr. Craik Junr. came here & stayed all Night. James Craik, Jr. (died c.1803), was the son of Dr. James Craik. His company, Jas. Craik & Co., did some business with GW in 1786 ( General Ledger B General Ledger B, 1772–1793. Library of Congress, George...
72[Diary entry: 23 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 23d. Mercury at 36 in the Morning—38 at Noon & 42 at Sun setting. Clear & quite calm all the forenoon. Towards evening the Wind sprung up from the Eastward. Doctr. Craik left this after breakfast—attending Miss Bassett to his Fathers—to the wedding of his Sister Sally. Sarah (Sally) Craik, daughter of Dr. James Craik, was married 25 Jan. 1785 to Dr. Daniel Jenifer, Jr. (1756–c.1809).
73[Diary entry: 24 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Monday 24th. Mercury at 41 in the morning—57 at Noon & 54 at Night. Drizzly at intervals all day—Fresh wind from the South. Renewed my labors on the Walks, Shrubberies &ca.—but was much interrupted by the unsettledness of the weather. In the Night it rained pretty much.
74[Diary entry: 25 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 25th. Mercury at 46 in the Morning 38 at Noon—and at Night. In the Morning early it rained a little, but the wind coming out from the No. West it soon cleared—blowing hard until night when it moderated & soon ceased. A little before Dinner a Doctor Gilpin & a Mr. Scott—two West India Gentlemen came here introduced by a letter from Mr. Rob. Morris of Philadelphia and a little after them...
75[Diary entry: 26 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 26th. Mercury at 29 in the Morning, 38 at Noon & 39 at Night. But little Wind and that from the Southward—day clear & very pleasant overhead, but sloppy & disagreeable under foot, after it began to thaw—the ground having been hard froze in the Morning—which freezings & thawings it is apprehended, will be very injurious to the Winter grain.
76[Diary entry: 27 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 27th. Mercury at 32 in the Morning—the same at Noon & 37 at Sunsetting. Wind at No. West & clear all day—air pretty sharp in the forenoon. Made Mr. & Mrs. Lund Washington a mornings visit—from thence I went to Belvoir and viewed the ruined Buildings of that place. In doing this I passed along the side of Dogue Creek & the river to the white Ho[use] in search of Elm & other Trees for...
77[Diary entry: 28 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Friday 28th. Mercury at 32 this Morning—42 at Noon and the same at Night. Wind pretty fresh from the Southward, with Sun shine, and appearances of rain alternately. In the evening it lowered very much. Road to day to my Plantations in the Neck—partly with a view to search for Trees; for which purpose I passed through the Wood and in the first drain beyond the Bars in my lower pasture, I...
78[Diary entry: 29 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 29th. Mercury at 42 in the Morning and the same at Noon & Night. Raining until about 10 Oclock when it ceased. About 12 the Sun appeared and the day became exceedingly pleasant afterwards. The Wind, until some time after noon came from the Southward but not very fresh. Towards the evening it inclined to the westward more—blew fresh & grew cold.
79[Diary entry: 30 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 30th. Mercury this morning at 26 at Noon 32 and at Night 28. Wind fresh from the No. Wt. & Cold—day clear. In the Afternoon Mr. Willm. Scott with the two Miss Blackburns came in and stayed the Night. William Scott (c.1751–c.1787) was a son of Rev. James and Sarah Brown Scott of Dettingen Parish, Prince William County, and the uncle of the Blackburn girls. Scott lived at Strawberry Vale...
80[Diary entry: 31 January 1785] (Washington Papers)
Monday 31st. Mercury at 22 in the Morning 28 at Noon & 29 at Night. Wind at No. Wt. & pretty fresh in the forenoon—less of it & from the Eastward in the afternoon. Day clear until the Evening when it lowered & after dark turned very cloudy. About one oclock Mr. Wm. Hunter of Alexa. with a Mr. Hadfield (a Manchester Mercht.) recommended by Colo. Sam Smith of Baltimore & Colo. Fitzgerald & a Mr....