1To George Washington from Richard Peters, 3 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
I am extremely sorry to find by your Favour of the 26th of June that the Fly extends its Ravages this Year so generally. All our Wheat is either much injured or totally destroyed by it in this Quarter & it is so in every Part of this State, on this Side the Mountains. Delaware & Maryland are in the same Situation. Thus this Insect is defeating French Spoliations, by taking away the Subject of...
2To George Washington from Richard Peters, 26 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have endeavoured to find out the Prices of Land at & near Philadelphia & from thence to Lancaster on & near the Route to that Place. But these Prices are so various that I am not able to fix on any Average. £100 ⅌ Acre is offered for Land on the West Side of Schuylkill near the Bridge —Near £60 this Currency were given last year for Land a Mile further West—I would not take this Sum for my...
3To George Washington from Richard Peters, 12 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have so long waited for the Answers to a Number of Queries, I proposed to several of our most intelligent Farmers, on the subject of Manures, & particularly the Gypsum; & have been so much disappointed in not receiving the requisite Information, that I cannot longer trespass on your Patience, by detaining Sr J. Sinclair’s Communications which I now return to you. Many of the Subjects are too...
4To George Washington from Richard Peters, 23 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
By Mistake I did not send the Papers herewith returned when the Rest of Sr J. Sinclair’s Agricultural Communications were returned to you. I have glanced over them again & see Nothing necessary (with Deference to your better Opinion) for you, Sir, to answer but a general Acknowledgment & some approbatory Remarks, as general as may be. To descend into Particulars would take up much of your Time...
5To George Washington from Richard Peters, 16 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
The Accounts given to the British Board of Agriculture are in general drawn up in a masterly Manner; so, as I should suppose (especially after being circulated for Correction) fully to answer the Expectations formed in the excellent Plan which produced them. They exhibit as well beneficial Practices, as Defects in Agriculture. They contain a Fund of Information, useful in political Œconomy &...
6To George Washington from Richard Peters, 14 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your Note lay, without my Knowledge, on my Table, ’till last Evening, or I should have sent the Agricultural Papers before this Time. I am much obliged & gratified by the Perusal of them. I had formed a Plan of abstracting Parts of these Papers for Observation, & Part for Publication. But there seems a Fatality attendant on my Plan, for I have met with Interruptions in every Attempt I have...
7To George Washington from Richard Peters, 14 February 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have returned, under a Hope of seeing them again when they have gone their rounds, the Papers you were so good as to lend me on Agriculture. I have not had sufficient Leisure to peruse them with the Attention they deserve. I have a great Desire to read them with Care. I see no precise Object S[i]r J. has requiring more than a bare Acknowledgment of their reciept from you —I have sent a Dozen...
8To George Washington from Richard Peters, 5 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Office of Comr of Loans for Pennsilvania is vacant by the Decease of Mr Smith who married my Sister & has left little or Nothing behind him but a good Name, many Friends & a Wife & seven Children several of whom are in their Minority. On hearing of his Death I thought of Nothing on the Subject but lending my Assistance from my own Resources towards the Support of that Part of the Family...
9To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
I had prepared the enclosed a considerable Time ago but have waited for a Communication from a Person who does the most in the Grazing Line of any Person I have heard of. But he has not made the Communication from a silly Belief that it is not for a public Purpose but a private one that I wish to get the Acct from him[.] I therefore delay no longer to send you the best Answer to Mr Y.’s Query...
10To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 May 1793 (Washington Papers)
I was from Hence when your Letter enclosing Mr Young’s Queries & Observations arrived or I should have acknowledged the Honour of recieving it. I will with Pleasure take an Opportunity of complying with your Request. I do not wonder that Mr Young is embarrassed in his Endeavors to account for the actual State of Things in the agricultural Branch in this Country. The Results are I believe...
11To George Washington from Richard Peters, 8 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
I send you the best Answers I can make to Sr J. St. Clair’s Queries. Had I supposed you wished them sooner I should have paid earlier Attention to them. I return the Book which I have not had Leisure enough to read with the Care it appears to merit. I have the Honour to be with the most respectful Esteem Your very obedt Servt ALS , DLC:GW . GW wrote Sir John Sinclair on 20 Oct. 1792 that he...
12To George Washington from Richard Peters, 30 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
R. Peters’s respectful Compliments to The President & returns the Pamplet on the Foo⟨t⟩ Plough with Thanks for the Perusal. R.P. thinks there are many good & useful Observations in the Book, but he cannot prefer the Plough to the Bar Share Plough in Use among good Farmers here. The Idea of accomodating one Plough to many & different Operations may be well executed. But he would rather have...
13To George Washington from Richard Peters, 22 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
I was ashamed to send you so hasty & desultory a List of Observations on Mr Young’s Letter & on Reflection I find I have not paid sufficient Attention to some material Parts of it. By the Desire I had of speedily complying with your Request I have in a great Degree defeated the Object of the Trouble you were pleased to take in making it. It will however be now too late to do anything more, as...
14To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
I shall be happy if I can assist in solving Mr Young’s Queries; but the Time will not admit either of Accuracy or the Combinations necessary to form the Average of Labour, Building & Improvement applicable to the State at large. From Mr Y’s Calculations, formed I presume upon Communications from you, I am surprized to find that the Prices of Labour & Quantity of Product are, in a great Degree,...
15To George Washington from Richard Peters, 2 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
Averse as I am from a Desire to trouble you on such Subjects my Anxiety on Account of the Situation in which a worthy character is unfortunately placed has induced me to take the Liberty of mentioning to you the unhappy Predicament in which General Wayne stands—As Matters have turned out he was cursed with a Present from the State of Georgia of a Rice Plantation which they gave him with very...
16To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 September 1788 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I had the Honour of yours of the ’7th I was in Hopes the Crops with you would make up the Deficiency of ours which are wretched indeed. I have the best Crop in my Neighbourhood tho’ compared with that of a good Year it is but moderate. Our Situation removed from saline Particles in the Air & the Moisture & Warmth they occasion added to our bad Culture—hard Winter &, too frequently,...
17To George Washington from Richard Peters, 27 June 1788 (Washington Papers)
On my Arrival from an annual Tour my Affairs compel me to take over the Susquahanna I have the Honour of your Letter of the 8th inst. The Crops in the western Country as fine as ever I saw them but those within 40 or 50 Miles of Philadelphia execrably bad, owing to the Snows not having covered them in the Winter added to a bad Stile of farming which too commonly prevails. My Grain is among the...
18To George Washington from Richard Peters, 27 April 1788 (Washington Papers)
I was honoured yesterday with yours of the 6th instant. I am glad the Scarcity Seeds came to Hand. It will not be too late to plant the Roots as they will be preserved sufficiently by the Sand I had them packed in. When you come to make the Comparison of this to any other Forage dont forget to take into your Account the Summer ⟨str⟩ippings which come in when Clover is burnt up. This with the...
19To George Washington from Richard Peters, 12 March 1788 (Washington Papers)
It is with the greatest Pleasure that I recieve your Commands respecting the Harrows. I have in Consequence spoke to the Smith & pointed out some Improvements, where I think mine has Defects. I never had seen one in the Construction of mine & therefore the Idea was theoretical but it has answered in Practice to my utmost Expectations. I have never however applied it on so large a Scale as to...
20To George Washington from Richard Peters, 9 November 1781 (Washington Papers)
We take the liberty to inform your Excellency that it is with great difficulty that a detachment of Militia can be obtained sufficient to furnish the necessary Guards in the City not to mention the very great expence arising thereby to the United States. As the Season of the Year is nearly come for the Continental Troops to go into Winter Quarters and a Regiment can be conveniently barracked...
21To George Washington from Richard Peters, 19 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
By a Channell of Intelligence I have opened I can procure Access to Rivington’s Printing Office where there is a Person ready to furnish any important Papers as Intelligence! But the Person to bring it is the one I have employed & he in N. York will trust no other. I mention this to your Excellency that if you can think of any material Use to be made of this you will please to take Advantage...
22To George Washington from Richard Peters, 13 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Board uneasy under the Situation of the Cloathing and Stores at Boston and not caring to trust them by Water, have dispatched the Clothier General to that place with Orders to bring on the Cloathing and some other Articles to Philadelphia, that the Cloathing may be made up and delivered to the Army as soon as possible. As to the other Articles imported we have given no Orders concerning...
23To George Washington from Richard Peters, 2 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
Major Lemagne having left Col. Armand’s Legion there is a Vacancy of a Major & I have mentioned to Col. Armand to whom your Excellency devolved the Authority given you to officer the Corps by Congress, that Capt. McLean would be a suitable Person to fill the vacant Majority. I have since seen McLean who is desirous of reentering the Service if it can be done with any Degree of Propriety. The...
24To George Washington from Richard Peters, 13 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Order of Congress which we have the Honour to communicate directing us to confer with your Excellency on the Subject of the proposed Numbers & Arrangements of the Army for the next Campaign, not having pointed out the Reasons inducing the Measure, we have the Honour to lay before you our Ideas on the Subject so far as we are acquainted with the Matter from a Conference at which we were...
25To George Washington from Richard Peters, 13 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to lay before your Excellency several Papers by order of the Board of War on which I shall be happy to recieve your Answer & Opinion & to confer with you on the Subjects of them if your Excellency shall deem it necessary. The Letter from Genl parsons was sent because a Doubt arose on the Resolutions of Congress relative to the Invalid Corps whether an Officer under the...
26To George Washington from Richard Peters, 3 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the Honour to transmitt a Copy of a Memorial relative to the Promotions in the Pennsilvania Regiment of Artillery & previous to our making a Report to Congress we beg the Favour of your Excellency’s Opinion thereupon. We have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect & Esteem your very obed. Servants DLC : Papers of George Washington. The Honorable the Congress of the United States...
27To George Washington from Richard Peters, 26 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Board beg Leave to trouble-you with a Copy of a Motion respecting Vanhere ’s Corps which was referred to us by Congress. We have been informed that the principal Part of this Corps is made use of German Deserters & were doubtful about the Propriety of establishing them in the Line of the State as their Enlistments are contrary to the Resolves of Congress & evidently improper. Beside we...
28To George Washington from Richard Peters, 26 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the Honour to acknowledge the Reciept of your Excellency’s Letter of the 21st inst. & inclose Copy of ours to Congress in Consequence & also of a Report containing an Enumeration & Valuation of Rations which we laid before Congress for their Consideration & Election. We presume the perfecting the Contracts will lie with the Superintendant of Finance. But Congress will no Doubt be...
29To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the honor to enclose to you a copy of a letter from Ebinezer Hazard to the President of Congress on the subject of a Mr Vernor a British Commissary of Prisoners frequently visiting and staying at Elizabeth Town. Not being acquainted with the matter so far as to know whether Vernor’s coming to Elizabeth Town may not be on business and under some licence from the Commissary Gene. of...
30To George Washington from Richard Peters, 7 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the honor to enclose a Resolve of Congress for the supply of the Army by contract and of the Board’s Report on the subject. As your Excelly is best acquainted with the operations of the Campaign and has the power vested in you by the Resolve of the 25th February 1780 we request you will please to point out the Magazines or places of Deposit to which the provisions should be collected...