1From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 20 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
I had the pleasure a few days ago to receive your letter of the 28t[h] of September, enclosing a letter from the Earl of Buchan, and accompanied with some seeds of the Sweedish Turnip, or Ruta Baga . At the same time I received from Mr Campbell, a bookseller in New York, six volumes of the Bee, which he informed me were transmitted by your directions. In your letter you mentioned having sent...
2From George Washington to James Anderson, 25 April 1793 (Washington Papers)
It was not until the 18th instant that I had the pleasure to receive your letter of the 3d of November, enclosing one from Lord Buchan, and accompanied by the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th Volumes of the Bee—and a copy of the pamphlet on Wool. While I beg your acceptance of my best thanks for the polite attention you have shewn in forwarding the several Volumes of the Bee—and express my sincere...
3From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 26 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
The letter with which you were pleased to favor me, dated the 15th of August last year, accompanying sevl pamphlets on interesting subjects, came safe; though long after its date, as you will perceive by the enclosed note from a Mr Callender; which serves as a wrapper of six guineas which I send for the vols. of the Bee (15 in number) which have come to my hands. As you have never authorised...
4From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 24 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
If I was more deserving of so interesting & valuable a correspondence as yours, your letter of the 6th of Decr last year would not have remained until this time unacknowledged. The truth is, so little time is at my disposal for private gratifications, that it is but rarely I put pen to paper for purposes of my own. This is offered as an apology for what might otherwise have the appearance of...
5From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 15 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
Since my last to you in December, I have been favored with your letter of the 15th of September, on the subject of Iron Bridges. The invention is ingenious, and if it answers as well in practice as it appears in theory it will be a valuable and useful discovery. I see no reason why it should not, as the construction is upon mathematical principles. I should fear, however, if you have not been...
6From George Washington to James Anderson, 18 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
In Passing through Alexandria yesterday, on my way to Philadelphia, I saw Colo. Fitzgerald, who informed me of a letter he had received from you in consequence of one which Doctr Stuart had written to his relation, Mr Fitzhugh of Stafford. It might have promoted both our views, if you had come immediately to my house upon the receipt of that letter, as more satisfaction would have resulted...
7From George Washington to James Anderson, 5 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your Letter of the 28 ulto has been received; but leaves the matter we have been treatg of, pretty much as it stood before I wrote to you, except that certain stipulations on your part are made while you refer me for a solution of the queries I propounded (important to me) to others for information, when the means of obtaing it is not within my reach. I can only say therefore, that it will not...
8Memorandum for James Anderson and William Pearce, 5 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
I shall communicate such directions as have occurred to me since I left Mount Vernon, and are necessary to be followed, in this way; that such of them as may not be executed, or executed in part only, by Mr Pearce, may be consigned over & compleated, or attempted to be completed by his Successor, Mr Anderson. The Plan for the Crops of next year (as handed to me by Mr Pearce) may be adopted: or...
9From George Washington to James Anderson, 8 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 3d instant, & Mr Pearce’s of the same date, with the weekly reports—were received by me yesterday and I shall take notice of such parts of both as may require an expression of my sentiments thereon. I consent to your commencing a distillery, and approve of your purchasing the Still, & entering of it. And I shall not object to your converting part of the Coopers shop at the...
10From George Washington to James Anderson, 15 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 11th and Reports of the preceeding week, came to hand yesterday. It is a thing I had resolved to do, so soon as I should be fixed at Mount Vernon, to seperate the old & bad horses, cattle and Sheep from the young, thrifty & good; and to dispose of them in some way or another, as soon as they could be got in order for it; by a Summer’s run, or other means not too expensive...
11From George Washington to James Anderson, 22 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 18th instant, with the Inventory & Reports of the preceeding week, came to my hands yesterday; and being satisfied from your observations, and indeed (on reflection) from what had occured to me before, of the necessity of water passing thro’ the Distillery, I cannot do otherwise than approve of the establishment at the Mill, for temporary purposes. The result of wch, must...
12From George Washington to James Anderson, 29 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 25th instant with the Reports of the preceeding week came to hand by the mail of yesterday. In Six weeks or thereabouts, if nothing unforeseen happens, I expect to be a resident at Mount Vernon; but lest something may cast up requiring the payment of ready money, I enclose you an order upon the Bank for Two hundred dollars. The general account therewith may be settled after...
13From George Washington to James Anderson, 5 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 1st instant, with the weekly reports, are received. If all that part of the new road from the Causey to the white gates is completed and fit for use, it has gone on better than I expected; and makes me wish more, that the other part was done; that the whole might be fit for use against my return; but I do not desire it to be attempted to the injury of more important work....
14From George Washington to James Anderson, 20 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 14th enclosing the weekly Reports, was received on Saturday last. The opinion you have formed of the Overseers, under your superintendance, is, I dare say, very correct; and if the Negros will not do their duty by fair means, they must be compelled to do it; so far therefore from taking the latter amiss, that I consider it as a part of your duty. It has always been my aim to...
15From George Washington to James Anderson, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 22d with the weekly reports, was received on the 25th. As its contents, is chiefly matter of information, it requires but little to be said in reply: and as the public business presses upon me at this juncture, and I shall (I hope) be at Mount Vernon ’ere long, I will suspend giving any opinion, or directions relative to the business entrusted to you, in this letter;...
16From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 7 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
A few days since, through the Channel of our Minister in London, I was favoured with the receipt of your third volume of Essays relating to Agriculture & rural Affairs for which I pray you to accept my best thanks. I am once more seated under my own Vine and fig tree, and hope to spend the remainder of my days—which in the ordinary course of things (being in my Sixty sixth year) cannot be...
17From George Washington to James Anderson, 18 June 1797 (Washington Papers)
As far as time and circumstances have enabled me to attend to the subject, I have given your Memorial a careful perusal; and what follows is the result of my reflections thereupon. The principles laid down for conducting the different Farms I approve; and the mode of carrying those principles into effect appear to me to be well digested; some modification however, in the execution, may be...
18From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 4 November 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favours of the 21st of June and 3d of August last, have both been received, and are entitled to my best acknowledgments and thanks. The last was presented by William Spence, who arrived here the 27th Ulto via New York, in very good health and in very good time, my old Gardener having left me, as I wished it might happen, about a fort night before. For the prompt attention you have paid to...
19From George Washington to James Anderson, 25 November 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have given the scheme which you put into my hands for renting some of my land on the Great Kanhawa, such consideration as time and circumstances would permit. What follows is the result. To require such a rent, and to make it progressive to a certain period as is digested in your Plan of a Rental in a country abounding in unsettled Lands which are open to every purchaser on a more moderate...
20From George Washington to James Anderson, 21 December 1797 (Washington Papers)
As the present year is about to close, it is my desire that all the accompts from the commencement of your Management, up to the first of January, may be fully stated and laid before me on, or about that day. In doing this, I shall expect to see, at one view, all the monies which you have received, and all that you have expended (on my a/c); together with the balances which may be due for...
21From George Washington to James Anderson, 1 February 1798 (Washington Papers)
Observations in going over Mr Andersons Accounts 1. That there is no Cash A/c raised in his Ledger, which is as essential as any other A/c; because, in a greater or less degree, it is the foundation of all others, or nearly allied to them: and is the one from whence the balance of the receipts and expenditures of money is to appear. And if a column in this a/c be instituted for correspondent...
22From George Washington to James Anderson, 6–7 February 1798 (Washington Papers)
It would seem by the reply you handed to me yesterday, in explanation of the observations I had made, in going over your A/cs that you were hurt by the remarks. The notes were not taken with that view—and you were told so in explicit terms. On the contrary, I remarked that the A/cs were perfectly fair, & only required explanation in one or two instances to make them clear. Not having the Bank...
23From George Washington to James Anderson, 22 May 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 19th inst. has been received, but not with the surprise it would otherwise have occasioned, had I not been prepared in some measure for the notice it gave by the intimation contained in a former letter (not now by me, & the date forgotten) of your intention to withdraw from my employment, at the end of the year. I shall repeat now, what I said upon that occasion—viz.—that I...
24From George Washington to James Anderson, 11 June 1798 (Washington Papers)
In replying to your letter of yesterday, the following answer, and sentiments are given. Whilest I catch fish at the landing by your house, and make flour & whiskey at my Mill & Distillery, the expence of adding to the former allowance of the two first mentioned articles, in the manner you desire, and allowing a reasonable quantity of the latter, will not be sensibly felt by me, and therefore...
25From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 25 July 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 8th of February came safe, and would have received an earlier acknowledgment if anything had sooner occurred, worthy of communication. I hope you have not only got relieved of the fever from which you were then recovering, but of the langour with which it had affected you; and that you are now engaged in the literary pursuits of which you gave the outlines—and which with...
26From George Washington to James Anderson, 16 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
I am too much hurried and perplexed by the variety, and importance of the correspondence which I am thrown into, by recent & unexpected events, to find time to be answering long letters of complaint & remonstrances, at my expressing a sentiment at any time, respecting matters in which my interest is deeply concerned; when a personal conversation of five minutes would, at any time, in the...
27From George Washington to James Anderson, 1 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
Circumstances may render it necessary for me to make a journey to the Seat of Government: and letters which I expect every Post day, will determine whether I shall take it or not. If I go, my departure will be sudden, and how long I may be absent from home, is uncertain; I do not expect however, that it can exceed four, or at most five Weeks. With respect to the Farms and Meadows I shall say...
28From George Washington to James Anderson, 3 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
By the way of Boston, I have just received a letter from Mr Richd Parkinson, dated “Liverpool 28th Augt 1798.” The contents of this letter have surprised me; and that you may know from whence this surprise has proceeded, I shall lodge in your hands (as I am going from home, and may be absent four or five weeks) Mr Parkinsons first and second letters to me; and my answer to him; (a duplicate,...
29From George Washington to James Anderson, 17 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
I am not certain that I perfectly understood (when I was speaking to you on the subject the other day) what parts of the Banks in Union Farm Meadow, were sowed with Clover; and therefore make the enquiry now; first, because I am strongly impressed with an idea that that part which is in Wheat, on the North Side of the Branch from the Barn lane downwards (especially as far as the rough plowed...
30From George Washington to James Anderson, 8 September 1799 (Washington Papers)
Mrs Washington passed a good night—is clear of a fever to day—and is taking the Bark—which I hope will prevent a return of it. I am much hurried, and pressed with one thing—or another, but do what humanity requires for Roberts: who ought not to have engaged, in the situation he is in, without first informing me of it. Doctr Craik is not now here, nor expected if Mrs Washington should not...
31From George Washington to James Anderson, 10 September 1799 (Washington Papers)
In a hasty note which I wrote to you on Sunday last, I informed you, that as soon as time and circumstances would permit, I would be more full on a subject which I could then, but barely touch upon. The latter of these has not, yet, put it so fully in my power as I could wish to fulfil this promise. I shall, however, endeavour to explain my meaning without further ⟨delay⟩. I have, for more...
32From George Washington to James Anderson, 16 September 1799 (Washington Papers)
The indisposition of Mrs Washington—Dispatches of a troublesome kind, which required all my attention—and the house never being clear of company—have put it out of my power to take any notice of your letter of the 13th instant, until now. Health, being amongst (if not the most) precious gift of Heaven; without which, we are but little capable of business, or enjoyment; and as you seem to be...
33From George Washington to James Anderson, 1 October 1799 (Washington Papers)
When you intimated to me your son’s wish to Rent my Distillery & Mill next year, and your inclination to join him therein—and in that case to relinquish the management of my business; I informed you that I had made Mr Lawrence Lewis (after you had declined taking them) an offer of both; together with the Farm at Dogue-run; and that until I received his answer, I did not conceive I was at...
34Enclosure: Washington’s Plans for His River, Union, and Muddy Hole Farms, 10 December 1799 (Washington Papers)
River-Farm Crops for, & operations thereon, for the year 1800 Field No. 1—Is now partly in Wheat. Part thereof is to be sown with Oats. another part may be sown with Pease, broadcast. Part is in meadow, and will remain so. and the most broken, washed, & indifferent part, is to remain uncultivated; but to be harrowed & smoothed in the Spring, and the worst parts thereof (if practicable) to be...
35From George Washington to James Anderson, 13 December 1799 (Washington Papers)
I did not know that you were here yesterday morning until I had mounted my horse, otherwise I should have given you what I now send. As Mr Rawlins was going to the Union Farm, to lay off the Clover lots, I sent by him the Duplicate for that Farm to his brother—and as I was going to River Farm myself, I carried a copy for that Farm to Dowdal—Both of them have been directed to consider them...