1To John Adams from Thomas Law, 19 March 1797 (Adams Papers)
As the current of population was Westerly & towards the Lakes, perhaps it would be adviseable to anticipate disputes about boundaries &ca. with the Spanish & British Settlers, and consequently to devise some easy mode of adjustment witht previous reference to Europe It occurs to me that Pitsburgh or some central spot might be agreed upon for Commissioners from Quebec, New Orleans and the...
2To George Washington from Thomas Law, 28 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
If you approve of the enclosed plan, you will be kind enough to give it some aid, & with the fostering support of your name no doubt all the Shares will be taken—should you disapprove you will tear it & excuse the liberty I take to which I am prompted by a wish to adopt every means for the promotion of this new Establishment. A good Tavern will answer to the keeper of it & will encourage a...
3From George Washington to Thomas Law, 2 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your note of the 28th Ult. by Mr Frestal, was received on Friday last. My expences are so great and my resources so small, that it is but little in my power to promote such plans as you advocate. To clear me out of Philadelphia, & to lay in a few necessaries for my family, I sold two valuable tracts of land in the State of Pennsylvania a short time before I left the City for 22,000 dollars;...
4To James Madison from Thomas Law, 18 October 1797 (Madison Papers)
For particular reasons (a chief one is that I have a claim for 10000 £ Stg now pending in England) altho’ I am married to a Virginian Lady & have almost the whole of my fortune vested in America, I am adverse to taking the oath required to entitle me to the rights of Citizenship. I therefore wish to hold lands in Virginia as a foreigner & to request your advice & aid if you approve of my...
5To George Washington from Thomas Law, 22 December 1797 (Washington Papers)
I am favored with your informn respectg my Pointer which I was afraid had been stolen—you will oblige me by ordering it when any one goes to Alexandria to be delivered to Guy Atkinson. Eliza joins me in expressing affe. regards & a grateful sense of your kindnesses—We unite in wishing you & Mrs Washington health & happiness for many Years to come, & that you may enjoy the pleasing prospect of...
6From George Washington to Thomas Law, 25 December 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 22d instt came to hand last night. The Pointer shall be taken care of at this place until you may find it convenient to send for him; for he certainly would not long remain with Mr Atkinson if sent thither, and if he should not return here again, it is more than probable he would be carried off by some Waggoner or Waterman from Alexandria and be lost to you. It is very...
7To George Washington from Thomas Law, 4 May 1798 (Washington Papers)
The repeated confirmations of Congress & the late progress of the public buildings in the City give the greatest hopes, that the important object will be attained in 1800—an example alone is wanting to encourage private buildings. Pardon the liberty I take in suggesting to you how much your building one house at this Crisis would ensure the rapid rise of the City by doing away doubts—The...
8From George Washington to Thomas Law, 7 May 1798 (Washington Papers)
After you left this on friday last, Mr Lewis put into my hands your letter without a date. It is unnecessary I hope, to assure you that your generous offers of a lot near the Seat of Congress, and of five thousand dollars on loan to commence a building in the City, were received with grateful sensibility—& thanks; at the sametime, let me entreat you not to consider as a slight, my declining to...
9To George Washington from Thomas Law, 22 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
Unless you are irrevocably fix’d, as the Lots are so nearly equal in respect to prospect & nature of the ground permit me to observe that a House in the South Lot will rent better & promote the object you have in view more —Vizt the encouragemt of accomodations for Congress, as it will be forming an Avenue by cooperating in building & all the digging will be for public improvement—If you...
10To George Washington from Thomas Law, 17 October 1798 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Thomas Law, 17 Oct. 1798. On 24 Oct. GW wrote Law : “Your letter of the 17th instant was handed to me.”
11From George Washington to Thomas Law, 24 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 17th instant was handed to me by Mr Lear, and I should have sent you the enclosed check on the Bank of Alexandria for two hundred and fifty dollars sooner, had we not expected you at this place on friday or Saturday last, according to promise—and been looking for you every day since. All I ask is, that you would have me secured in the loan of this sum, for the purpose of...
12From George Washington to Thomas Law, 17 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
Knowing that Nelly Custis had announced her intended Marriage to her Sisters; informed them of the day on which it was to be celebrated; and invited their presence at the Ceremony; I have given no particular invitations. But lest Mrs Law and yourself should require something more formal than an Invitation from the Bride Elect, I inform you that Friday next is to make her and Lewis one flesh &...
13To George Washington from Thomas Law, 9 April 1799 (Washington Papers)
I am honoured with your obliging note by Mr Lear, the “Barclay” is arrived at Philadelphia Mr Miller sends by Mr Simpson on the same ships two bags, one countg 30 lb. of grain, and the other 40 lb. of a different kind, together with some 12 or 14 smaller seeds of the cold weather for the purpose of food for mare and horse. There are 175 parcels of different seeds all marked with the scientific...
14To George Washington from Thomas Law, 25 April 1799 (Washington Papers)
The Accompg note will be explanatory[.] the Boxes came in the George Berkely by Capn Corfeild who has forwarded my Lre. I am now in the Office writing a building Contract your Corner Stone is to be laid to day & I am to attend —my Garden is preparing & I am planting Poplars—My Square is to day sown with Clover—I am filling in a Wharf. I hope therefore to be excused for this hasty scrawl With...
15To George Washington from Thomas Law, 10 August 1799 (Washington Papers)
I hope you arrived well & that the Sun & fatigue did not encrease the bile —Dr Thornton has applied to Mr Carroll who will not take less than 15d. or 15 Cents—which in truth the Lot is worth —A Gentleman from Baltimore has been with me to day for a Lot to build upon, & the Stenographer (or short hand writer) to Congress is going to build on one of my Lots in the small Square above my stable &...
16From George Washington to Thomas Law, 13 August 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 10th came to hand yesterday—and since you have desired it, the subject of this shall be confined to Mr Carrolls lot only. I am not at all solicitous to purchase it; nor shall I pronounce the price he has set upon it, high, or low; The situation alone constitutes the value of it in my estimation, but my becoming the purchaser thereof, depends upon three things; two of which I...
17From George Washington to Thomas Law, 21 September 1799 (Washington Papers)
In acknowledging the receipt of your note—which came to hand two days since, without date—I shall only observe, that whenever it suits the convenience of yourself & Mrs Law to visit Mount Vernon, we shall be happy in seeing you. I had a desire (not a strong one) to possess the corner lot belonging to Mr Carroll on New Jersey Avenue, merely on account of its local situation; but have...
18To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Law, 4 December 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
As you feel an interest in every measure for the amelioration of the condition of man, I will not apologize for submitting to your perusal some Lres which occasioned Security & prosperity to 50 Millions of Asiatics, but I must make my excuses for the trouble I have caused by not being versed in the art of Book making—If you begin at page 38 where I have put some papers, you will perhaps obtain...