From George Washington to Mary Ball Washington, 6 May 1755
To Mary Ball Washington
[Winchester, 6 May 1755]
To Mrs Washingtonnear Fredericksbg1
Honourd Madam
I came to this place last Saturday,2 and shall set out to morrow with the General for Wills Creek; where I fear we shall wait some time for a sufficient number of Waggons to transport us our Provns Baggage &ca over the Mountains.
I am very happy in the Generals Family, as I am being treated with a complaisant Freedom which is quite agreeable; so that I to me & have no reason to doubt the satisfaction I propos’d hoped for, in making the Campaigne.3
As we have met with nothing yet worth relating I shall only beg my Love to my Brother’s and Sister’s;4 and Compliments to Friends. I am Honour’d Madam Yr most Dutiful & Obedt Son
Go: Washington
LB (original), DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW.
1. GW’s mother probably returned to her home at Ferry Farm from Mount Vernon before GW set out to join General Braddock. See GW to Robert Orme, 2 April 1755.
2. 3 May 1755.
3. GW may have been trying to allay the doubts that his mother had expressed a few weeks earlier about the wisdom of his accompanying Braddock. See GW to Robert Orme, 2 April 1755.
4. Of GW’s brothers only the youngest, Charles, was living with his mother at Ferry Farm. Samuel lived east of Fredericksburg in the Chotank area of Stafford (now King George) County, and John Augustine was at Mount Vernon. His half brother Augustine resided at Pope’s Creek in Westmoreland County. GW’s sister Betty lived in Fredericksburg with her husband Fielding Lewis, who as GW’s brother-in-law was included in the term “Brother’s,” just as Samuel’s wife Jane Champe Washington, Augustine’s wife Anne Aylett Washington, and Lawrence’s widow Ann Lee were in the term “Sister’s.”