421To George Washington from Bushrod Washington, 8 November 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have conversed with Mr Brooke respecting Mrs Forbes and am enabled to get you the following history of that person. She is a widow—a Native of England & without a family—about 50 yrs of age—active & spirited in the execution of her business—sober & honest—well acquanted with Cookery & in his opinion capable of ordering & setting out a table—her appearance is decent & respectable & such is...
422To Alexander Hamilton from George Washington, 12 November 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
Herewith you will be furnished with the Copy of a letter from the Secretary of War to me, suggesting many very important matters for consideration, and to be reported on. It is my desire, that you will bestow serious and close attention on them, and be prepared to offer your opinion on each head, when called upon. I also propose, for your consideration and opinion, a number of queries which...
423To George Washington from Thomas Peter, 6 May 1799 (Washington Papers)
I received yours of the 5th by the Hands of Washington Custis, enclosing a Note of Tobacco, nett weight 912 lb. which I disposed off this Morning at Six dollars ⅌ Hd & a dollar for the cask, there was but one person in Town that would give more than 5¾, it being under a thousand; a Mr Williams sold this day ⟨5⟩0 Hhds all weighing upwards of 1000 at a Credit of 60 dy for Six & a half dollars....
424To John Adams from George Washington, 1 February 1799 (Adams Papers)
The letter herewith enclosed from Mr Joel Barlow (though of old date) came to my hands only yesterday.— I have conceived it to be my duty to transmit it to you without delay;—and without a comment;—except that it must have been written with a very good, or a very bad design:—which of the two, you can judge better than I.—For, from the known abilities of that Gentleman, such a letter could not...
425To George Washington from Thomas Peter, 2 July 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your last cover’d a Receipt for Seventy Nine Dollars & two Hhds Tobacco. I have inquired the Cash price & Credit Prices of Tobacco; they are as follow 7¼⟨$⟩ 7¾ @ 60 days & 8.120, if you are not in immediate want of the Money, the Gentn who offers 7¾ dollars can be rely’d on, & from the present prospect of things perhaps you could not do better with it. Mr & Mrs Law were here Yesterday I think...
426To George Washington from Henry Knox, 4 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
I have received your two favors of the 21st and 23d ultimo. They breathe a spirit of friendship and affection which has ever been ardently reciprocated by me. The appointment of the third Major General having been explicity declined by me I have nothing to add on that subject but one single observation. To wit that you are the only decided personal friend who has advised my acceptance of it....
427To George Washington from James McHenry, 10 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
(Confidential) My dear General Trenton [N.J.] 10th Sepr 1798 If any change should take place in settling the relative rank of the majr Generals you hope and expect to be informed of it. The inclosed letters will shew you the progress and state of the Question. You will return them, and I am sure will duly respect this confidence. It will be proper you should deliberate upon the part which will...
428From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 3 March 1799 (Washington Papers)
Confidential Dear Sir, Mount Vernon 3d March 1799 The unexpectedness of the event, communicated in your letter of the 21st Ulto, did, as you may suppose, surprise me not a little. But far, very far indeed was this surprise short of what I experienced the next day, when by a very intelligent Gentmn (immediately from Philadelphia) I was informed that there had been no direct overture from the...
429From George Washington to John Greenwood, 5 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
In my last of the 3d instant, I requested you to send what you were about to do for me, to the care of the Secretary of War—James McHenry Esqr. —I repeat this request—and inform you that I shall set out this day, to meet him at Trenton—The sooner therefore I could receive the needful at that place the more agreeable would it be to Sir Your Obedt Hble Servant ALS , NN : Washington Collection....
430From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 7 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 1st instant was brought to me by the last Post. The Journals of the 1st 2d & 3d Sessions of the first Congress, I have, & no later. These are in folio—one volume of the Senate, and another of the House of Representatives. If no complete set can be had, either in folio or octavo, it would be useless to obtain a copy of what I now possess: but if they are to be continued in...
431From George Washington to Alexander Spotswood, 31 July 1799 (Washington Papers)
I have been duly favoured in the receipt of your letter of the 25th instant; and thank you for the kind information given in it respecting the removal of Mr Duval to Kentucky; and your intention of embracing the earliest opportunity of enquiring after the Conveyance from the deceased James Mercer, Esqr. &ca to me. Enclosed is the Deed from Genl Lee to me, for the Land he sold me; lying on...
432From George Washington to Tobias Lear, 24 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
You ask what is absolutely out of my power to comply with, unless I was to place myself exactly in the situation you represent yourself to be (without converting Bank stock into Cash, which I am not inclined to do)—that is, unprepared to face my own engagements; which, for Wheat, Rye, Workmens wages &ca &ca are hourly coming upon me, & expected. Three thousand dollars (without going into a...
433From George Washington to Benjamin Goodhue, 22 November 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 3d of Octr never came to my hands until last night. ⟨On⟩ hearing that Captn Hammond had arrived at Alexandria, I shall send up for the Fish, and pay him the cost of them—nine dollars. For your kind recollection of my want of this article, I thank you. They came very opportunely; and just as I was thinking of writing to you for a fresh supply. Without expressing any opinion...
434From George Washington to Jeremiah Olney, 4 August 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 13th Ulto, accompanying the oration of Mr Maxcy, has been duly received, and for your politeness in sending me the latter, I pray you to accept my thanks. The sentiments expressed by that Gentleman on Government, and tendency of such conduct as is opposed to the Public functionaries in our own, are too just not to carry conviction to every well disposed, and reflecting mind....
435From George Washington to James Barry, 26 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
Since you left this, yesterday I have conversed with my Manager on the subject of flour, according to your desire. The result is, that on Tuesday next, provided immediate notice is given, he could have fifty barrels of Superfine at Alexandria. It would however, employed as my Boats are in getting materials together for my Distillery, be vastly more convenient for me to deliver it to a Vessel...
436To George Washington from Robert Lewis, 23 May 1798 (Washington Papers)
Inclosed you will receive a draught on Mr James Russel of Alexandria (Mercht) for the amount of Mr Ariss’s last years rent. Mr Ariss’s great infirmities has prevented his making any exertions to obtain this money earlier & has induced me at his earnest request to depart from my usual mode of collection & your instructions—If this money is not paid immediately on demand, or assurances given...
437From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 24 November 1799 (Washington Papers)
A considerable time ago, in consequence of some applications from Officers of Cavalry, to know in what manner they were to draw pay, I wrote to the Secretary of War on the Subject; & received for answer—that as no Pay master was appointed to that Corps, they were to draw on the Pay master General. Mr Custis (cornet in the Light Dragoons) being one of those alluded to, above, drew an order, as...
438To George Washington from William Roberts, 21 June 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your Letter of the 17th of June is now Before Me & I Must Confess Am Much Surprised To think your Excellency woud think Me worth Notis after All the Misfortuens I have went through. To Right Me Such A Letter of Comfurt As to Once More think of Imploying Me Again in your Generous & worthe Imploy—Now Sir if you Can Place Any Confedence in Me As usel, I hope it will be in My power to Give you...
439From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
. . . but as the Season is now far advanced, and you have hitherto been unsuccessful, and the wages of those you think good, are besides high; I shall, rather than run a risk of doing worse, engage Cask [Cash], who seems to be a sober, active & obliging man, for the coming year, which will complete my wants. . . . The Collector, nos. 9–11 (1962), item r420. Only this printed fragment of the...
440To George Washington from Thomas Pinckney, 23 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
The fear of missing my Brother upon the road after an absence of between six and seven years has impelled me to take the liberty of sending the inclosed letter under cover to you. As I know of no place where propriety and affection will unite so powerfully in inducing him to stop as at Mount Vernon, I have little doubt of his receiving this letter in safety. The election of representatives in...
441To George Washington from William Taylor, 12 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
I have taken the Liberty to send for your Acceptance a small cask of early pottatoes for planting, (if you think them worth notice); they are ship’d on board the Felicity of Alexandria and addres’d to Mr John Potts of that place, by whom myself and Mr Cripps were introduc’d to you on the sixth of May Last. there is two sorts of them Viz. early Dwarf and d[itt]o Champion, both of which are as...
442To George Washington from John O’Donnell, 9 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
I am duly honored with your letter of the 4[t]h inst. and should have made an earlier reply to it, had I not delayed in making such necessary inquiries, as added to my own Knowledge of Anthony Heusler, might enable me more particularly to give you the information request’d respecting him. ⟨And⟩ altho’ he has been my tenant for about 3 years, yet have I been very little indeed acquainted either...
443From George Washington to James McHenry, 25 July 1798 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed will say as much as I can, in favour of the applicant; except that I have heard him exceedingly well spoken of by others. Being a young man of Education; a Gentleman’s son who was able to give him little besides it; and sound in his Politic’s, notwithstanding the example of his nearest relatives; who are, I believe, without exception, in the opposite scale, I think he, and all...
444From George Washington to John Trumbull, 25 July 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 6th of Mar. with the proofs of the two first Prints of the American Revolution came duly to hand, and merit those thanks which I offer with great cordiality. Such repeated proofs of your kind attention to me, affect my Sensibility without enabling me to express it in the manner I wish; further than to assure you, in strong terms, of my sincere friendship; of which I hope, &...
445From George Washington to Richard Raynal Keene, 28 December 1798 (Washington Papers)
At all times, when it is in my power to do it with tolerable convenience to myself, I feel pleasure in aiding the deserving and meritorious. But let me observe at the sametime, that a very mistaken opinion prevails with respect to my means of accomplishing this, in a pecuniary way; for was I to judge of these opinions by the numerous applications which are made to me for money, it must be...
446To George Washington from James Ash, 8 March 1798 (Washington Papers)
I take the liberty of inclosing you, my proposals for printing, a Digest of, the Laws of Maryland, from 1785 to the time of publication. The manifold Services, which you have rendered our Country, in the walks of public and private life—the love and veneration to which your character is so deservedly entitled, renders it an incumbent duty, approved by the warmest affections of my heart, to...
447From George Washington to Lafayette, 5 December 1797 (Washington Papers)
Not knowing when, where or whether ever this letter may reach your hands the contents will be small, and the purport merely congratulatory on your releasement from a cruel imprisonment; the official acct of which we have at length received. On what principle you have under gone this rigorous treatment, I have been unable to divine, but be this as it may, no one rejoices more than I do that a...
448From George Washington to William Thornton, 1 June 1799 (Washington Papers)
In replying to your favor of yesterday’s date, I must beg leave to premise that, when I left the Chair of Government it was with a determination not to intermeddle in any public matter which did not immediately concern me; and that I have felt no Disposition since to alter this Determination. But as you have requested that I would give you my Ideas on a certain point, which seems to have...
449From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 21 August 1797 (Washington Papers)
Since writing to you on the 14th Inst. I have received your letter of the 12 th with the cost of the Picture frames and Glasses; to receive which soon would be convenient and agreeable to me. The large Plated wine cooler reserved from sale in my last, I pray you to have carefully packed up and sent with the letter enclosed by a safe conveyance to Colo. Hamilton of New York. I am in want of an...
450From George Washington to James McHenry, 14 September 1799 (Washington Papers)
Private Dear Sir Mount Vernon 14th Sepr 1799 I feel much obliged, and accordingly thank you, for your kind intention of ordering me two months pay; and I shall not suffer false modesty to assert, that my finances stand in no need of it; because it is not the time, nor the attention only; which the Public duties I am engaged in require; but their bringing upon me Applicants—recommenders of...