21From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter & Reports of the 1st instant I have received, and am glad to find by the first that you have got your family safe to Mount Vernon; as, unquestionably, it will be a satisfaction to you to have them along with you. Change of Air may, and I hope will, restore your eldest daughter to health again. I had no doubt but that the late capture of our Vessels by the British Cruisers, followed...
22From George Washington to William Pearce, 13 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
By your letter of the 9th instt (which with the weekly reports) have been duly received, I find you wish to open a communication between the lower rooms, in what is called the Servants Hall, and to make a closet therein: against the latter I have no objection at all—nor against the first provided the doing it does not cut away a brace, and thereby weaken the house. If the chimneys project into...
23From George Washington to William Pearce, 20 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 15th, with the weekly reports, came to hand as usual, yesterday. I was sorry to learn by the first that you had been unwell. It is almost impossible for me to say, with exactness, what I owe the Estate of Mr Anthony Whitting, because his accounts do not appear to have been regularly kept, but rather in detached Memms. More than his wages from the first of Jany until the day...
24From George Washington to William Pearce, 27 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 22d instant with its enclosures came duly to hand. Thomas Green’s account of the dimensions of the Rooms in my house in Alexandria, is so confused & perplexed, that I can make neither head nor tail of it. The length, breadth & height of each, with the distance from the washboard to the Chairboard, & the number of doors & windows in each room, was all I wanted; instead of...
25From George Washington to William Pearce, 4 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 29th ulto, and the reports which were enclosed, came duly to hand. I am sorry to find by the first that the Ship Peggy had not then arrived at George Town, from London. I fear the White thorn Plants (5,000 in number) which I have on board, together with Mr Lears fruit Trees, will suffer very much, if they are not entirely destroyed; by the advanced season. Let the ground...
26From George Washington to William Pearce, 11 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
The Weekly reports enclosed in your letter of the 6th instant, have been duly received. By the first Vessel bound to Alexandria from hence, I will send Papers for the two lower Rooms in my house in that place; but if it has been newly plastered, as would appear to be the case (in part at least) by Green’s acct it ought not to be put on until it is thoroughly dry; or the Paper will be lost. The...
27From George Washington to William Pearce, 18 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am sorry to find by your letter of the 11th Instt that the Crops & every thing else were suffering from a drought. yet, by the weekly report which accompanied the letter, it appears that rain had fallen the 6th, only five days before, but I suppose this must have been a slight one. It is not only unlucky, but unaccountable, that the Oats should not have been received with the other things....
28From George Washington to William Pearce, 21 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
Agreeably to what I promised in my letter of the 19th, I now write to you further, on the subject of my Flour. Although I think the probability is, that flour will rather rise than fall, yet, as the warm Season is coming on, and I had rather be upon a certainty with respect to the Sale of mine than to hold it up for a higher price, by which I may be disappointed. It is my desire, if what I...
29From George Washington to William Pearce, 25 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
I learn with concern from your letter of the 18th instant, that your crops were still labouring under a drought, and most of them very much injured. At disappointments and losses which are the effects of Providential acts, I never repine; because I am sure the alwise disposer of events knows better than we do, what is best for us, or what we deserve. Two or three fine rains have fallen here in...
30From George Washington to William Pearce, 1 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am glad to find by your letter of the 27th ulto that you had had some good rains, previous to the date of it. Those rains, with such as have followed since, may give a very different appearance both to your Oats & flax; & may enliven, & push forward the Corn and B. Wheat; but I fear much for any grass that may have been cut, there having been no weather to cure it (in this part of the...
31From George Washington to William Pearce, 8 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 4th instt accompanying the reports, came duly to hand; & by the Post of tomorrow I was in hopes I should have been able to inform you of the day I should leave this for Mount Vernon—but the case is otherwise—Congress are yet in Session, and although they talk of rising tomorrow, this may not be the case, and if it were other business will claim my attention for some days...
32From George Washington to William Pearce, 15 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 8th with its enclosures I received yesterday. If nothing, unforeseen by me at present, intervenes to prevent it, I shall leave this City for Mount Vernon the day after tomorow; (tuesday) but as the weather is warm, my horses fat & out of exercise, and I may have occasion to stop a day on the road, it is not probable I shall reach home before sunday or monday next. I shall...
33From George Washington to William Pearce, 13 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 9th, with the Reports of the preceeding week came to my hands yesterday. I arrived in this City myself on Monday; made rather worse by my journey, and a wetting I got on the Road on Saturday; having travelled all day through a constant Rain. I am sorry to hear that the wet weather continues to throw your work backward—especially plowing—as I am sensible you have much of it...
34From George Washington to William Pearce, 20 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday brought me your letter, & the Reports of the preceeding week; the first dated the 16th instt & the other the 12th. Frequent Rains at this season, if they do not fall too heavily, nor are of too long a continuance, will be the making of the Corn & Buckwheat; but if they are of such a nature as to prevent plowing it will be bad; however, it may so happen, that if you cannot plow in one...
35From George Washington to William Pearce, 27 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 23d and the reports, have been duly received. The ideas which I expressed in one of my late letters, respecting the cultivation (in Corn) of the lots in the Mill swamp, were not intended to forbid the practice in all parts where it was necessary, to cleanse & prepare them for grass; but to let you see that Corn was not so much an object with me, as meadow; and that I did not...
36From George Washington to William Pearce, 3 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
I removed to this place On Wednesday last, in order to avoid the heat of the City of Philadelphia. It is probable I shall remain here until about the middle of September—but letters will come to me as regularly as if I had remained in the City. Your letter of the 27th Ulto, and the reports, I received yesterday as usual; & wish the rains we have been complaining of, may not be much wanted...
37From George Washington to William Pearce, 10 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your letter of the 3d, with the reports of the preceeding week. If you think the Oat ground at River farm, will not be too much drawn by a succeeding Crop of Wheat, for Clover; I have no objection to your sowing it with Wheat. but I have serious doubts on this head; and doubts equally serious of another kind, viz.—that on such stiff & baking land as mine is, sowing Clover...
38From George Washington to William Pearce, 17 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 10th has been duly received, and I am glad to find by it that your Corn still retains a favorable appearance, and that the ground on which it grows is in tolerable good order for the reception of Wheat. I wish it had been in perfect order, as I have no idea of the propriety of seeding where it is not. You have not yet answered a question in one of my late...
39From George Washington to William Pearce, 24 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
In reply to your letter of the 16th which, with the reports, came duly to hand; I have only to observe that it never was my intention to withdraw the hands from other essential work to employ them on the New Mill-Race; on the contrary I only wish that this job may be prosecuted at times—and at all times, when their other avocations will permit it, without detriment. No work is more essential,...
40From George Washington to William Pearce, 31 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
In your last letter of the 24th instt came a copy of the conditions of Colo. Lyles Bond; but you did not give the date of it; which reason the purpose it was wanted for, cannot be accomplished until the date is transmitted. In one of the early letters I wrote to you, I pointed out a method, which if you would observe, it would be impossible to omit any thing to which an answer was required:...
41From George Washington to William Pearce, 7 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 31st ulto with the Reports, I have received. A few days ago I received a letter from Mr Pyne dated in the City of Washington still expressing a desire to be employed at Mount Vernon, and a wish to be there some short time before Butler left it, that he might get a little insight into the nature of the business, previous to his entering upon duty. I referred him for his being...
42From George Washington to William Pearce, 14 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am well satisfied that the omission of the date of Colo. Lyle’s bond was accident, & not design—& for that reason suggested a mode, by the observance of which, no information that is required will ever be omitted. When is that Gentleman, by promise, to discharge this bond? I think you were quite right in sowing the early (or drilled) wheat at different seasons, with a view to discover the...
43From George Washington to William Pearce, 21 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 14th instt and the weekly reports, have been recd. We left our Quarters at German Town yesterday, and are again fixed in this City. Thomas Green’s quitting my business of his own accord—whatever the pretence may be—is in my opinion a lucky circumstance, as my repugnance to turning him away was on account of his helpless family. These you may suffer to remain where they are,...
44From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 21st instt, and the Reports of the preceeding week. I am glad to find your seeding of Wheat is over, and that it is compleated in such good time. There cannot, in my opinion, be the smallest occasion for opening the new road, which under different circumstances than those which exist at present, was ordered by the Court at my particular request —Nor would it...
45From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
In a seperate letter of this date, I have wrote you pretty fully respecting the New Road which you are appointed Overseer of, with orders to open; that the letter may be shewn to the Court—to Mr Mason—or whomsoever is the mover in this business, without having other matters of a more private nature blended therewith. Since writing to you this day week, I have engaged a Scotchman, just arrived...
46From George Washington to William Pearce, 1 October 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am thus far (55 miles from Philadelphia) on my way to Carlisle agreably to what I wrote you on sunday last. As I am not much accustomed to the management of Buck Wheat—and think I have heard you declare the Same—the purpose of my writing to you now, is to inform you that this Crop on the whole road I have travelled, is cut down (although I should have thought it much too green) and remains...
47From George Washington to William Pearce, 3 October 1794 (Washington Papers)
If this letter should reach your hands, it will be delivered by Mr Weston, who with his lady may take a ride from Alexandria to Mount Vernon. Should this happen, I request you will make their visit as agreeable as your situation will enable you to do. I am Your friend &ca ALS (photocopy), reproduced in Historical Review of Berks County , vol. III, no. 2 (January 1938). GW probably was...
48From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 October 1794 (Washington Papers)
I wrote you a few lines from Reading the first instant—and the only design of writing to you now is, to inform you that I clearly see that it will not be in my power to visit Mount Vernon before the meeting of Congress, and of course not ’till the Spring. I mention this matter that you may not, whenever the situation of your business will permit you to be absent, delay your journey to the...
49From George Washington to William Pearce, 2 November 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have had neither leizure for, nor opportunity of, writing to you since I did it from Carlisle, ’till my return to this place; which happened on Tuesday last. In the meantime I have received your several letters of the 28th of Septr—and 5th 17th and 23d of last month. As the accident I met with in June last, prevented my riding about my farms when I was last at home, I should have been very...
50From George Washington to William Pearce, 16 November 1794 (Washington Papers)
By the Post of yesterday I received your letter of the 11th instt, with the Reports of the three preceeding weeks; (except those of the Carpenters). I did not write to you last week, not having heard from you by the two Posts before. I am glad to hear that your Potatoes & Corn are likely to turn out well, & that the Wheat now in the ground looks promising. The last Crop of that article...
51From George Washington to William Pearce, 19 November 1794 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed I send you thirteen hundred dollars; out of which I desire you will discharge and take in my bond, with a receipt thereon in full, from Mr Lund Washington. The letter to him is left open for your perusal and government in this business. The accounts therein are, for aught I know to the contrary, correct; but if any errors should be found in them, there can be no objection to the...
52From George Washington to William Pearce, 23 November 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 16th with the reports—except the Carpenters, which I have been without for several weeks—came to my hands yesterday. As I expected, so it happened, my letters to Colo. Willm Washington of Westmoreland, did not reach him until a few days ago. As you seem to be of the same opinion wch I entertained at first, namely, that from the easy and simple manners of Donaldson, he wd not...
53From George Washington to William Pearce, 30 November 1794 (Washington Papers)
As the experiment of grinding a hundred bushels of Wheat into flour, is found more profitable than to sell the like quantity in grain; I would have you proceed in the manufactury of what little I have made. and I desire the particulars of the experiment may be sent to me. and the Miller must be careful that he keeps up to it. or I may be deceived thereby. Caution Sally Green against dealing...
54From George Washington to William Pearce, 7 December 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of 30th Ulto, with the weekly reports, came safely to hand. By mistake, the sum of £300 was omitted in the charges against my bond, to Mr Lund Washington; as you have discovered in the above letter. By my mode of settling the bonded account, he will be £7.10.8 in my debt—and by the mode he proposes, I shall be £51.12.11. in his debt. Which of these is the mode by which a Court of...
55From George Washington to William Pearce, 14 December 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 7th instt, enclosing the reports of the preceeding week, came duly to hand. I approve your idea of clearing up the wood between the fence and the road, and letting it lay over to another year; but quere, would it not be better, instead of cleaning the ground thoroughly , and exposing the earth to the rays of the summers sun, to have it well grubbed, & lye with all the brush...
56From George Washington to William Pearce, 21 December 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 14th instant with the papers & reports, which were enclosed therewith, came safe to hand. The whole amount of the Corn Crop I perceive is, 1639 barrels. I perceive also, by the reports of the last week, & I believe it has been as much for several Weeks preceeding, your weekly consumption of this article is 22 barrels to the Stock, & about 14 to the Negros; amounting together...
57From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 December 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your letter of the 21st instt with its enclosures. Your idea of fencing the ground at the mansion house for Corn, accords exactly with mine (as far as I understand it) except in joining the fence which comes from the first (outer gate) in the hollow to the corner of the clover lot, north of the road, by the deep washed gully. My idea was, to continue that fence on, (making...
58From George Washington to William Pearce, 4 January 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 28th of last month with its enclosures, and am sorry to hear you were unwell, at that time; but hope you have quite recovered. the warmth, and changeability of the weather have been productive of violent colds in this part of the country. Such has been the goodness of the last autumn, & mildness and openess of the winter, hitherto, that I hope all the Oat...
59From George Washington to William Pearce, 11 January 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 4th instt, with the reports, is received —but the Miller, I perceive has left off, or rather I believe, has not yet begun to report what wheat is manufactured, & what flour is made. The price of both these articles have fallen in this market as well as in that of Alexandria; but as I see no permanent cause for it, and know that the last years crop of Wheat was very short...
60From George Washington to William Pearce, 18 January 1795 (Washington Papers)
Not having received the usual letter and reports, which always arrive by Saturdays Mail, I have less to communicate in this letter. I forgot in my last letters to remind you of filling the Ice house, whenever you were furnished with the means. The necessity of doing it, has not, I hope escaped you. One caution I wished to have given you in time, before this work was in hand; and that was, to...
61From George Washington to William Pearce, 25 January 1795 (Washington Papers)
Since my last of this day week, I have received your letters of the 11th & 18th instt, with the weekly reports—and an acct of sundry payments and the rects therefor. The latter (that is the vouchers) I did not wish to have had sent—it would have been time enough to exhibit these when I come home, and settled the accts regularly. All I wanted for the present, or rather for the past year—was a...
62From George Washington to William Pearce, 1 February 1795 (Washington Papers)
I write to you this week, more for the sake of letting you know that your l⟨e⟩tter of the 25th Ulto with the reports, came safe, than because I have any thing to communicate that is in any degree material. I have no doubt of Ceder making a good hedge—but I have very great ones of your getting them to live, when transplanted; and if they should not, your labour as well as the plants will be...
63From George Washington to William Pearce, 8 February 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter with its enclosures, came to my hands as usual, by the Mail of yesterday. The general accounts, as I mentioned in a late letter, may remain for settlement, until my arrival at Mount Vernon, up to the close of the last year. I do not, among the things sent to Mount Vernon by Mrs Styles (as in the possession of Austin) see any shirts mentioned. Was it an omission, or were there none...
64From George Washington to William Pearce, 15 February 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter, and the reports of the preceeding Week, came duly to hand. It is my earnest wish to have my land on four mile run resurveyed, and the bounds thereof ascertained, that the pretence of not knowing the lines may—no longer—be an excuse for the tresspasses which are committed thereon, to the great diminution of its value; the wood being the more important, as the land is of a mean...
65From George Washington to William Pearce, 22 February 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 15th instt and the reports, have come to hand as usual. I was affraid the open weather we have had, with frost, would have injured the wheat. A short crop of this article two years running, wod fall heavy upon me; as it seems to be the only thing, to any sort of amount, from which the means is derived, by which the various, and heavy expences of my estate, is borne. If the...
66From George Washington to William Pearce, 1 March 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have to acknowledge the rect of your letter of the 22d ulto, and shall give you my sentiments upon the several matters required. With respect to the fishery, I am of opinion, that, selling them all to one man, is best: and that if Mr Smith will give five shillings pr thousand for herrings, and twelve shillgs a hundred for the shad, and will oblige himself to take all you have to spare, that...
67From George Washington to William Pearce, 8 March 1795 (Washington Papers)
I am sorry to find by your letter of the 1st of this instt enclosing the weekly reports —that the Wheat on the ground is in so unpromising a way. Another short crop of this article will fall very heavy upon me. How does the Barley look? It was not my intention to use the Rollers until the frosts were over, & the ground was settled. If the absconding of French’s Paul did not proceed from a...
68From George Washington to William Pearce, 15 March 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 8th instt, with the reports of the preceeding week. By the Sloop Harmony, Captn Ellwood, who talked of Sailing today, I send you as pr Bill of lading enclosed, a bale of Oznabrings consisting of ten pieces, amounting to 972½ yards. The Box, & band box, therein mentioned, are for Mrs Fanny Washington as marked; and is to remain with Colo. Gilpin ’till she...
69From George Washington to William Pearce, 17 March 1795 (Washington Papers)
You will receive this letter from the hands of Mr Izard, to whom I request you to pay attention, and make his visit to Mount Vernon as convenient and agreeable to him as may be in your power. I am Your friend &ca ALS (photocopy), DLC:GW , series 9.
70From George Washington to William Pearce, 22 March 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 15th, and the reports of the preceeding week, have come duly to hand. I am glad to hear that your new Overseers turn out so well. Of Groves I had not the least knowledge; my fear of Allison was, that he would be too familiar with those he overlooked, and of course would carry no authority. If he avoids this error, and is sober, honest, industrious, and stays at home & with...