To George Washington from Alexander Love, 1 July 1796

From Alexander Love

Norfolk [England?] July 1st 1796

Sir

Having intermarried with the only child of William Wright who fell, as I am told in Braddocks field fighting under your command, before she was born, and seeing that owing to the paternal care you were pleased to take of the Interest of his Heirs and of those who had the honor to serve under your command at that time,1 that she is entitled to 2500 Acres of Land, part of a patent for 21,941 Acres made by your order on the Kanawha, beginning at the mouth of Pohotillico for the benefit of J. Fry, A. Stephen, Andrew Lewis, Peter Hogg, John Savage, Thomas Bullitt, her father William Wright and John D. Welper, their heirs and assigns in the several proportions mentioned in an Order of the Governor and Council bearing date the 4th November 1773 as tennants in common and not as joint tennants—the original Copy of which order of Council being lost with the Council Books of those times, I beg the favor of your Excellency when time serves, to have a Copy of the Order made, if a Copy be in your notes, and so Authenticated as to be satisfactory to our High Court of Chancery that the Lands may be divided and each Know their own.2

My Wife prays you Sir to accept her best thanks for this Land; saved to her by your care and at your expence and in this, I do so heartily join her as to assure your Excellency that I think more of the Act, than of the Land, altho’ I am well informed by your Correspondence with our Uncle Doctor Wright of Glasgow and otherwise that the Land is of excellent Soil.3

The bearer my friend Mr Walker will take any trouble and defray any expence needful to accomplish this end.4 I am with the most perfect Respect Your most Obedt Hble Servt

Alexander Love

ALS, DLC:GW. GW wrote “recd 12d Decr 1796” on the docket.

1. Born in Scotland, William Wright (1732–1755) served as a cadet in GW’s Fort Necessity campaign during the French and Indian War. He became an ensign on GW’s recommendation and advanced to lieutenant in October 1754. Indians killed Wright near the New River in July 1755. He was not with British general Edward Braddock’s expedition (see Robert Dinwiddie to Wright, 8 July 1755, and to John Buchanan, 8 Aug. 1755, in Brock, Dinwiddie Records, description begins R. Alonzo Brock, ed. The Official Records of Robert Dinwiddie, Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony of Virginia, 1751–1758. 2 vols. Richmond, 1883–84. description ends 2:92, 154–55; see also Chalkley, Scotch-Irish Settlement, description begins Lyman Chalkley. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia: Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County, 1745–1800. 3 vols. 1912. Reprint. Baltimore, 1974. description ends 2:510).

2. For the grant and order, see GW to Lord Dunmore and Council, c.3 Nov. 1773, and n.5, in Papers, Colonial Series, description begins W. W. Abbot et al., eds. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series. 10 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1983–95. description ends 9:358–66.

Joshua Fry (c.1700–1754), Adam Stephen (c.1718–1791), Andrew Lewis (1720–1781), Peter Hog (Hogg; 1703–1782), John Savage, Thomas Bullitt (1730–1778), and John David Woelpper (Wilper; 1709–1797) all served as Virginia officers during the French and Indian War.

3. Love presumably meant Peter Wright (1737–1819), whose career in medicine included stints as president of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

No correspondence between GW and Peter Wright has been found, but see a likely mistaken reference to a letter from “Dr Patrick Wright” in James Cross to GW, 15 March 1785, in Papers, Confederation Series, description begins W. W. Abbot et al., eds. The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1992–97. description ends 2:434–35; see also Cash Accounts, June 1774, and n.2 to that document, in Papers, Colonial Series, description begins W. W. Abbot et al., eds. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series. 10 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1983–95. description ends 10:75, 78.

4. “Mr Walker” has not been identified.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from Alexander Love, 1 July 1796
Author: Love, Alexander
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 1 July 1796

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from Alexander Love, 1 July 1796,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-20-02-0236. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 20, 1 April–21 September 1796, ed. David R. Hoth and William M. Ferraro. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2019, pp. 344–345.]