31From George Washington to William Pearce, 7 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter, begun on the 31st of last month, and ended the 2d of this, came, with the Reports enclosed, duly to hand yesterday; together with the list of Dower Negros which are taken exactly as I wished. I now wish you would forward to me a list of all the remaining Negros on the Estate; distinguishing French’s from the others; & both made out in the manner of the last—giving the ages &ca....
32From George Washington to William Pearce, 31 January 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 24th inst. with the reports, came to hand, at the usual time, yesterday. and I am sorry to find by them that sickness is so prevalent among the people. It is occasioned I presume by the changeableness of the weather; and will I hope, be carried off by the steady cold which seems to be now setting in. Had your grain been covered with Snow? If not, how does it, and is it...
33From George Washington to William Pearce, 27 January 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 17th Instt which I expected on Saturday, came to hand by the Post of yesterday. These delays are, I presume, occasioned by the extreme badness of the Roads, wch by all accounts never were worse. I am very sorry for the death of Mr Davenport on many accts; and not the least on acct of his poor family; who must, I am sure, be left in great distress. for this reason I request...
34From George Washington to William Pearce, 25 January 1796 (Washington Papers)
The letter which accompanies the two parcels of Rice herewith sent, gives all the information I am able to transmit, respecting the cultivation of them: and to which I request you to pay particular attention. As these small things may be laid by, & forgot when the season for sowing or preparing ground for them arrives; and even after sowing them, may be forgotten in the due cultivation of...
35From George Washington to William Pearce, 17 January 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 3d & 10th instt are both before me; the last came yesterday, & the first on tuesday. I should be sorry if Davenports disorder should prove fatal to him; it would be a heavy stroke upon his family at any time, and unlucky for me at the present. I am under no concern for the fall which has taken place in the price of flour—that it will be up again, and higher than ever in the...
36From George Washington to William Pearce, 10 January 1796 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to William Pearce, 10 Jan. 1796 . On 17 Jan., Pearce wrote GW: “I Receved your Letter of the 10th Inst.”
37From George Washington to William Pearce, 3 January 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 27th with the reports came to hand yesterday —and I am glad to find you have met with a supply of twine in Alexandria, as there is no prospect that has yet opened, of getting it from hence in time and I have no doubt that under all chances fishing yourself will be more profitable than hiring out the landing for Sixty pounds. I am not disposed to take any thing less for my...
38From George Washington to William Pearce, 20 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
Having received neither the weekly reports nor a letter from you yesterday, as usual, I fear you are unwell, or something else is the cause of it, as I got other letters by the Southern Mail. Flour keeps up to 13½ dollars pr barl. If I have any therefore on hand, to dispose of, I wish it were sold at that price, on a reasonable credit; allowing for the freight to this place; which is all that...
39From George Washington to William Pearce, 13 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 6th instt, enclosing the weekly reports, has been duly received. I am glad to find by it that the sickness among my people is abating. If Cyrus continues to give evidence of such qualities as would fit him for a waiting man, encourage him to persevere in them; and if they should appear to be sincere & permanent, I will receive him in that character when I retire from public...
40From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 29th Ulto with the Weekly reports of the 6th and 28th of November. I wish you to make the most you can of the materials you have within yourself, for hedging; for I do not believe you will get any berries of the white thorn from Newcastle; for the reason given in one of my letters after I arrived at this place, from Mount Vernon last. I hope the Cedar berries...
41From George Washington to William Pearce, 29 November 1795 (Washington Papers)
The Post of yesterday brought me your letter of the 26th instt, and the weekly reports of the 14th & 21st preceeding. I am sorry to find by them that you have had much sickness among the Negros; and that the prospect of a good crop of corn as well as a tolerable one of Wheat, is diminishing. As the latter of these is got out, and the horses more at liberty, I hope every diligence will be used...
42From George Washington to William Pearce, 22 November 1795 (Washington Papers)
I received no letter from you yesterday, nor the Saturday before; nor have I written to you for several weeks, on account of your proposed journey to the Eastern shore; postponing it until the time I expected your return from thence. In one or two of the letters I have written to you since I left Mount Vernon, it was intimated that I should be more full on the subject of Hedging whenever I was...
43From George Washington to William Pearce, 25 October 1795 (Washington Papers)
The Post of yesterday, brought me your letter of the 21st instant, and the Reports of the preceeding Week. I am sorry to hear you have been sick, but glad to find you have recovered. That the fly should be much in your Wheat is to be regretted; but proves the necessity of converting it as speedily as possible into flour: or even selling it in grain, if it cannot be ground in time; & a good...
44From George Washington to William Pearce, 19 October 1795 (Washington Papers)
Owing to the bad weather, and the sickness on the road of both Washington and one of the Postilions (Joe) I am no farther advanced yet; & do not expect to reach Philadelphia at soonest, before tuesday afternoon. As my Wheat would be a heavy loss to me, if the Weavil should get much into it; I must again request that no time may be lost in getting it out of the straw, and ground up as fast as...
45From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
I was glad to find by your letter of the 30th of August, and the reports of the preceeding week, that you had recommenced seeding, ⟨w⟩ith more favorable weather. If the latter should continue good, and the ground can be put in tolerable order, all the Wheat, sowed by the middle of this month will be in the ground in good Season; and if the Autumn is favorable, any time before the end of it,...
46From George Washington to William Pearce, 30 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have written to you so fully of late, that little remains to be said in this letter, beyond the acknowledgment of yours of the 23d instant. I shall however add, that late as it is to be, in a manner, beginning to Sow wheat, I would rather have it delayed still longer than to be sowed in ground that is too wet; or in other respects unfit for its reception. No seed will ever yield well when...
47From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter for Miss Betcy Custis relates to a matter, respecting which, I have made some enquiry in her behalf — Put it into her own hands, if she is at Mount Vernon—and as she might wish, perhaps, to revolve the subject a little, before she communicates the contents to any oth⟨ers⟩ give it to her when she is alo⟨ne⟩⟨ mutilated ⟩ letter also, which only serves to cover it. I am Your...
48From George Washington to William Pearce, 23 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 16th instant, covering the ⟨wee⟩kly reports, came to my hands yesterday. As ⟨you⟩ have begun upon what is called Davy⟨’s field⟩ at Dogue-run, I do not wish any change; and when to this is added the high, and dry parts of the Mill swamp Corn, & one of the lots by the Barn, the quantity of ground in wheat, at that farm, will be pretty well. But I wish your sowing had kept pace...
49From George Washington to William Pearce, 16 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter, begun on the 9th and ended on the 12th instt, with its several enclosures, came to my hands yesterday. It is to be regretted that the frequent, & hard rains should have involved you in such difficulties. But all that can be don⟨e⟩ in cases that are not to be guarded against, or avoided, is to do the best under them that circumstances will admit. More ought not to be expected; and...
50From George Washington to William Pearce, 12 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
I forgot to ask you, what prospect there was of your saving clover seed, sufficient for your next years purposes? If it is a good one, there will be no occasion of buying, if it is not, the sooner I am informed thereof, the better. I hope you will, not only of this kind of seed, but of all others, endeavor to save as much as will answer my own demands, as the purchase of them falls heavy upon...
51From George Washington to William Pearce, 9 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
The day before I left home, I rode by the field at Dogue run called Davy’s field—and intended to have had some further conversation with you on the subject of a second wheat field at that place this seeding time; but the suddenness of my departure prevented it. In looking at the field above mentioned, it did not strike me as sufficient, in addition to No. 5 for a wheaten crop at that farm (if...
52From George Washington to William Pearce, 12 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 5th, and the reports of the preceeding week, have been received. I am glad to hear your wheat harvest is secured. If it yields well it will be fortunate as there is no doubt of the price being good. The Indian corn will have no cause to complain from the want of heat, for some days past. If nothing more than I foresee at present, happens to prevent it, I shall leave this...
53From George Washington to William Pearce, 5 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 28th, with the enclosed reports, was duly received. I think it very likely that I shall commence my journey for Mount Vernon about the middle of this month—but as business may detain me a few days longer than I expect, I will not speak positively at this time. In my next, I shall, I hope, be able to name the day I shall leave the city. But let not this prevent your writing...
54From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 June 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 21st with its enclosures, and am very glad to find by it that your Wheat crop is likely to turn out pretty well. The sample of the grain which you sent me is not bad; but are the ears large, or small ? If the former, and filled with grain as good as that which you sent me, I shall have no cause to repine; notwithstanding the injury it sustained by the rains...
55From George Washington to William Pearce, 21 June 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 14th instant with the Reports were received yesterday. I am sorry the rain you were wishing for, should have come attended with the disasters your letter represents; but to these it is our duty to submit—I never repine at acts of Providence, because I always suppose, however adverse they may be to our wishes, they are always for the best. Let the place of the young mule,...
56From George Washington to William Pearce, 14 June 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 7th instant, and the weekly reports, were received yesterday. On wednesday night, thursday, & part of friday, we had a great deal of rain in this city, and as it appeared to be general, I hope you partook of it. If the Corn is not destroyed by the insect you complain of, I do not despair (on account of its backwardness) of making a good crop, yet. It is in the months of July...
57From George Washington to William Pearce, 7 June 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 31st of last month, enclosing the weekly reports, came duly to hand—yesterday. Let the person who is to supply you with plank & Shingles, have the precise length of the first given to him, that it may not waste in cutting. This length you will be able to ascertain from knowing the uses for which it is intended; & by consulting the plan which I sent you. The plank for the...
58From George Washington to William Pearce, 31 May 1795 (Washington Papers)
I am quite surprized to find by your letter of the 24th instant (which with the Reports came duly to hand) that your crops had stood in need of Rain. There has been no three days together without it, at this place, since I arrived here; and some times for whole days and nights, with little or no intermission. The exhausted state of Provisions (bread) in Europe; the demand for flour there; and...
59From George Washington to William Pearce, 24 May 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your letter, and the reports of the 17th instant. The enclosed sketches, will give my ideas so fully, of the Barn, proposed to be built at River farm, as to leave me scarcely any thing to add to it. If 2 Inch (white oak) plank, is thought sufficient for the threshing floor of the Barn, I do not want it to be got any thicker; and if Inch & quarter (Pine) plank, is thick...
60From George Washington to William Pearce, 10 May 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 3d instt, with the Reports of the preeceding week, was received yesterday; and I am glad to find by it that the Wheat & grass continues to mend—I hope the warm days we have had, and the showers of rain (if they have extended to you) have also brought on the Oats. It is high time they were advancing, if much is to be expected from them. Considering the quality of my flour...