To George Washington from Battaile Muse, 10 December 1785
From Battaile Muse
Berkely C[ount]y Decr 10th 1785
Honorable Sir
I have at Last Sent down to be Lodged at your mill three Cask butter Stated below If you Take only the Fresh butter my Price is ⅓ ⅌ Ct for that, if you Take the whole the price is 1/ ⅌ Ct as I am Told that is the Current price, and the Price I Told you I askt for it. Should you not approve of the Butter I shall be much Obliged if you will direct it to the care of Mr Andrew Wales in Alexandria who will procure me a markett for it. as I charge nothing for casks I wish to have the use of them Next Spring when the Butter may be out of them, and they will be of service to me; and perhaps none to you1—I am happy To see your millers Receipt that my wheat weighs 61 ct ⅌ bushels as the general weight here is about 56 ct ⅌ bushel owing To the unfavorable Season Last Spring and the Farmers being reather neglectfull. I have the Promise of four Waggons To Load with wheat next week for your Mill. I am sir your Very Hble servant.
Battaile Muse
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Muse wrote GW on 28 Nov. assuring him that the butter “I mentioned” would be in Alexandria by 23 December. The wagon Muse sent out this day got only as far as Leesburg because of the badness of the roads. GW did not receive the butter until late January or early February. See GW to Muse, 22 Aug. 1785 n.3, 5 Jan., 4 Feb. 1786, and Muse to GW, 12, 17 Jan. 1786. At the bottom of his letter Muse wrote that he was sending:
| 1 Cask Neit Salt Butter | 76 ct |
| No. 2 Salt Butter | 75 |
| No. 3 Fresh Butter | 60 |
| Neit Butter | 211 ct |
| 211 ct Butter @ 1/£10.11.0 B.M. | |