From George Washington to Thomas Newton, Jr., 25 December 1792
To Thomas Newton, Jr.
Philada December 25th 1792.
Sir,
I am sorry it is not in my power to give you such precise information relative to the subject of your Letter to me of the 9th instant as may be satisfactory to yourself, or serviceable to the object mentioned in it.1
I do not recollect ever to have seen the Will of the Revd Mr Green, so that I can say nothing from that; but I remember it was impressed on my mind that the woman Sarah, of whom you Speak, was to have had her freedom—but whether it was to have taken place on the death of Mr Green, or on the death of his wife, or from what other period, I am not able to say. I recollect, however, that she lived with Mrs Green while she was a widow, & after her marriage to Doctr Savage, but whether as a slave, or upon other conditions is more than I know. The Revd Mister [Bryan] Fairfax & myself were appointed Trustees on behalf of Mrs Savage for certain purposes, but they had no relation to this woman. If a reference to Mr Green’s Will be necessary on this subject, I presume it may be found among the Records of Fairfax County.2 I am, Sir, &ca
Go: Washington
LB, DLC:GW.
1. Newton’s letter to GW of 9 Dec. has not been found.
2. For background on GW’s involvement in the settlement of the estate of the Rev. Charles Green and his widow, Margaret, who subsequently married Dr. William Savage, see Henry Lee and Daniel Payne to GW, 24 April 1767, and note 1, Thomas Montgomerie to GW, 24 Oct. 1788, and source note, and John Dixon to GW, 5 Mar. 1789, n.1. For Charles Green’s will, see Fairfax County Will Book B–1 (1752–67), 398–99, in ViFfCh. The settlement of the Thomas Colvill estate was also troublesome for GW. George Brooke, clerk of the district court at Dumfries, Va., issued a summons on 20 Oct. 1792 to James Keith “to testify and the truth to say on behalf of George Washington Esq. in a certain matter of controversy . . . between the said George Washington and Adam Stewart and others” (MiU-C: Haskell Collection).