101From 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...
102From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 21st instt with the Reports of the preceeding week came to my hands yesterday. I do not recollect that I have missed writing to you by Mondays Posts since you returned from the Eastern shore. I have no doubt of your having many applications to Rent, both my farms and Mill; but I question if it be from such persons, or on such terms, as I would chuse to engage; for which...
103From 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...
104From 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...
105From 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.
106From 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...
107From 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:...
108From 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...
109From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 24th instant from Kent County in Maryland came to hand yesterday. I am sorry to find you had not then removed to Mount Vernon, and am concerned for the cause of your detention. Acts of Providence no human foresight can guard against, and it is our duty to submit to them. In the situation you describe your daughter to be, I certainly should not have desired you to leave her;...
110From George Washington to William Pearce, 27 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 17th under cover from Mr Lear came duly to hand, as did the Weekly reports of the 19th yesterday. I am disposed to let Mr Smiths debt stand upon the security you have placed it—unless before the 24th of next month any circumstances should occur to render other measures necessary—or, on that day he should be unprepared to make payment & require further indulgence. In either...
111From 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...
112From George Washington to William Pearce, 10 April 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 3d instant, with the Weekly reports, was received yesterday; and I have also seen Mr Lear, who arrived here yesterday about the sametime. As there is no prospect from the last European accounts (down to the first of March) of Peace; but on the contrary, every appearance of a vigorous prosecution of the War—at least for another Campaign—and they speak (tho’ flour is low in...
113From George Washington to William Pearce, 11 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 4th instt came to my hands yesterday, and the one you wrote me from Chester Town has also been received. My last would have informed you of the reason, which, probably, prevented your receiving a former one at that place, but which I expect has got to hand ’ere this; as the Postmaster was requested, in case you had left it to send it by the Mail to Alexandria. As your letter...
114From 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...
115From 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...
116From 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...
117From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 23d instt with the Reports, came to my hands yesterday; and this will be put into the Post office tomorrow for Chester Town. From what you have said of the person I wa⟨s⟩ enquiring after, I am well Satisfied h⟨e⟩ would not answer my purposes, as a Manager. Propensity to gaming, & running about, are such disqualifications in ⟨m⟩y estimation, as scarcely to find a...
118From 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...
119From 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...
120From 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...
121From George Washington to William Pearce, 13 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 28th of Feby (as I mentioned in a short letter written to you on Wednesday last) did not reach my hands until tuesday evening; and I had it not in my power next morning, before closing the Mail, to mention some things which I am about to do in this letter. The scarcity of Corn, & high price of that article in all the Southern states, and in the Southern & western parts of...
122From 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,...
123From 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...
124From George Washington to William Pearce, 24 February 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 17th instant came safe. Meeting your children at Baltimore is certainly necessary, and therefore I can have no objection to it. My last letter being full, respecting the repairs of my house in Alexandria, I shall add nothing on that subject in this; and as Mr Stuart has not, according to his declaration, received any money from Mr Whiting, let him be paid with the deduction...
125From 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...
126From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 October 1793 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed is a copy of our agreement with my Signature to it. Since you were here, Mrs Washington the Widow of my Nephew, who formerly lived at this place, has resolved as soon as we leave it, to remove to her Brother’s in the lower part of this State, and will not I believe, return to reside at it again. This will make it more convenient and agreeable, both for yourself and me, that you should...
127From 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...
128From George Washington to William Pearce, 14 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 6th was received (with the Reports) on Saturday; but I do not clearly understand by it, whether James Wilkes reembarked with, or without a bed, or is yet at Mount Vernon. If the latter, he had better (if his health is sufficiently restored) offer himself to Mr Law as A Coachman; for before he could get here, and be well settled, I shall be making my arrangements to return to...
129From George Washington to William Pearce, 27 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday brought me your letter of the 20th instant, with the Reports of the preceeding week. I am sorry to find by it that your winter grain has changed its appearance, for the worse; and that your fences have been so much deranged by the high wind you have had—in a greater degree I think than it was here—tho’ it was very violent with us also. These being acts of Providence, & not within our...
130From George Washington to William Pearce, 29 April 1796 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : to William Pearce, 29 April 1796. GW wrote Pearce on Sunday, 1 May: “I wrote you on friday last.”
131From 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...
132From 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...
133From George Washington to William Pearce, 1 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 24th Ulto has been received, and I am sorry to find by it that the drought still continued with you. On this day week there was a very good rain here, and on wednesday following a great deal fell; but the weather has been windy, cold and disagreeable ever since—notwithstanding which, the Grain and grass in these parts look extremely well. I am glad to find that you were, at...
134From 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...
135From 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...
136From George Washington to William Pearce, 15 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 8th, with the Reports, are at hand; and I am glad you sowed all the Peas (except the small reserve mentioned in your letter) and the Chiccory; as I think it better than withholding them, until next Seed time. I am glad also that you have got your flour off hand (as warm weather and accidents were against keeping it longer) altho’ I am convinced that if I had held it up a...
137From 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...
138From George Washington to William Pearce, 16 February 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 11th instant, covering the reports of the preceeding week, came regularly to hand and gave me concern to hear of the death of Mr Stuarts daughter. What was her complaint? My intention, with respect to the repairs of my house in Alexandria, and inclosing the lot, was, that every particle of the work, except putting it together, should be prepared at Mount Vernon, & carried...
139From 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...
140From 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,...
141From 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...
142From George Washington to William Pearce, 18 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 11th, with the enclosures, came to my hands yesterday; and I am sorry to find by it that so late as that , you were still without rain. I hope what has fallen to day, will have extended to you: here it has rained the whole day without ceasing. I do not know whether I understand Mr Alexr Smiths proposition, with respect to putting the note for 4839 dollars in the Bank, to be...
143From George Washington to William Pearce, 24 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
On my way to this place (about the last of Octr) I lodged a letter for you in the Post Office at Baltimore, which I hope got safe to your hands, although I have not heard from you since. I shall begin, now, to throw upon Paper such general thoughts, and directions, as may be necessary for your government when you get to Mount Vernon; and for fear of accidents, if transmitted to you thro’ any...
144From 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...