31To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 29 May 1791 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor, yesterday, to receive your letter of the 13th Instant, with its enclosures, from Savannah. It gives every body great pleasure to hear that you have reached the southern extremity of your journey without any interruption to your health, and their united prayers are offered up for as happy a return. Since the time that I knew you must have reached Charleston, I have directed my...
32To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 1 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment been made happy by the receipt of your acceptable & good letters of the 28th ultimo, with their enclosures. The mail being on the point of closing will only allow me at this time to acknowledge the receipt of your favors, and express the grateful sense which I have of your continued kindness towards me. The offer which you have the goodness to make of appointing me one of...
33To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 3 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
The weather has prevented the meeting of a sufficient number of the Potomak Company to do business today, they have therefore adjourned ’till Thursday, when it is expected that numbers will come in. If it should be convenient for you to attend I think your presence will be of great service; but should that not be the case, it would be well to send a power to vote in behalf of the shares you...
34To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 1 January 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have been duly honored with your respected favors of the 21st & 22d ultimo; the latter accompanying certain papers and plans relative to the navigation of the Potomac; for which I return you my best thanks. The assembly of this State has passed a Law similar to that of Virginia, granting a further Time of two Years for completing the Navigation of the River. At a meeting of the Directors of...
35To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 17 April 1789 (Washington Papers)
I called at Mr Moncrieff’s with the enclosed bill, and was informed that he went over to the Eastern Shore some time last week, and was not expected home for several days. I could find no person who transacted his business in his absence from whom I might have gained some information respecting the payment of the bill. I have therefore left it that you may do with it as you think best. Perhaps...
36To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 19 June 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have been duly honored with your respected favor of the 15th instant, and shall, agreeably to your wishes, invest the balance in my hands in the Stock of Alexandria Bank as soon as a proper opportunity of doing it shall offer. I have been expecting a fall; but as the time of dividend draws so near I doubt whether they will be much below the principal & 4½ pr Cent Interest— and if they are to...
37To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 12 September 1790 (Washington Papers)
I have been honored with your letter of the 5th instant; and am happy to find by accounts of your departure from Philadelphia, that Mrs Washington’s indisposition was not such as to retard your journey, which you had some apprehensions of when you wrote. As the weather for the week past has been pleasant, I trust the wishes of your friends have been answered in your having had an agreeable...
38To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 7 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment returned from Annapolis, and had the happiness to meet your aceptable & respectable favors of the 30th of Novr and the 2d of Decr with their enclosures. As it is within a few hours of the closing of the mail it is not in my power to give a decided answer to Mr Myers’ proposition for superintending the works of the Potomac Company; but before the next mail, I will see the...
39To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 8 February 1796 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 8 Feb. 1796 . On 10 Feb., Lear wrote to GW: “I had the honor of writing to you on the 8th inst.”
40To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 3 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
Presuming that you are now in German Town, agreeably to the arrangement which you informed me you had made for that purpose, when I had the honor of seeing you at Mount Vernon, I shall address this letter to you at that place; and have taken the liberty to enclose two copies of some observations respecting the River Potomack, the Country about it and the City of Washington, which I have noted...
41To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 17 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your respected favor of the 13th instant reached this place last evening, and should have been answered by return of the mail; but I had been absent for some days at the Great Falls, on the business of the Potomac Company, and did not get home till this day. I trust, my dear Sir, that after knowing my reasons for not having sooner acknowledged the receipt of your kind letter of the 14th of...
42To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 18 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
Since I had the honor of addressing you last, the Potomac bill has passed the House of Representatives of this State by a majority of ten, and there was no doubt of its passing the Senate. But until this is known the directors cannot act in any engagements. I saw Mr Charles Lee yesterday, who gave encouragement that the application to the legislature of Virginia would be successful as it was...
43To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 30 September 1791 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor yesterday to receive your letter of the 26th instant. It appeared to me that Mr Powel made his late formal enquiries, with a hope to convict Mr Gallitin of fabrication, or at any rate of misreprentation; for the manner in which he put the interrogatories seemed to carry with it the expectation of a very different answer from that which he received. When I assured him that I had...
44V: Tobias Lear’s Notes on the Opinions of the Cabinet, c.4 April 1792 (Washington Papers)
The opinion of the Secretary of State declares the bill unconstitutional—for it does not apportion the Representatives among the states strictly according to their numbers. It provides for fractions—which the Constitution never intended. It leaves the dertermination of apportioning the Representatives without any fixed principle—which may hereafter be productive of great evil, and admits of...
45To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 5 November 1794 (Washington Papers)
A few weeks ago Mr William Bailey of this neighbourhood wished me to inform him, if I could, whether you had disposed of your lands on the Great & Little Kanawas & on the Ohio between these two Rivers, which he understood you were inclined to part with; and if you had not, he wished to know what you would be willing to take for them, as he and some others had it in contemplation to obtain...
46To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 10 December 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am about to trouble you on a piece of business which is very unpleasant to myself, and sure I am that it can be no less so to you. At the meeting of the Potomac Company when they did me the honor of appointing me one of the Directors, it was determined that application should be made to the Legislatures of Virginia and Maryland for a prolongation of the time granted for opening the...
47To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 27 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Once more I refer you to another letter for what has occurred to me on the late distressing event, and I will therefore only say that the contents of your last letters to me shall be shortly attend’d to, and that I am most truly & devotedly your’s ALS , DLC:GW . See Lear to GW, 25 March. Lear is referring to GW’s letters of 13 and 21 March.
48To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 14 October 1791 (Washington Papers)
By the Post of yesterday I had the honor to receive your favor of the 10th instant, in which was enclosed a letter for Major Jackson, to whom I delivered it. The enclosed papers will give the accounts which have been received by the late arrivals from Europe. Peace seems to be the predominant feature in these accts. And there do not appear any strong marks of a disposition to invade France,...
49To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 5 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am afraid you will think I have too long delayed giving an Answer to one of the good letters with which you honored me under the date of the 28th of August. The reason of the delay has not been so much on account of the decision with respect to myself, as to enable me to gain such information of the light in which certain Characters were viewed as I conceived might be acceptable to you: And...
50To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 16 October 1791 (Washington Papers)
Considering the little time you would have after your arrival in this place before the meeting of Congress, I thought it could not be amiss to prepare this letter to meet you at Baltimore, enclosing the information which you directed me to obtain upon the points recommended in yours Speeches at the opening of the three last Sessions of Congress. I went carefully through the three speeches, and...
51To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 15 July 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to inform you that we arrivd here last evening after a pleasant journey from Phila. and shall sail for Providence in about an hour. I have thought it best, & upon the whole most œconomical to take a water carriage to Providence. The principal object in troubling you with a letter at this time is to mention that while I was on board the Packet this morning engaging a passage I...
52To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 20 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to enclose you a bill of Lading for the Articles ship’d on board the Sloop Salem, which was chartered to take your things around to Mount Vernon. She sailed Yesterday with a good wind, and I think the chance is that she will be in the Potomac by this day week. She is entirely filled with your things; and a few are yet remaining, which will be put on board a Vessel that sails...
53To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 22 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
It is with peculiar pleasure that I inform you of my having once more arrived in this comparatively happy Country. I sailed from Liverpool on the 11th of June and reached this place today. I have brought with me a valuable cargo of goods—and have made my arrangements of business to my Satisfaction in England, Scotland & Holland. I have returned home without visiting other Countries, because I...
54To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 20 May 1795 (Washington Papers)
Shares may at this moment be bought in Alexandria Bank at par—and those of the Bank of Columbia at one per Cent under par. The Shares of the Alexandria Bank are 200 dollars each— and a dividend, of 6 Months interest at the rate of 9 or 10 per Cent per Annum will take place in July; but the present want of Cash operates to keep the shares down altho’ the period of receiving the interest is so...
55To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 10 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 8th inst. Since which I have been favored with a letter from Colo. Pickering, covering the agreement of the prop[r]ietors of the land at the junction of the Potomac & Shanandoah, and requesting my agency to complete the purchase for the United States, if it can now be done. Tomorrow I set off for that quarter, and shall endeavor to close the business...
56To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 3 October 1790 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor yesterday to receive your letter of the 27 of September with the other letters which you were so good as to inclose for me. The Vessel which is to take the furniture on board arrived this morning. The Owner has come in her; and as my letter to Colo. Biddle requesting him to make a written agreement with the owner did not get to hand before the vessel saild from Philadelphia...
57To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 12 June 1791 (Washington Papers)
I flatter myself that this letter will either find you at Mount Vernon, or meet you there in a very few days. In either case, I hope I may be so happy as to congratulat you upon a safe return from your southern excursion. The day before yesterday a Drayman brought 14 Cases of wine here marked G.W. which he said were from on board a vessel which had arrived from Charleston S.C.—There was no...
58To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 23 September 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to inform you that I am thus far on my return from New Hampshire to Philadelphia. I have been detained at Portsmouth a fortnight longer than I expected to have been, in order to settle some matters that were interesting to me. I shall leave this place tomorrow and proceed to Philadelphia at the rate of about 30 or 35 miles per day. I have neglected no opportunity of obtaining...
59To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 12 January 1798 (Washington Papers)
I enclose the letter from Colo. F. Deakins which I mentioned to you yesterday. Any Commands you may have for Richmond I shall be happy to take. Altho’ I have not sanguine expectations of pecuniary aid from the Assembly of Virginia; yet a petition to permit the collection of Tolls is an object of too much importance to be neglected at this moment. I therefore feel it a duty incumbent on me to...
60To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 5 August 1792 (Washington Papers)
Since I had the honor of writing to you on the 21 ultimo nothing of a public nature has occurred in this quarter of sufficient importance to trouble you with an account of it. And being desireous of gaining all the knowledge of the sentiments of the people hereabouts respecting our public affairs, that I could obtain either personally or from the best information, I have delayed writing ’till...
61To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 23 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure to inform you that I yesterday closed the bargain, on account of the United States, for the two tracts of land at the junction of the Rivers Potomac and Shanandoah, for the sums which the proprieters proposed to sell them last fall, and with some circumstances respecting the Reservations on the ferry tract, more advantageous to the public than were then proposed. I set off...
62To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 30 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment returned from Berkley County where I have been detained much longer than I expected on account of the difficulties raised by the Wagers; because the land was not taken possession of on the first of April, agreeably to contract. These I have at last surmounted, and have received possession for the United States; but the deeds are not yet executed, as one of the parties is in...
63To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 3 April 1791 (Washington Papers)
General Knox informed me that in consequence of Colo. Blaine’s letter he had recommended it to Colo. Duer, the Contractor, to employ him in that Country in the way that he wishes, if Blaine will accept of a secondary part in the business of supplying the troops. But whether it will be done or not, was uncertain at the time of General Knox’s mentioning the matter to me. As we have not yet heard...
64To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 24 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the Potomac Company yesterday, they did me the honor to elect me a director, by an unanimous vote, in place of Colo. Deakins who had resigned. As I have accepted this appointment, I thought it my duty to inform you thereof, lest, if you should first hear it from any other quarter, you might think my conduct inconsistent & unjustifiable in accepting this place when I had so...
65To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 2 October 1791 (Washington Papers)
The Attorney General of the United States having received from the Attorney of the District of New York, the necessary documents relative to Samuel Dodge’s case, he called upon me yesterday with the draft of a pardon for said Dodge, which I inserted on the paper which you left in my hands for that purpose; and after having the seal of the United States affixed thereto, I delivered the same...
66To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 1 May 1791 (Washington Papers)
We have not had the pleasure of hearing from you, since I had the honor to write on the 24 of last month; which letter was sent by the mail to Charleston, with a request to the Post Master to convey it by a private opportunity to Augusta or Columbia. As it would reach Charleston by the 12th of may there is no doubt but an opportunity will offer of sending it to either one or the other of those...
67To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 13 September 1793 (Washington Papers)
The desire which Mrs Washington had the goodness to express to know how my little boy got through his journey, has given her the trouble of the inclosed letter, which You will be so kind as to do me the favor to give to her. I arrived here this morning with my young companion in good health, we met with no accident of any kind on the road. Of rain we had only a sprinkling one day, and such...
68To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 24 March 1791 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letters have been this moment brought to me by the Post Master, who informs thus they have just arrived at the Office in the Western Mail. As they may contain important intelligence I delay not a moment to forward them. Mrs Washington and the family are well. Nothing particular has transpired since your departure. I have the honor to be, with the highest respect & most sincere...
69To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 6 October 1790 (Washington Papers)
Nothing of importance has occurred since I had the honor to write to You on Sunday last. We shall tomorrow finish loading the vessel which I have taken to carry the furniture round to Philadelphia. Altho’ she is very capacious, and stows as much as any Vessel of her burthen (80 tons;) Yet I find we shall have many things left which must go under deck; and I have according engaged a freight for...
70To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 21 November 1790 (Washington Papers)
This letter, which will acknowledge the receipt of, and will reply to your favors of the 12th and 14th Insts. with which I have been duly honored, is intended to meet you at Baltimore. Page’s Coach, I presume, reached Mount Vernon on friday or Saturday; as it left this place on Sunday last. Your letter of the 10th was handed to me in due time by Mr Solderstone the Swedish Consul (whose name...
71To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 21 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Desireous, on every account, to have the business relative to the Arsenal on this River closed, it was my intention to have set off tomorrow morning for Philadelphia, in order to ensure its completion on the first day of April, as that is the day fixed for the public to take possession of the premises; but last evening my dear Fanny was violently attacked by ⟨a pleuretic⟩ complaint, which...
72To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 23 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the Directors of the Potomac Company held yesterday, I was requested by the Board to beg your acceptance of their best thanks for the communications which you have had the goodness to make respecting Mr Myres, and to express their wish that the services of that Gentleman may be obtained to superintend the Works on this River. If Mr Myres be yet free to engage, the Directors...
73To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 25 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have the vanity to think you will not be displeased to hear of my safe arrival at this place. We had a passage of 28 days from New York, and in the course of it experienced much stormy weather. I have been here a fortnight, during which time I have been busily engaged in viewing the several large manufactories in the City and its neighbourhood, in some of which they exceed any other part of...
74To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 15 May 1791 (Washington Papers)
On thursday last I had the honor to receive your letter of the 21st of April from New burn; and at the same time a letter for Mrs Washington came under cover to me, which she informed me was dated at Wilmington. Yesterday we had the pleasure to see your arrival at Charleston announced in the papers. My letters must certainly have met with some interruption or you would have found at least one...
75To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 29 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to enclose a paper containing some seeds and a note from Mr Powel, which were sent here the evening after your departure. I called upon General Knox yesterday in order to communicate to him your observations and wishes respecting several matters mentioned in Genl Wilkinson’s letters. I found the General much better than he had been for some days past; but he said he was not...
76To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 30 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment received your kind & acceptable favor of the 27th instant; and at the same time a letter from the Secretary of War on the subject of the Arsenal. It contains but a few lines, informing me that he shall put the papers, which I transmitted last month, into the hands of the Attorney General, to enable him to draw the deeds, and that he will write me more particularly in a short...
77To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 6 October 1791 (Washington Papers)
I was this day honored with your letter of the 2nd Instant with its enclosures. In future I shall write only by the post of Wednesday & friday; unless something special should occur in which case I shall request the Post Master at Alexandria to forward it to Mount Vernon. I enclose the two french letters with their translations. Finding that the letter from Mess[r]s Triol Roux & Co. was...
78To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 10 April 1793 (Washington Papers)
Agreeably to the wish expressed in your letter of the 5th instant, with which I have been honored, I have made enquiries respecting the price of flour &c. and find that superfine flour is now selling for forty three & six pence & forty four shillings per barrel, for the Cash—and at forty five & forty six shillings, for notes payable in sixty days. Common flour is from 3/ to 3/6 less. For a...
79To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 15 April 1791 (Washington Papers)
Since I had the honor to write to you on the 10th Inst. we have had the pleasure of learning that you reached Fredericksburg on the 8th. Mr Jefferson has been so good as to furnish me with a copy of the Stages which you intended to make on your journey southward, and the times at which you expected to be in the principal towns, together with a list of the places through which you would pass on...
80To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 10 October 1793 (Washington Papers)
On my reaching this place yesterday Mr Greenleaf put into my hands your very good & respected favor of the 25 of September, enclosing one hundred & twenty dollars for the purchase of a Watch &c. and a Ticket for my dear little boy, in the Hotel Lottery, which you have had the goodness to give him as a token of your affection. I feel, my dear Sir, more than I can express for the many proofs of...