421To George Washington from Richard Butler, 30 November 1787 (Washington Papers)
To know at any time that it is your Excellencys wish that any thing within my power should be done, will always be a Sufficient motive with me to do it. But when you were pleased to inform me that it had been required by the August Empress Sovereign of all the Russias, Through the medium of that Excellent Character the Right Honorable Major General The Marquis de La Fayette, it was an...
422Enclosure I: Richard Butler’s Indian Vocabulary, 30 November 1787 (Washington Papers)
The following Seven pages to the word Ten markd thus #, are the words which were sent me to be translated, The Shawano I have done myself which are Spelled as nearly as possible to the real Sound of the Indian word. The Lenoppea, or Delaware, was done by a Young man Called John Killbuck, an Indian of that nation who has been Educated at Princetown College at the Expence of the U.S. & patronage...
423Enclosure II: Extract of letter from Richard Butler, 30 November 1787 (Washington Papers)
Extract of a Letter from General Butler to General Washington (accompanying this Vocabulary). The little which I have been able to collect of the history of the Shawanoes from oral tradition & their old men, with some observations of my own may not be unacceptable, & may probably assist, or open a door to more able Inquirers. They say they were originally from an Island, and that they came to...
424To George Washington from James Madison, 30 November 1787 (Washington Papers)
My last inclosed the seven first numbers of the paper of which I gave you some account. I now add the seven following numbers, which close the first branch of the subject, the importance of the Union. The succeeding papers shall be forwarded from time to time as they come out. The latest authentic information from Europe, places the Dutch in a wretched situation. The patriots will probably...
425From George Washington to Samuel Powel, 30 November 1787 (Washington Papers)
With much pleasure we received the acct of the safe arrival of Mrs Powell & yourself at Philadelphia; and that your journey was unattended by accidents, and less delayed than might have been expected. The Mr Morris’s gave us the pleasure of their company two days & nights on their way to Richmond, & did not leave us without hope of their pursuing this rout back. By this evenings Post (for the...
426From George Washington to David Stuart, 30 November 1787 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 14th came duly to hand. I am sorry to find by it that the opposition is gaining strength. At this however I do not wonder. The adversaries to a measure are generally, if not always, more active & violent than the advocates; and frequently employ means which the others do not, to accomplish their ends. I have seen no publication yet, that ought, in my judgment, to shake the...
427From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 3 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 23d of Septr & 15th of Novr came duly to hand. You may inform Mr Haines that my Barley, this year, shared the same fate with my other crops. The drought during the summer was so excessive that I cannot form any just opinion of what it might produce in a seasonable year; it yielded about 14 bushls to the acre which was a proportionate crop to any other kind of Grain which I...
428From George Washington to Embree & Shotwell, 3 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Colo. Henry Lee (who called upon me as he returned home from New York) informed me that you dealt largely in grass seeds (saved in this Country)—that you sold none but what was good—and those on the most moderate terms. Under this information I beg leave to ask the price of the following, and whether an opportunity could be depended upon for sending them by water to Alexandria before the month...
429From George Washington to John Langdon, 3 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 6th Ulto and am much obliged to you for the information contained in it. I am happy to find that the dispositions in your part of the Continent are so favourable to the proposed plan of Government; if the true interest of the United States was consulted I think there could be but little opposition to it in any part of the Country. The publick papers have...
430From George Washington to Thomas Smith, 3 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your letter of the 26th of Octr and am much surprised to find that my letters to the Western Country so often miscarry. I enclose a duplicate of a letter which I wrote to you from Philadelphia, and committed to the care of Captn Bradley who informed me that he lived at the Court House in Washington County, should pass through Carlyle, & promised to deliver it himself. I have...
431From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 3 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
A Mr H. Banks, of your Assembly is disposed to be kind to me or has some view of being so to himself. Charity leads to the first—suspicion to the latter opinion. He has informed me that the Sherif of Greenbrier has a considerable demand upon me for the taxes of my land on the Great Kankawa, in that Country—but has forborne (through his means) from proceeding to extremities till he could advice...
432From George Washington to George Weedon, 3 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 25th Ulto enclosing the proceedings of the Cincinnati of this State, which I am much obliged to you for forwarding to me. I will, agreeable to your request, send some cuttings of the Golden willow to Alexandria to be forwarded to you, but I imagine this is an improper season to put them out, for as they are to be propagated from the slip the spring seems to...
433To George Washington from Battaile Muse, 4 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
I was in Fauquier County Last week among the Tenaments, and have Tenants Engaged For all the Lots Excepting one which is a wood Lot on goos creek, Part of the Lot that Tompson Lived on, no one will have it on any Terms; and many of the Lots on the upper Tract are Setled with Very Poor Tenants on accot of the Poorness of the Land—on those Poor Lots I cannot get a Tenant to stay Two years, as I...
434To George Washington from David Stuart, 4 December 1787 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from David Stuart, 4 Dec. 1787. GW wrote Stuart on 11 Dec. “to acknowledge the receipt of your favor dated the 4th Instt.”
435From George Washington to John Lewis, 7 December 1787 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to John Lewis, 7 Dec. 1787. Lewis wrote GW on 15 Dec. that he did not receive his “favor of the 7th Inst. till yesterday.”
436From George Washington to James Madison, 7 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Since my last to you, I have been favored with your letters of the 28th of Octr & 18th of Novr—With the last came 7 numbers of the Fœderalist under the signature of Publius. For these I thank you. They are forwarded to a Gentleman in Richmond for re-publication. The doing of which, in this State, will, I am persuaded, have a good effect; as there are certainly characters in it who are no...
437To George Washington from James Madison, 7 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
My last inclosed a continuation of the Fœderalist to number 14 inclusive. I now add the numbers which have succeeded. No authentic information has yet arrived concerning the posture of Europe. Reports, with some less doubtful symtoms, countenance the suspicions of war. I understand that the Constitution will certainly be adopted in Connecticut; the returns of the deputies being now known, and...
438From George Washington to Thomas Johnson and Thomas Sim Lee, 9 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Presuming that Colo. Fitzgerald according to his promise has communicated to you the vote of the Potomack Co. passed at the last general Meeting, held at George Town, and the measures consequent of it, taken by the directors, I shall trouble you with no more than the result which you will find in the enclosed authenticated Act of the Assembly of this State. It is scarcely necessary to observe...
439To George Washington from Frederick Weissenfels, 10 December 1787 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Frederick Weissenfels, 10 Dec. 1787. GW wrote Weissenfels on 10 Jan. 1788 : “I have received your letter of the 10th of December.”
440To George Washington from Thomas Johnson, 11 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Your Favor of the 9th directed to Mr Lee and myself and it’s Inclosure came to Hand today very opportunely—The Gentlemen of the Assembly purpose to rise next Saturday and preparatory to it resolved in the Morning to receive no new Business after this day this Circumstance precluded all Formality and Mr Lee being absent I moved for Leave to bring in a Bill under the same Title as the Act passed...
441To George Washington from Henry Knox, 11 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
I thank you for your kind favor of the 15th October which was duly received. Notwithstanding the opposition and writings of the enemies of the new constitution it is now pretty apparent that it will be received by considerable majorities in New Hampshire, Massachusetts Connecticut New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The information from Maryland is defective, but Virginia it is said will...
442From George Washington to Peterson & Taylor, 11 December 1787 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Peterson & Taylor, 11 Dec. 1787. Peterson & Taylor wrote GW on this date : “yours ⅌ the boy came safe to hand.”
443To George Washington from Peterson & Taylor, 11 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
yours ⅌ the boy came safe to hand and observe its contents, we can in answer, deliver at the Genl Landing pine Scantling of any dimentions that may be wanting, but no Oak. the Price of Scantling 6/ reduced to plank Measure, the Common Kind of 18 Inch Shingles Called ½ Inch d[itt]o 13/6 M. Bald Cyprus—3 feet B. Cypress do, 54/ ⅌ th[ousan]d these are the Common prices we Sell at daily, your fish...
444From George Washington to David Stuart, 11 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Not recollecting till this moment, the Winter regulation of the Post; & being desirous of getting the Loan Office certificates (herewith enclosed) to you before you shall have left richmond; I have scarcely time to acknowledge the receipt of your favor dated the 4th Instt, much less to write more fully on the subject of my Back Lands. I now pray, if it is in your power, to obtain the Interest...
445To George Washington from Samuel Powel, 12 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
I had, this Day, the Pleasure of your very obliging Letter, for which I return you my best Thanks. The important Question is at length decided and Pennsylvania has had Virtue enough to adopt the proposed fœderal Constitution by a Majority of Forty Six against Twenty Three. On this Event I sincerely felicitate my Country, & trust that her Example will be followed by the other States. So fœderal...
446From George Washington to Charles Carter, 14 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 21st of Octr would not have remained so long unacknowledged could I with any degree of precision have answered your quæries sooner. I wish it was in my power to do it satisfactorily now. The drought of last Summer in this neighbourhood was so unconsionably severe, that the experiments I contemplated were by no means conclusive—the result such as it is—I will give you. In...
447To George Washington from James Madison, 14 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Along with this are inclosed a few of the latest gazettes containing the additional papers in favor of the federal Constitution. I find by letters from Richmond that the proceedings of the Assembly, are as usual, rapidly degenerating with the progress of the Session: and particularly that the force opposed to the Act of the Convention has gained the ascendance. There is still nevertheless a...
448To George Washington from Joseph Davenport, 15 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Major Washington tells me that you will not Concent for me to keep a horse—but Sir if I pay you What is reasenable and Customary Your Excelency Can not think hard of it—farr be it from me to ask aney thing out of reason—Sir you know to Sell him at this Season of the year. I Cannot Get the worth of him. to winter him out I may as well have none—Sir I Did not Get this horse because I thought You...
449To George Washington from John Lewis, 15 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Being at Richmond for some time past did not get your favor of the 7th Inst. till yesterday. I have inclosd a Coppy of the Account you requested, the articles you stand Charged with ⟨not⟩ extended I will get the accot of from Mr Payne & send you. I think I have seen amg my Fathers papers a list of money he was to receive & pay away for you at one of the General Courts I have looked for it but...
450To George Washington from James Rumsey, 17 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Inclosed you have Coppies of two Certificates of what the Boat performed at Sum tryals we have been making I have a number more but as they are the Same in Substance I thought it not nessasary to Coppy them, we Enhibeted under many disadvantages and Should not have Come forth publicly untill Spring if it had not been for Mr Fitches Stealing a march on me in Virgine I have Sent Down a number of...