91To George Washington from Samuel Washington, 29 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
I recd your kind Letter of the 12th Instant and am happy in having an opportunity to return to you my most sincere thanks for your offer of Assistance and for your good Advice, which I can Assure you was very Acceptable as there is no person fonder of receiving Advice than what I am. Your Observations respecting the borrowing of Money I have reason to Attend to. for a Considerable part of the...
92To George Washington from Bushrod Washington, 8 November 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have conversed with Mr Brooke respecting Mrs Forbes and am enabled to get you the following history of that person. She is a widow—a Native of England & without a family—about 50 yrs of age—active & spirited in the execution of her business—sober & honest—well acquanted with Cookery & in his opinion capable of ordering & setting out a table—her appearance is decent & respectable & such is...
93To George Washington from Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., 8 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Letter which you were pleased to write to me of the 3d inst. was not put into my hands ’till late on thursday evening, which prevented my answering it on friday morng as by some new arrangement the Mail for Alexa. is closed at ½ past 7 in the morning. The Lustre was taken down, well packed, and (with the Boat awning, Sail, &ca) put on board the Tryal, Capt. Hand, who sailed early on Monday...
94From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 7 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 1st instant was brought to me by the last Post. The Journals of the 1st 2d & 3d Sessions of the first Congress, I have, & no later. These are in folio—one volume of the Senate, and another of the House of Representatives. If no complete set can be had, either in folio or octavo, it would be useless to obtain a copy of what I now possess: but if they are to be continued in...
95From George Washington to Tobias Lear, 24 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
You ask what is absolutely out of my power to comply with, unless I was to place myself exactly in the situation you represent yourself to be (without converting Bank stock into Cash, which I am not inclined to do)—that is, unprepared to face my own engagements; which, for Wheat, Rye, Workmens wages &ca &ca are hourly coming upon me, & expected. Three thousand dollars (without going into a...
96From George Washington to James Barry, 26 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
Since you left this, yesterday I have conversed with my Manager on the subject of flour, according to your desire. The result is, that on Tuesday next, provided immediate notice is given, he could have fifty barrels of Superfine at Alexandria. It would however, employed as my Boats are in getting materials together for my Distillery, be vastly more convenient for me to deliver it to a Vessel...
97To George Washington from George Washington Parke Custis, 29 May 1797 (Washington Papers)
Words cannot express my present sensations, a heart overflowing with joy at the success of conscience over disposition is all I have to give—Dearest Sir did you but know the effect your letter has produced it would give you as consummate pleasure, as my former one did pain —My very soul tortured with the sting of conscience at length called reason to its aid and happy for me triumphed, the...
98From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
. . . but as the Season is now far advanced, and you have hitherto been unsuccessful, and the wages of those you think good, are besides high; I shall, rather than run a risk of doing worse, engage Cask [Cash], who seems to be a sober, active & obliging man, for the coming year, which will complete my wants. . . . The Collector, nos. 9–11 (1962), item r420. Only this printed fragment of the...
99From George Washington to St. George Tucker, 30 May 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 24th Ulto, from Winchester, came duly to hand; but presuming you were on a Circuit, I have allowed time for the completion, to offer you my acknowledgment of its receipt. My Sollicitude for the establishment of a National University in this Country, has been great, and unceasing; but as the sentiments of the Legislature have not been in unison therewith, I had postponed the...
100To George Washington from John O’Donnell, 9 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
I am duly honored with your letter of the 4[t]h inst. and should have made an earlier reply to it, had I not delayed in making such necessary inquiries, as added to my own Knowledge of Anthony Heusler, might enable me more particularly to give you the information request’d respecting him. ⟨And⟩ altho’ he has been my tenant for about 3 years, yet have I been very little indeed acquainted either...
101From George Washington to Lafayette, 5 December 1797 (Washington Papers)
Not knowing when, where or whether ever this letter may reach your hands the contents will be small, and the purport merely congratulatory on your releasement from a cruel imprisonment; the official acct of which we have at length received. On what principle you have under gone this rigorous treatment, I have been unable to divine, but be this as it may, no one rejoices more than I do that a...
102GW to Gustavus Scott, 28 April 1797 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: GW to Gustavus Scott, 28 April 1797. On 29 April Scott wrote “I had the Honor of your favor of the 28th.”
103From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 21 August 1797 (Washington Papers)
Since writing to you on the 14th Inst. I have received your letter of the 12 th with the cost of the Picture frames and Glasses; to receive which soon would be convenient and agreeable to me. The large Plated wine cooler reserved from sale in my last, I pray you to have carefully packed up and sent with the letter enclosed by a safe conveyance to Colo. Hamilton of New York. I am in want of an...
104To George Washington from John Nicholas, 9 December 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your’s of the 30th Ultimo came safe to hand; and altho’, from a view of the papers inclosed, Mr Langhorne was not so direct in his scheme for extracting something from you to answer the purposes of those to whom I know him to be a servile tool; yet from the fulsome contents of his letter to you, & my knowledge of his sentiments being in direct contradiction to those contained in that letter,...
105From George Washington to Tobias Lear, 10 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
We arrived at this place to dinner and shall remain all night. To morrow we shall proceed but slowly. As I have missed the Post of this afternoon, and another does not happen until Monday it is probable this letter will not reach your hands in time. If the case however should be otherwise, and you have means to accomplish it, let me request you to provide for me as usual new Carpeting as will...
106From George Washington to Tobias Lear, 12 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
As I ride on matters occur to me and I shall take the chance of mentioning them to you before you may have left Philadelphia. A boat was bespoke, but no direction given either for the payment or mode of getting it round. My credit is at stake as it respects the first, and my interest as it regards the second, and I shall be obliged to you for seeing how both can be promoted. It is incumbent on...
107To George Washington from James McHenry, 9 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday after hearing councel the Senate expelled Mr Blount. Mr Tazewell voted against his expulsion upon very frivolous ground. The affair makes a good deal of noise I mean talk without the plot or project being understood. You will see by the inclosed reports to the President the further disclosure of French projects. It would seem as if nothing short of a dismemberment of the union, and...
108To George Washington from Alexander Spotswood, 23 June 1797 (Washington Papers)
Haveing already wrote you respecting your lands purchased of general Lee, Laying on Rough Creek—shall now only observe, that I arrived on them with the gentlemen, mutually chosen by Lee and myself, to Vallue the Same; on the 25 of may after traceing the lines so as to Keep us within the bounds of the two tracks; we proceeded to Traverse the Same, and found the two tracts to consist of as...
109William Thornton to GW, 8 October 1797 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: William Thornton to GW, 8 Oct. 1797. On 10 Oct. GW wrote Thornton : “Your favours of the 6th & 8th instant have both been received.”
110From George Washington to Ségur, 24 June 1797 (Washington Papers)
Apologies at best, are but indifferent things, although at times they are necessary. That is the case with me at present, for having suffered your obliging favour of the 4th of August last to remain so long unacknowledged, it is incumbent on me to assign the reasons for it now. The truth is, it was long on its passage, and arrived at a time when my official duties engrossed all my attention,...
111To George Washington from Battaile Muse, 6 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
My Father Sold me 2100 Acres Land Lying in the Knaway River—2000 of which was to be Conveyed by Colo. William Branaugh—which I am Told is done. As Far as I am informed I expect you may give up Colo. W. Branaughs His Bond that he gave you for the Conveyance of the 2000 acres Land as I have before wrote you—In the execution of the devetion of the Lands I expended 50/—which my Father Told me you...
112To George Washington from Israel Shreve, 30 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
I receivd a Letter from the Hon: James Ross dated at Philadelphia the 14th of Last month informing me that no money had been paid into the Bank of Pennsylvania, towards the Enstallment due to you the first of June Last, which gave me great pain, as I fully Expected the whole Sum was paid in, by a Mr Reuel Sayre & Isaac Sparks, Said Sayres, Brother & Sparks were in New Jersey and Engaged to pay...
113From George Washington to Tobias Lear, 10 November 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have received both of your letters dated yesterday; & thank you for the information given in them. If Mr Liston’s arrangement to proceed from Alexandria to this place by Water appeared to you to proceed from the want of Carriages (for I do not know in what manner he got to the City) say to him, that you are sure mine would attend upon him at any hour he wd name at that place, to bring as...
114From George Washington to George Lewis, 9 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 31st Ult. from Culpeper County, came to my hands late at night on the 5th instt; and the enclosure for your brother Fielding was sent to him early next morning. The melancholy occasion of your writing has filled me with inexpressable concern. The debt of nature however sooner or later must be paid by us all, and although the seperation from our nearest relatives is a heart...
115From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 31 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 25th was received by the last Post. Mr Monroe’s application is nothing more than a continuation of the old game, in a new form; and as I presume he means to play it with all the advantages that are to be derived from his auxiliaries here I will thank you for the whole of what will come before the public—now, or then, according to circumstances. I would thank you also for...
116From George Washington to Daniel McCarty, 13 November 1797 (Washington Papers)
Presuming from the tenor of your last letter, that there is no great probability of our meeting in the proposed exchange of lands—unless the difficulties which have occurred can be overcome—I should not have given you the trouble of receiving another letter from me on this subject, had it none been from an expectation that those who have applied to know the terms on which I would dispose of my...
117To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 26 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
Last evening I received from Mr John Parish, our former Consul at Hamburg, a letter dated the 3d of August, from which I transcribe the last paragraph, as follows. “Permit me, before concluding, to request that you will do me the honor of representing to General Washington, that an old servant of the United States would be happy to send from hence any thing which he may think will in the...
118From George Washington to Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 29 May 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 18th instant with its enclosures, and thank you for both. The President has, in my opinion, placed matters upon their true ground in his speech to Congress. The crisis calls for an unequivocal expression of the public mind, and the Speech will, mediately, or immediately, bring this about. Things ought not, indeed can not remain longer in their present state;...
119From George Washington to Henry Lee, Jr., 8 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 27th Ult. with its enclosures, came safe to hand. When the negociable note for $1000 is paid, and the 30 barrels of Corn are received, the amount of both will be carried to your credit. I am told that the present price of Wheat in Alexandria is 8/ but I can fix no price now for what may be delivered 2, 3, 4 or even 6 months hence, or, perhaps, not at all (if you depend upon...
120To George Washington from Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 31 May 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure to acknowledge your favour by the Alexandria mail of May 26th. On applying to the Bank of Pensylvania I was told that no monies had been lodged on your account, by Colo. Shreve or any other person—on shewing your Letter to Mr James Ross, he paid me on account of Colo. Ritchie 3409 20/100 Dollars which I now remit in four Treasury drafts on Mr Fitzgerald endorsed in your...