To George Washington from Thomas Newton, Jr., 9 June 1795
From Thomas Newton, Jr.
Norfolk [Va.] June 9th 1795.
Sir
Your favor of the 24th Ulto I received & have made enquiry after the plants they are not yet arived, I am inform’d shou’d they come in I will take care of them & send them to Mount Vernon.1 I have no hopes of ever getting in the debts due you from Jno. Smith, Willis Pugh & Goodrich Boush, they lost their property during the war & I loose by Smith & Boush 500£ at least. Messrs Phripp & Bowdoin & Phripps debts I expect to get the affairs of those are yet unsettled.2 on examining my accts I find £36 is charged in Novr 1773 which if right is omitted in the acct I sent you3 when time & oppertunity serves be pleased to examine. it will ever give me pleasure to render any services to you here & beg you’l command me whenever you may have occassion. this place is growing fast & of consequence in trade & whenever the canal is finished it will have great advantages as ten miles land Carriage communicates with the Yadkin above the falls which I am told cannot be made passable & above is fine navigation for a long distance, the high price of labourers retards the work much, but I have hopes in two or three years it be open about half I expect will be dug by ⟨Xmas⟩ the bottom is firm & good & the earth fine. I am with the greatest respect Yr Obt Servt
Thos Newton
I never cou’d find out who collects Balfour & Barauds debts, large sums must be owing them here-abouts.4
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. For GW’s letter to Newton of 24 May, see GW to Fairlie Christie, 25 May, n.2. For the plants, see Christie to GW, 25 March.
2. The partners in the Norfolk firm of Phripp, Bowdoin, & Phripp were John Phripp, Preeson Bowdoin, and Matthew Phripp (d. 1780).
3. Newton may be referring to the account that he sent with his letter to GW of 27 April 1785; neither the letter nor the account has been found (see GW to Newton, 3 Sept. 1785, in 3:225–28).
4. For GW’s efforts to collect the prewar debt of Balfour & Barraud Co., see GW to Newton, 3 Sept. 1785, and n.4, in 3:225–28.
James Balfour and Daniel Barraud, both dead by 1795, had been merchants in Norfolk.