GW did more than “attend” the sale; he was in charge of the auctions to settle the estate of James Mercer’s brother George. Francis Peyton, son of Valentine Peyton, was a justice and burgess for Loudoun County. Peyton accompanied GW to the sale the next day (GW to John Tayloe, 11 Dec. 1775, WRITINGS description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed. The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799. 39 vols. Washington, D.C., 1931–44. description ends , 37:515).