15661[Diary entry: 27 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
27. Clear and pleasant forenoon. Cloudy afterwards with Snow in the Afternoon. Wind at No. East.
15662To George Washington from William Grayson, 27 December 1774 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of your favor of the 12th of this instant, soon after it was wrote; which I should have immediately answered; but never had it in my power to convene the independant Company, till yesterday when it appear’d that several of the soldiers had purchas’d muskets in the Country, and that some others had imploy’d our own gunsmiths to make them proper arms. The gentlemen of the company...
15663To George Washington from William Milnor, 27 December 1774 (Washington Papers)
I receivd your favour yesterday with your Order on Mr James Tilghman for £20.12.6 which I will deliver the first Oppertunity, & shall carefully comply with every request in your letter I have sent you herewith 7 pamphlets the Cost of the whole are six shills. which I have Charged to your Acct, the Drums &c. Comes in Capt. James Cobourn who sails from here, the latter end of this week, as he...
15664Franklin’s Proposals to Lord Howe for Resolving the Crisis, [between 28 and 31 December 1774] (Franklin Papers)
AD : Library of Congress On December 4 Franklin called on Mrs. Howe for their second session at chess. After they finished playing, their talk turned to politics and the chance of settling the American quarrel. He could do it himself, she was confident, if he were authorized. He agreed, provided that both sides wanted to settle; in that case two or three people could resolve the issues in half...
15665From John Adams to James Burgh, 28 December 1774 (Adams Papers)
I have had the Honour of receiving from you a most valuable desirable Present, in two Volumes of Political Disquisitions. The very polite and obliging manner, in which this Present was conveyed to me, demands my gratefull Acknowledgements: But the Present itself is invaluable. I cannot but think those Disquisitions, the best Service, that a Citizen, could render to his Country, at this great...
15666To Benjamin Franklin from John Fothergill, 28 [December 1774?] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Dr. Fothergill presents his respects to his Friend Dr. Franklin, and would be glad of the favour of his company this evening about 5 ’o clock, if the Drs. Engagements permit. Dr. Fothergill is so much engaged the rest of the day, as to put him under the necessity of fixing an hour, which he fears may be inconvenient to his Friend but cannot avoid it....
15667[Diary entry: 28 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
28. They went away again after Dinner and Mr. Robt. Graham came and stayed all Night. This was probably Robert Graham (1751–1821), son of John Graham of Graham Park near Dumfries, Prince William County. Robert succeeded his father as Prince William County clerk in 1777 ( HAYDEN Horace Edwin Hayden. Virginia Genealogies. A Genealogy of the Glassell Family of Scotland and Virginia, also of the...
15668[Diary entry: 28 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
28. Lowering, and Snowing now and then throughout the day. Wind abt. No. West but not very Cold.
15669To George Washington from James Stewart, 28 December 1774 (Washington Papers)
I hope you will excuse this Freedom after you have time to Consider the purport of this Letter— Being One of the Correspondent members of the Society for the encouragement of Arts Manufactorys and Commerce in London and by my own knowledge and their Assistance I have made myself master of the Agriculture and in making and manufactoring the Articles hereafter mention’d (First Woad in Latin...
15670[Diary entry: 29 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
29. Mr. Graham went away after breakfast. I contind. at home all day.
15671[Diary entry: 29 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
29th. Clear and tolerably moderate and pleasant notwithstanding the Wind was pretty fresh at So. Wt.
15672To George Washington from John Carlyle, 29 December 1774 (Washington Papers)
On my Looking over my Settlement with The Court I find it In March 1768 & the ballance then In my hands was £12. 19s. 6d. Curry Since In Augt 1769 Mrs Auge Washington gave an order Upon me to Mr Templeman for her Rent & I paid Mr Adams 60 Tobo Clarks fees—Since I have recoverd from Danl Lawrance A ballance that was due the Estate In Loudon Court of 7:15.6 which is All that I have to Settle...
15673From George Washington to William Milnor, 29 December 1774 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to William Milnor, 29 Dec. 1774. On 3 Jan. 1775 Milnor wrote GW : “Your favour 29th Ulto Came to hand last night.”
15674To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Cushing, [30 December 1774?] (Franklin Papers)
AL (fragment): American Philosophical Society [ First page or pages missing ] their Proceedings are Contained in the public Papers [?]. I have lately been favoured with a Copy of Lord Dartmouth’s circular Letter to the Governors of the respective Colonies upon this Continent, wherein he Informs them, that His Majesty has thought fit, by his order in Council of the 19th October 1774, to...
15675[Diary entry: 30 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
30. At home all day. In the Afternoon Genl. Lee, & Mr. Jno. Ballendine came here. Charles Lee (1731–1782) was a veteran English soldier, who, having recently embraced the American cause, was publicly defending the rights of the colonists and encouraging them to believe that they could successfully fight British or other professional troops if war came. A member of the English gentry by birth,...
15676[Diary entry: 30 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
30. Calm and exceeding pleasant—being clear in the forenoon. Somewhat lowering afterwards.
15677From George Washington to Walter Magowan, 30 December 1774 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Walter Magowan, 30 Dec. 1774. Magowan wrote GW on 3 Feb. 1775 that he had received “Yours of the 30th Decmr.”
15678[Diary entry: 31 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
31. At home all day. In the Afternoon Doctr. Craik came.
15679[Diary entry: 31 December 1774] (Washington Papers)
31. Clear but pretty cool. Wind fresh from No. West.
15680Notes for Books Borrowed from the Library Company of Philadelphia, [1775–76?] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society These two notes for borrowers from the Library Company demarcated the sheep from the goats. The sheep, who were the members, promised to pay for books not returned on time and in good condition; the goats put down a refundable deposit. The requirement of a promissory note from a member went back at least to 1732, and a note to accompany a nonmember’s deposit...
15681To Benjamin Franklin from Giambatista Beccaria, [1775–76] (Franklin Papers)
Incomplete draft: American Philosophical Society Illustrissimo Signor Signor Padrone mio Colendissimo. A quest’ora avrete ricevuto risposta alle vostre direttavi per mezzo [ blank in MS ] riceverete anche questa per l’istesso canale, e potrete rispondermi per il medesimo; che così La spesa sarà tutta addosso a me, e riceverò lettere sicuramente; perciocchè le due penultime vostre hanno tardato,...
15682[Novanglus Papers, 1774–1775] (Adams Papers)
Upon our Return to Massachusetts, I found myself elected by the Town of Braintree into the provincial Congress, and attended that Service as long as it sat. About this time, Drapers Paper in Boston swarmed with Writers, and among an immense quantity of meaner productions appeared a Writer under the Signature of Massachusettensis, suspected but never that I knew ascertained to be written by two...
15683Franklin’s Purported Answer to a Nobleman’s Question on the American Disputes, [1775] (Franklin Papers)
MS : Library of Congress This document, of unknown provenance and in an unknown hand, is among the papers of L. C. Henley-Smith. The only evidence of its authenticity is internal, but that evidence is strong. The format shows a verbal playfulness at which Franklin was adept, and the points attributed to him were ones that he repeatedly raised during his negotiations in London. We are strongly...
15684Proposed Preamble to a Congressional Resolution, [1775?] (Franklin Papers)
AD (incomplete draft): American Philosophical Society The nature of this fragment is clear enough: it is to introduce a resolution, undoubtedly by Congress, authorizing some action against the crown. But what action is impossible to say. The preamble was not adopted and hence not recorded in the Journals , and its language is too general to identify the measure it was intended to justify. One...
15685To George Washington from William Dodge, 1775 (Washington Papers)
[1775] . “Your Petitioner being a man in years and being One troubled With rhumatizm and Other Disorders and being A man of Poor Sircomstance and having a Weakly Wife and a large Familey of Small Children and therefore begs of your Excelency to Give Me a Dismission from the Army for I am Not Able to go thorough the Hardships of this Winter and in Granting the Petitioner his Request You Will...
15686To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 1775 (Washington Papers)
Convinced of the utility, the necessity, at all times, of a well disciplined militia, to every free state; when the united wisdom of the continent, referring to the contest with the parent kingdom, called on every colony to prepare for the most unhappy events; and the more immediate recommendations of our provincial congress demanded a diligent application to the military art; deeming the...
15687Memorandum Books, 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
Jan. 2. Elias Wells v. Higgins 2. Cav. v. Thompkins v. C. Tompkins. See Apr. 18. 1774. Pl. supposes are patd. If so dismiss Cav. (Those v. B. & C. Tompkins are patd. See Feb. 7. 1774.) 26. Robert Biscoe (Cumberland). Send him an opinion on the case of John Muse’s children to whom he is father in law. John Woodson (Cumberld.). Credit him for ferriages 8/6. Feb. 14. Biscoe. Committed opn. to...
15688[January 1775] (Washington Papers)
Jan. 1st. At home all day. Doctr. Craik went away after Breakfast. 2. Genl. Lee and myself rid up to Alexandria & returnd in the Afternoon. Mr. Richd. Washington went away after Dinner. 3. At home all day. 4. Genl. Lee went away after Breakfast. A Mr. Tarrant Breakfasted & Dined here. And Mr. & Mrs. Custis, & Miss Calvert came here in the Afternoon. Leonard Tarrant was visiting GW as a...
15689Acct. of the Weather in January [1775] (Washington Papers)
Jan. 1. Calm, clear, warm, & exceeding pleasant. 2. Very pleasant again, with but little Wind, and that Southerly. 3. Exceeding pleasant, being clear, warm, & Calm. 4. Just such a day as yesterday. 5. Very pleasant in the Morning, and calm. Towards Noon the wind sprung up Northerly, but neither cold or hard. 6. Calm & pleasant in the Morning, but Wind at No. Et. afterwards. 7. Calm & clear...
15690Cash Accounts, January 1775 (Washington Papers)
Cash [Jan.] 4— To Cash recd for 2403 lbs. of Midlings @ 12/6 & 10 Casks @ 1/6 [£] 15.15. 4 Contra Jany 2— By Cash for a yard of Cockade Ribbn 0. 1. 0 3— By Ditto paid Willm Stevens per Acct viz. £23.16.3 Maryd Curry equal to 19. 1. 0 4— By Ditto paid for 17 dozn pr plaid hose @ 10/ Sterg & 75 prCt & a Blankt 4/ 15. 4. 6 By 12 lbs. of Raisons 0. 9. 0 By 4 lb. of brown thread @ 4/ 0.16. 0 By...