Monday 26th. Thermometer at 63 in the Morning—62 at Noon and 60 at Night.
Clear day, and calm Morning but brisk wind afterwards from the No. West.
Went up to Alexandria to meet Colonels Gilpin & Fitzgerald on business of the Potomack Compa. Doctr. La Moyer, Mr. B. Bassett and G. A. Washington accompanied me the first of whom remained there. Dined at the New Tavern, kept by Mr. Lyle.
Brought home Mr. Thomas McCarty, with whom I had agreed to serve me in the capicity of a Ho[use] keeper—or Household Steward at Thirty pounds pr. Ann.
GW and the directors of the Potowmack Company ordered that 60 indentured servants be purchased in Philadelphia or Baltimore (, 78). new tavern: Capt. Henry Lyles (d. 1786) of Maryland had recently opened the commodious, three-story Alexandria Inn and Coffeehouse on the corner of Fairfax and Cameron streets. Lyles, who had served in the 3rd Maryland Regiment during the Revolution, also had a store on Fairfax Street near King Street (Va. Journal, 12 May and 29 Sept. 1785 and 18 May 1786).
Thomas McCarty was probably not related to GW’s close neighbor, Daniel McCarty. He worked for only a year at Mount Vernon and proved unsatisfactory as a steward (see 12 Aug. 1786).