To George Washington from Walter Magowan, 3 February 1775
From Walter Magowan
St James’s 3d Feby 1775
Sir
Yours of the 30th Decmr I received the 15th Ult: and should have sent the inclosed sooner, had I not expected to have received the Cash for the Tickets sold by me; it is not in my power at present to advise you of the names of those who had them, because the Gentlmn to whom I delivered them sold them out afterwards, but shall ascertain them by the time that I come over to see you which shall be soon. I have inclosed two Orders one on Mr Ross, the other on Mr Gibson, being apprehensive that Mr Ross may be out of the way, as I have not heard from him for three months past; by Mr Ross’s advertisement, the Debts contracted by him on Accot of the Company are to be discharged by Mr Gibson, who I hope will accept my Order, in case of his Absence.1
I hope you’ll be kind enough to excuse my troubling you with the Order, which I wou’d not have done, if I had the Money by me. With my Compts to your Lady, to Mr & Mrs Custis, I am Sir your Much obliged Hble Servt
Walter Magowan
ALS, DLC:GW. Magowan was rector of St. James, or Herring Bay, Parish, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
1. Magowan is writing about the twelve tickets in Lord Stirling’s lottery which he obtained from GW to sell in Maryland. See Magowan to GW, 9 May 1773, and Stirling to GW, 31 Oct. 1774, n.1. GW recorded in , 83, Magowan’s payment of £36, the price of the twelve tickets. For one of the purchasers of Magowan’s twelve tickets, see Alexander Hamilton Smith to GW, 31 Mar. 1775. Mr. Gibson was John Gibson of Colchester, who was a factor for the Scottish firm of Oswald & Denniston, first at Aquia and then at Colchester in the place of Hector Ross. Gibson later served in several regiments during the Revolution, reaching the rank of colonel. Hector Ross placed an advertisement in Pinkney’s Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg) on 17 Nov. 1774 stating that John Gibson had taken over for him at Colchester in January of that year and that any claims against him would be handled by Gibson. Magowan’s order for £120 on John Gibson dated 3 Feb. 1775 is in DLC:GW.