To George Washington from Charles Carter, Jr., of Culpeper, 14 October 1793

From Charles Carter, Jr., of Culpeper

Fredericksburg [Va.] October 14th 1793

Dear Sir

The credit you gave me on the purchase of yr property in this place, expired last spring—It is a subject of great regret to me that any delay should have taken place in the fullfilment of my contract, tho’ I assure you that circumstances quite unforeseen by me, have occasion’d it1—I have made an advantageous sale of my property in this place, in which the lott bought from you is included & could wish that you would execute a deed to Mr Richard Dobson of Cumberland County, (Virginia) for it 2—I will deposit in yr hands (as a collateral security for the payment of yr money) a bond of General Weedon payable 1st of January 1795 for 432£, tho I am quite certain that I shall be able to make you complete payment in January next—I make you this offer of Genl Weedon’s bond, persuaded that it is equivalent to any personal security I could give you—Offer my compliments to Mrs Washington & believe me Most respectfully yrs

Chas Carter Junr

I will assign the bond & deliver it to Howell Lewis if agreable to you—C.C.

ALS, DLC:GW. Carter used the “Junior” to distinguish himself from his uncle, Charles Carter of Cleve.

1. Carter was referring to the double lot (107 and 108) in Fredericksburg on which GW’s mother had been housed and on which Carter had been living since 1790. Carter made some payments on his debt, but in 1794 GW forgave the remainder of the debt as a present to his niece and Carter’s wife, Betty Lewis Carter (GW to Carter, 29 May 1794).

2. Carter owned town lots 85 and 86 in Fredericksburg, which he conveyed to Richard Dobson in August 1793. Because the title for lots 107 and 108 was confused with the title for lots 111 and 113, which lots were recorded on the indenture for GW’s purchase of Fredericksburg lots from Fielding Lewis in 1761, the conveyance of lots 107 and 108 to Dobson was executed by a deed of 3 Feb. 1794 from John Lewis (heir and devisee of Fielding Lewis) and Mary Ann Lewis to Dobson, then of the city of Richmond (Cash Accounts, 1761, n.69, Papers, Colonial Series description begins W. W. Abbot et al., eds. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series. 10 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1983–95. description ends , 7:9–10; Crozier, Spotsylvania County description begins William Armstrong Crozier, ed. Spotsylvania County, 1721–1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators’ and Guardians’ Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. New York, 1905. description ends , 473–74). For the confusion, see Carter to GW, 14 May 1794; GW to Carter, 29 May 1794; and GW to John Lewis, 29 May 1794.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from Charles Carter, Jr., of Culpeper, 14 October 1793
Author: Carter, Charles Jr. (of Culpeper)
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 14 October 1793

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from Charles Carter, Jr., of Culpeper, 14 October 1793,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-14-02-0144. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 14, 1 September–31 December 1793, ed. David R. Hoth. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008, pp. 204–205.]