Thursday 26th. Mercury at 65 in the Morning—68 at Noon and 67 at Night.
Wind Southerly and warm in the forenoon and till about 5 O’clock afternoon when Clouds to the westward arose attended With high wind from the No. West Which continued an hour or two & changed the temparature of the air remarkably.
Rid to Muddy hole and the Neck Plantations.
Upon my return found Mr. Magowan, and a Doctr. Coke & a Mr. Asbury here—the two last Methodest Preachers recommended by Genl. Roberdeau—the same who were expected yesterday.
Mrs. Stuart and Betcy & Patcy Custis accompanied by Fanny Basset set out for Abingdon after Breakfast and my Nephew G. A. Washington did the same for Richmond.
After Dinner Mr. Coke & Mr. Asbury went away.
Thomas Coke (1747–1814) and Francis Asbury (1745–1816) were sent to America by John Wesley as missionaries to superintend the Methodist movement in this country. Asbury came shortly before the Revolution and Coke in 1784. They were at Mount Vernon to ask GW to sign an antislavery petition which was to be presented to the Virginia legislature. Coke later wrote that GW informed them that “he was of our sentiments, and had signified his thoughts on the subject to most of the great men of the State: that he did not see it proper to sign the petition, but if the Assembly took it into consideration, would signify his sentiments to the Assembly by a letter” (, 98).