George Washington Papers

Cash Accounts, 31 July–17 September 1769

Cash Accounts

[31 July–17 September 1769]

Cash
Augt 21st— To Cash recd of Bryan Bruin for Rent of my Lott in Winchester1 [Blank]
Do— To Ditto Recd of the Revd Mr Sebastian on Acct of Intt due J.P. Custis2 £12. 0. 0
Contra
By Cash expended in my Trip to the Springs3 [Pa. Currency]
July 31— For Lin[e]n &ca for a Cot for Miss Custis 0.15. 0
Dinr &ca at Wm Car Lains 0. 7. 9
Augt 1— Lodging &ca at Mr Chs Wests 0.14. 4 1/2
Dinner &ca at Snickers 0. 7. 0
5— Ditto &ca on Opeckon 0. 6. 9
6— Lodging &ca at [Joshua] Hedges 0.11. 0
Dinner &ca at Herefords 0. 8. 0
Repairg Ho[use] & buildg an Arbr4 0.15. 0
Butchers Meat 4.15.11
Poultry, Eggs, & Milk 1. 0. 9
Butter 34 1/2 lbs. 1. 6. 5 1/2
Roots, Greens, & Fruit 1.18. 7 1/2
Baker, for Bread & Flour 4. 4. 8
 
Wood 0. 6. 8
Washing 1.18. 1 1/2
Smith 0. 3. 1 1/2
Paid Bathkeeper 1.10. 0
Oats & Pasturage for Horss.   8. 4. 1
26. 3. 5
deduct 25 prCt   5. 4. 8
[Va. Currency] 20.18. 9
Septr 9— By Dinner, Oats &ca at Morgans 0. 8. 6
Lodging &ca at Hedges5 0.12. 0
10— Feeding &ca on the Road 0. 8. 6
11— Oats &ca undr the Ridge at Snickrs 0. 8. 9
Lodging &ca at Chas Wests 0.14. 6
Dinner &ca at Carr Lains 0. 6. 7 1/2
By the Servts Expencs. with the Wagn 0. 6. 9
By Waggonage pr Settlemt with Vale Crawford £9.0.06
£27.14. 3
By Sundry other Sums expended at the Springs viz. In Charity at Sundry times 6. 0. 9 
Augt 13— Lent Captn Wm Crawford 4. 6. 0
15— 6 pr Worsted Hose 1. 1. 6
2 lb. Seneca Snake Root7 0. 3. 0
21— A Horse of Bryan Bruin 9. 0. 0
A Whetstone for J. P. Custis 0. 1. 0
25½ lb. of Cheese @ 6d. 0.12. 9
25— 3 dressd Deer skins 1 for J.P.C.8 1. 4. 0
1 Yard Gauze 0. 4. 0
Septr 1— 6 Bowls @ 6/—Servts 2/ 0. 8. 0
4— Hampshire Sheriff for Land Tax 0. 5. 0
8— A Horse Sadle & Bridle of Mr Meaze 20 Pistoles9 21.10. 0

AD, General Ledger A description begins General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 292, 295.

1In his account with his old friend and fellow officer Charles Smith, GW has this undated entry: “To Rent recd for the use of the above House of Bryan Bruin,” to which he added the words “none it seems” (General Ledger A description begins General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 177). The “house” referred to here was probably a blacksmith shop which stood on the property. For further information about GW’s lot in Winchester, see Garland R. Quarles, “George Washington and Winchester, Virginia, 1748–1758,” Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Papers description begins Garland R. Quarles. George Washington and Winchester, Virginia, 1748–1758: A Decade of Preparation for Responsibilities to Come. Winchester, Va., 1974. In Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Papers, vol. 8. description ends , 8 (1974), 28–29.

3Of his expenses listed here for his trip, GW charged £27.14.3 (£36.14.3 Maryland currency) to the account of Martha Parke Custis, his ward. In his account with her, he lists as charges all of the entries in this cash account through the one recording payment of £9 to Valentine Crawford. He writes at the head of this account with Patsy Custis: “To the Expences of a Journey to the Fredk Springs in Augt 1769. Undertaken solely on her Acct to try (by the advice of her Physician) the effect of the Waters on her Complaint” (AD, ViHi: Custis Papers; see also CD-ROM:GW). On 30 July, the day before he left Mount Vernon (the date is taken from Fitzpatrick, Writings of Washington description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed. The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799. 39 vols. Washington, D.C., 1931–44. description ends , 37:489), GW made a list of the clothes that he was taking to the Springs: “Blew Coat, Buff Vest & Breeches, 1 pair Nankeen Breech, Old riding Do, 2 White-Vests, 1 worked Nank[ee]n do, 3 pair drawers, 9 Shirts, 9 Stocks, 5 White, 5 Silk Handkerchfs, 1 pair Boot, 2 pair Shoe Stockings, Shoes, Slippers, Buckles, Dressing gown, Razors &ca &ca. The above is besides what I have on” (AD, Wurtembergisches Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart, West Germany). Commas have been inserted.

4GW and his party stayed at Warner Washington’s new house near Edward Snickers’s ordinary from 1 through 4 August. They spent the next night at Joshua Hedges’s house, reaching Warm Springs at “about One Oclock” on the sixth in time to have dinner with George William Fairfax (Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 2:173–74). The “Ho[use]” belonged to either George or James Mercer.

5GW recorded that on 9 Sept. he “Set out on my return home about 8 Oclock but broke the Chariot & made it 11. before we got a Mile. Reachd Joshua Hedges” (ibid., 180).

6Valentine Crawford hauled the Washingtons’ baggage back to Mount Vernon.

7Senega root was a North American milkwort (Polygala senega) used as a remedy for snakebites.

8The deerskin for John Parke Custis was “to make Breeches for his Servt.” See Guardian Accounts, 1 May 1771.

9Robert Mease (or Maze; d. 1803), a merchant in Alexandria, also visited Warm Springs in August and September.

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