To George Washington from Thomas Hanson Marshall, 8 March 1770
From Thomas Hanson Marshall
March the 8th 1770
Sir
On my way to my Quarter on this side (this day) I observed several Valuable Trees &c. cut down Worked and Working up, on my Land; as thay are on that Part the Land we was on Making An Exchange, for the Same Quantity in Maryland,1 Induses me to Immagen, you miss apprehended me in my offer’s to you Relative to the same. Which I Remember well was neare as Followes, when I was at your House, I made this offer, that I would Exchange the Land I held Between the Mane Rode and Potomack River, for the same Quantity of Land (off Mr Alexanders) to be Laid off Sutable to my Plantation in Maryland, Provided I could have the same in Immediate Use, which was then Agreed to, Provided Mr Alexander could so Dispose the same; At Poseys sale You mentioned to me, you should be Glad to have that Matter setled Before you Went down the Cuntry, as you wanted (If the Exchange could be now made) to order sum Rales &ca cutt off the Part of Land, on which we Prevailed on Mr Alexander to cross the Rivr with me that Evining, in order to Look at the Land, and the Part I would Exchange for, which he did, thô then did not chuse to give Any Determined Answar, On my Seing You the Next Day (at the Sale) I acquanted you Therewith, on which you seemed still desirous of being in sum Sertenty before you Left home, I then tould you, Immagened i⟨t⟩ Would make Litle Differance, for as soon as Mr Alexander shou⟨ld⟩ agree to the Part I was to Take of his Land, I would then Ac⟨quant⟩ Mr Land Washington thereof, when he might Proceed as you ⟨should⟩ Instruct. I never could Get any Sertenty from Mr Alexand⟨er, Consequently⟩ could not give any such Information. Indeed on the first of Jany ⟨last I sent⟩ to Mr Alexander ⟨Pres⟩sing him to Let me be on sum Sertenty ⟨Inclosing him⟩ a Ruff Dr⟨aft of⟩ the Plat of h⟨is Lan⟩d Shewing the Part ⟨I would have⟩2 ⟨mutilated⟩ Would be made use of, until the Within Mentioned ⟨Proposal⟩ was Complyed with. However As I impute this affair to sum Miss apprehension, Hope You will order a Stop, to Any further Damage, & Make No Doubt but you will Likewise make Satisfaction for what is already dun.3 I am Sir Your Most Hble servt
Tho. Han. Marshall
ALS, DLC:GW. The manuscript is mutilated, and material in angle brackets is taken from , 3:369–71.
1. For GW’s negotiations with Marshall whereby GW sought to gain possession of Marshall’s land on Mount Vernon neck in exchange for land in Maryland that GW would acquire from Robert Alexander, see note in Marshall to GW, 18 June 1769.
2. Beginning at this point there are several lines in , 3:369–71, which do not now appear on the manuscript. The first page of the manuscript ends with, “the Part,” and the next page begins, “Would be made up of.” The bottom of the page is mutilated and has probably lost a bottom section. This conjecture is supported by the fact that the word “Virginia” is written at the bottom of the reverse side, indicating that the remainder of the address is also missing. The missing portion of the letter, supplied by Hamilton, presumably from the missing sections, reads: “Any Particular Part of the Land, I would ⟨mutilated⟩ Any Part for you, But think its out of my Power this Year ⟨mutilated⟩ it Before &c. The Reason Mr. Alexander Mention’s Peavock, (his ⟨mutilated⟩ I would have had, took from his Plantation, tho’, Let a Viny ⟨mutilated⟩ for his fence, However on the Rect of Mr Alexanders ⟨mutilated⟩ myself no farther Trouble, Not in the ⟨mutilated⟩ Suspecting, any ⟨mutilated⟩.
3. See GW’s response of 9 March.