To George Washington from Henry Hill, 22 June 1773
From Henry Hill
Philada 22d June 1773
Sir
I have perused the Letter you favor’d Mr Meredith with of the 17th and am obliged by your inclination to correspond with my partners at Madeira1—Altho’ it’s not usual to ship fine wine but for bills of Excha. I have inclosed a letter to the house requesting they wou’d comply with your orders for a few pipes of that quality for your own use & take the payment in flour as you propose2—It’s an article likely to answer your purpose as well as I can judge—I think if the quality is very good it will not clear less than 15 ⅌ Ct or more—& Corn as much—for the proceeds of the last your returns may be order’d in wines most salable with you of any denomination except particular.
In every part of the transaction at Madeira I have so much reliance on my partners’ skill & integrity that you may freely consider me as accountable to you for whatever ought to be expected from good factors.
You will please to insert in the Bill of Loading frt payable in wine of any kind except particular or Bill wine: and shou’d the owners be disengag’d to any house there I shall thankfully acknowlege your interposition to get the vessel & remainder of the Cargo consign’d to your frds which as a considerable shiper only you’ll have some right to apply for.3
Your Congratulations on my happy marriage are extremely acceptable to Mrs Hill4 who joins me in presenting our best respects to you & your’s—I am, Sir Your most obedt friend & Servt
Henry Hill
ALS, DLC:GW.
This letter from Henry Hill (1732–1798) of Philadelphia marks the beginning of GW’s long-term dealings with the firm of wine merchants, Lamar, Hill, Bisset, & Co., in which Hill was a partner. See, for instance, Lamar, Hill, Bisset, & Co. to GW, 22 Feb. 1774 and 22 June 1785.He had earlier ordered wine from Hill, Lamar & Hill, and probably an earlier partnership. See Hill, Lamar & Hill to GW, 28 Mar. 1760.
1. Letter not found. Presumably it was written to Reese Meredith in response to Meredith’s letter of 5 May.
2. For reference to the enclosed letter, see GW to Lamar, Hill, Bisset, & Co., 15 July 1773.
3. The vessel in which GW was to ship flour to the West Indies was the sloop Molly, captain Thomas Conway, owner Richard Conway of Alexandria. See GW to Thomas Newton, Jr., 10 July 1773.
4. Henry Hill was married to Ann Meredith Hill, daughter of Reese Meredith.