George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Gilbert Simpson, 31 August 1773

From Gilbert Simpson

Loudoun August the 31: 1773

Sr

Wth the almightys permission I Will do my Endevour To see your Land Tax discharged before the Last of next Week from this date and Sr I hope To see you before you go to Willamsburg1 but For Feare any Thing Should happen That I Could not Com inn as soon as I hope To do I Beg the Favour of you To Leve all That is To be don With Mr Lum Washington Which is one good Stanch Negrow Fellow That understands how To work With horsses and other plantation business and one youngish Negro Woman and money To Carrey on your Mill For if the Mill Should not be begun This Fall The provisions must Cheifly be Laid in This Fal Whil it is To be had For I inten To have her begun Early in the Spring provided I Cant begin This Fal Which I Would do With all my heart but I am affrade it Will [be] Late before I Can moove my Family2 out heare is one Joseph Croos Who says he has don sum Work at your Mill and says your Miller knows him perfectly Well and he is Said To be an Exstronery Mill Right and is at work on a Mill For Mr Simon Triplet at This Time Who Gives him a dollar a day and alows that he is very Worthy of his higher and the said Croos says he Will undertak To buld your Mill if he and I Could agree and I Told him that I would Give him and answer after I saw you again So Sr I Would be Glad you inQuire of your Miller and by that means you Would Likely Find out his workmanship as I Expect the Miller is a Good Judg of Mill work.3 Sr I send you inClosd the vallwe of my horse and Gun and Remains your humble Ser. To Commd

Gilbt Simpson

ALS, DLC:GW.

1GW did not go to Williamsburg until late October, but there is no evidence that Simpson saw GW at this time or that they met again until GW went up to Washington’s Bottom in 1784. Simpson did, however, take back to William Crawford the money to pay the land tax on Washington’s Bottom (see Simpson to GW, 1 Oct.).

2GW’s partnership account in General Ledger B description begins General Ledger B, 1772–1793. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 87, shows GW giving Simpson £6 in cash on 16 Aug. but nothing else until 19 Oct., probably after receiving Simpson’s letter from Washington’s Bottom of 1 October.

3Simon Triplett had an ordinary at Newgate in Fairfax County. Joseph Croos has not been identified.

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