To George Washington from Gabriel Jones, 8 February 1796
From Gabriel Jones
Rockingham County [Va.] Febry 8th 96
Sir,
The only Apology I can make for the presumption of breaking in upon the most weighty affairs of Government, is, that the enclosed is of a publick nature, and comes from a Gentleman whose veracity I have a good opinion of, tho’ highly interested in the event of the subject he treats of. As to myself it is the reverse, faithfully assureing you, that I have not an inch of Land in the County of Augusta, or a shilling of property in the town of Staunton, but believeing the account Mr Steuart gives as far as my knowledge extends pretty accurate & just, I have been prevailed upon to forward it.1 Let me add, should your goodness condescend to take notice of their request, so far as they may partake of your bounty, you cannot bestow it upon men more deserving, I mean in a political sence. They are almost to a man staunch friends to the present Goverment, a late instance warrants this Assertion. When the Western expedition was annou[n]ced, they raised in & about Staunton, a troop of Horse, a Company of Riffle men, & another of Light infantry, and what added to the glorious sight, All Volunteer’s not a draft among them, marching in Uniform,2 in Short Sir, there is but one Scabby sheep among the whole flock, one that is largely indebted to British Merchants, and who would involve his Country in a War in hopes to extinguish his Debt, At present he is one of the Representatives of the County of Augusta, his name (William Bowyer) may be seen in the Majority of that ever memorable never to be forgotten Session of 95.3 permit me Great Sir, to join my Sincere wishes with the Good throughout the world, for your preservation and happiness, & to be with the most perfect esteem & duty, one of the most Affectionate of yr humble Servants
Gabriel Jones
ALS, DLC:GW. Gabriel Jones (1724–1806), a lawyer, represented Augusta County in the Virginia legislature, 1756–58 and 1769–71, and represented Rockingham County in 1783. He also represented Rockingham County at the convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788.
1. Jones enclosed Archibald Stuart’s letter to him of 28 Jan., in which Stuart discussed four places that had, he believed, applied to GW about the grant of James River Company stock to support a school. Stuart, who wrote from Staunton, preferred that town’s application and requested that Jones write to GW if he agreed. New London, Stuart claimed, was in unhealthy country and already convenient to Hampden Sydney, where the legislature had endowed a school. Charlottesville was “too much to the east,” in barren country, and sufficiently served by Richmond and Fredericksburg schools. Liberty Hall was too much the creation of the Rev. William Graham and thus too sectarian: “the same principles of biggotry which gave it birth are still predominant . . . . their regulations are too contracted & professedly framed to produce presbyterian clergymen rather than promote the general purposes of Education.” Moreover, their rector was “a violent Antifederalist censorious & Illiberal to the friends of the Government not even excepting” GW. Staunton, on the other hand, was a flourishing town in a healthy and central location. Although the town had appointed trustees for an academy, it was “alltogether without funds” to create it, so that GW could “literally … be the founder of the Institution” (DLC:GW).
2. The Virginia militia was called out to suppress the Whiskey Insurrection.
3. William Bowyer represented Augusta County in the Virginia General Assembly during the 1790, 1794, and 1795 sessions. At the 1795 session he voted to commend the Virginia senators for opposing the Jay Treaty ( 26–28).