To George Washington from Battaile Muse, 6 April 1797
From Battaile Muse
Berkeley Cy Marsh Farm
April 6th 1797
Honorable Sir,
My Father Sold me 2100 Acres Land Lying in the Knaway River—2000 of which was to be Conveyed by Colo. William Branaugh—which I am Told is done. As Far as I am informed I expect you may give up Colo. W. Branaughs His Bond that he gave you for the Conveyance of the 2000 acres Land as I have before wrote you—In the execution of the devetion of the Lands I expended 50/—which my Father Told me you were to Pay—Notwithstanding he had given up your Bond to pay expences1 I am Sir your Very Humble Servant
Battaile Muse
ALS, DLC:GW.
Battaile Muse, GW’s land, or rental, agent from 1785 until 1791, was the son of George Muse (1720–1790) who resigned his major’s commission with the Virginia forces after being accused of cowardice in the capitulation of Fort Necessity in 1754.
1. In the second distribution of land under the terms of Robert Dinwiddie’s Proclamation of 1754, George Muse and GW in November 1773 were jointly allotted a tract of 7,276 acres on the banks of the Great Kanawha, 3,323 of which was assigned to Muse. GW then bought 2,000 of the 6,000 acres on the opposite bank of the Great Kanawha allotted to William Bronaugh and got Muse to give up his claim to the 3,323 acres in their allotment in exchange for the 2,000 acres secured from Bronaugh and for other considerations. See particularly GW to Lord Dunmore and Council, c.3 Nov. 1773, and notes, William Crawford to GW, 15 Jan. 1774, n.2, George Muse to GW, 3 Mar. 1784, n.1, and GW to William Bronaugh, 18 Jan. 1775. William Bronaugh (d. 1800) after serving as a lieutenant in the Fort Necessity campaign became a captain in the Virginia Regiment formed in 1755 under GW’s command. He at this time was a successful planter in Loudoun County. For correspondence regarding the conveyance of William Bronaugh’s 2,000 acres, see GW to Battaile Muse, 6 April 1789, John William Bronaugh to GW, 18 Oct. 1795, 19 July 1796, 9 Aug. 1796, 7, 24 Oct. 1796, and GW to John William Bronaugh, 26 Oct. 1795, 28 Aug., 13 Nov. 1796.