To George Washington from Craven Peyton, 28 November 1774
From Craven Peyton
Lee’sburg Novr 28. 1774
Sir
The bearer hereof Mr Richard Butcher wants to Sell his Bills of Exchange and to strengthen its Credit brought Mr Nurse’s Letter to me which I send you inclosed and Mr Humphrey Keyes proposes to endorse them. If you approve of the Bills for Colo. Fairfax and choose that his Money should be paid for them, I can answer your Order to Mr Butcher for Five Hundred Pounds Currency as will suit him, he not being in immediate want of all the Cash.1 I am Sir Yr Mo[s]t Humble Serv’t
Craven Peyton
ALS, ViMtvL.
1. A man named Richard Butcher was living in Berkeley County in 1782. James Nourse (1731–1784), an English emigrant, lived in Berkeley County about two miles from GW’s brother Samuel Washington. Humphrey Keyes (1721–1793) was the son of Gersham Keyes and lived on the west bank of the Shenandoah River at Keyes’s ferry. Nourse’s letter has not been found. Peyton was acting for GW in the management of George William Fairfax’s affairs. See Peyton to GW, 27 April 1774, and note 1.