271From George Washington to William Thornton, 26 November 1799 (Washington Papers)
For, and on account of Mr Blagden, I enclose you a Post note of the Bank of Columbia, for ninety three dollars forty three cents, and a check on the Bank of Alexandria for nine hundred and six dollars and fifty seven cents. Together, amounting to one thousand dollars, requested by Mr Blagden. With esteem and regard I am Dear Sir Your Obedt Humble Servt Let me request the favour of you to...
272From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 15 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 8th instt conveys very pleasing information, and I feel obliged by the communication. Although you did not give your letter the stamp of privacy, I did not think myself at liberty to mention the purport of it to some good Federal characters who were dining with me at the time I received it, and who would have thought it the best Desert I could have offered. Hence forward, I...
273From George Washington to William Herbert, 25 June 1799 (Washington Papers)
In expectation of receiving considerable sums of money for Lands sold for the express purpose of raising it, I have (being able hitherto to get along without it) forborne to apply to the Bank for aid. But out of $15,000 which ought to have been paid by the first of June 1798, and nearly the same sum this month for Lands, sold by me I have recd $1700 only. This disappointment, and calls upon me...
274From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 8 June 1797 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed is the Power of Attorney (you sent me) executed before, and authenticated by a Notary public in Alexandria. Let me request ⟨the favor⟩ of you to inform Mr A⟨itkens Cabinet⟩ maker in Chestnut Street, ⟨that no Key⟩ came for the upper part of ⟨the Secreta⟩ry (writing desk) he sent me⟨; and that⟩ part of one of the side Tables ⟨also⟩ wanted a key. Whether it is in his power now to remedy...
275From George Washington to James McHenry, 16 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter from Major Lawrence Lewis requires explanation, and it is the purpose of this letter to give it. He had, it seems, been making Overtures of Marriage to Miss Custis some time previous to the formation of the Augmented Corps in November last, at Philadelphia; without any apparent impression, until she found he was arranged as a Captain in the Regiment of Light Dragoons, and...
276From George Washington to Anthony Heusler, 18 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
I should have written to you at an earlier period, but for the following reasons. First, because as I informed you, I had written to Scotland for a complete Gardner under Indentures; and expected every day to learn the result of my application. I could not therefore, enter into engagements with another without hazarding a disappointment to one of the parties, or a surplusage of men in that...
277From George Washington to James McHenry, 1 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
You will be at no loss to perceive, from my private letter to you of the 16th ulto, extracts from which you sent to the President of the United States; and from my representation to him, dated the 25th following, the rough draught of wch was enclosed in my last, what my determination is, if he perseveres in his Resolution to change the order of the Major Generals, and to disregard the...
278From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 4 January 1799 (Washington Papers)
If you should have conceived, that the letters I have written to you since my retirement from the Chair of Government, worth the room they would take up in your Beaureau; and can readily lay your hands upon one written on the 6th of February in the past year, I would thank you for a copy of the last page thereof. A Press copy was taken of that letter; and all of it, except the last page,...
279From George Washington to William Hayward Foote, 7 June 1799 (Washington Papers)
In searching old Memos., I found notes of which the enclosed is a Copy. I was uncertain at the time of running the meanders of the run, on which side the body of the water went, of course, as the Run is the boundary, it was then, and still may be, uncertain, to whom the Island belongs. But if my memory serves me, I think it was claimed by George Ashford; and the courses will, I believe,...
280From George Washington to Thomas Law, 21 September 1799 (Washington Papers)
In acknowledging the receipt of your note—which came to hand two days since, without date—I shall only observe, that whenever it suits the convenience of yourself & Mrs Law to visit Mount Vernon, we shall be happy in seeing you. I had a desire (not a strong one) to possess the corner lot belonging to Mr Carroll on New Jersey Avenue, merely on account of its local situation; but have...
281From George Washington to Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 17 December 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 24th Ulto has been duly received; but one cause or another has prevented the acknowledgment until now, when I thank you for the Presidents Speech which it enclosed, and your obliging offer to render me any services I might need, in Phila. One reason why I did not sooner notice the offer of a Mr Barker—to pay you on my A/c $500 in behalf of Colonl Shreve, was my expectation...
282From George Washington to Roger West, 23 April 1799 (Washington Papers)
I will answer the queries contained in your letter of this date, to the best of my recollection. In the morning visit you did me the honor to make, sometime last Autumn, at which you delivered me a letter from Colo. Hooe, intimating your desire to engage in the Military Service of our Country, I understood, from the conversation that passed on that occasion, that your object was to enter into...
283From George Washington to John William Bronaugh, 11 July 1797 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed you will receive a copy of the courses and distances of my tract of 7276 acres of Land on the Great Kanhawa, adjoining Poketallico Creek. I am obliged to you for giving me the offer of 2000 Acres of your Land in that quarter, but my own want of money induced me to sell two tracts of near 5000 Acres in the Counties of Washington and Fayette in the State of Pennsylvania for much less...
284From George Washington to Doddridge Pitt Chichester and Daniel McCarty Chichester, 25 April 1799 (Washington Papers)
I shall be obliged to you, or either of you, who may be in the practice of hunting, or driving Deer on my land, for desisting from that practice. My Lands have been Posted, according to Law, many years; and never has, nor while I possess them, will be revoked. Besides this, in order to have the notification better understood by those who bordered on me, I had (as you will perceive by the...
285From George Washington to Thomas Peter, 28 August 1798 (Washington Papers)
Just as I was on the point of sending the letter which covers this note, to the Post Office, Mr Law came in; I therefore detained it, for his conveyance; & hearing of some very extravagant—indeed almost incredible prices of Tobacco shipped to London (for instance three hundred & ninety odd pounds paid for five hogsheads) I have been disposed if my Six hogsheads (when the last is made of sufft...
286To Alexander Hamilton from George Washington, 25 February 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I have been duly favoured with your letter of the 15th instant. When the disposition was contemplated for assigning to Major General Pinckney and to yourself your respective districts of superintendence, I was of opinion (as you will see by the enclosed copy of a letter which I wrote to the Secretary of War on my way from Philadelphia to this place) that the whole of General Wilkinson’s...
287From George Washington to Charles Carter, Jr., 26 June 1797 (Washington Papers)
When you informed me that Mr Booker was erecting a threshing machine for some Gentleman in your neighbourhood, I expressed a wish that he would come hither; but intended before we parted to have been more pointed in my request on this head; but your trip to the Federal City and early departure the morning after you returned, were the occasions of my forgetting to do so. Let me now ask the...
288From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 10 January 1798 (Washington Papers)
By leaving the enclosed letter to Mr Kitt (who was my household Steward in Philadelphia) open for your perusal, it supercedes the necessity of my saying more on the subject than to beg your attention to, and aid in the measure which is requested therein. Mr Kitt lives, I believe, at the United States Bank, and if not, Mr Wolcot, I am persuaded can inform you of the place of his residence. Pray...
289From George Washington to Benjamin Dulany, 15 July 1799 (Washington Papers)
As I grow no Tobacco, and probably never shall, I have it in contemplation to make some material changes in the œconomy of my Farms. To accomplish this object, a reduction of the present force on them is necessary; of course, the means by which it is to be effected, must have undergone consideration. Presuming then that it might be agreeable to Mrs French—or to you—to whom they will ultimately...
290From George Washington to William Thornton, 10 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favours of the 6th & 8th instant have both been received, and I pray you to accept my best thanks for the rare & valuable present you have made me. Being the produce of your own Estate renders it more acceptable, and nothing will add more to the go’vt of it, than your coming sometimes to parcipitate in the taste—fog, or no fog. I have no doubt but that the section of Square No. 21 is...
291From George Washington to Samuel Washington, 31 January 1799 (Washington Papers)
Into what channel you put your letter of the 7th of November—is not for me to say, but this I can add, that it never came to my hands until the 13 th Instant; when, if you had put it into any Post-Office, it would have been received at this place in three or four days, and whilst I was in Philadelphia in three or four days more. It is of little avail, to investigate now, what has produced the...
292From George Washington to Hugh West, 11 April 1798 (Washington Papers)
In reply to your letter of this date, I inform you that when I left the Chair of Government, I resolved not to intermeddle in any appointments which should take place by vacancies, in offices, thereafter. From this determination I have not departed in any instance, although sollicited for recommendations in an hundred. If the certificate of your good behaviour (while you wrote in my Office in...
293From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 4 August 1797 (Washington Papers)
In a late letter from the Attorney General (Lee) he has requested a copy of the opinion he gave relative to the recall of Mr Monroe. Among the Packages most likely (as I conceived) to produce it, I have searched for the Original in vain; nor among these do I find the opinions of the Heads of Departments on various other subjects. How to account for this I am unable, unless the bundle...
294From George Washington to Zechariah Lewis, 30 August 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 15th instant accompanying the Oration of the Honble Mr Daggett, and that delivered by yourself, have been duly received, and read with pleasure. For your polite attention in sending them to me, I pray you to accept the thanks of Revd Sir Your Most obedient Humble Servt ALS (photocopy), DLC:GW . Letter not found. David Daggett (1764–1851), a staunch Connecticut Federalist,...
295From George Washington to Thomas Attwood Digges, 31 August 1799 (Washington Papers)
Genl Washington presents his compliments to Mr Digges, and will, with pleasure, exchange 20 bushels of the early white wheat with him when he gets it out of the straw; which is not the case at present—nor can be until the latter end of next week or beginning of the week following: which would be full early for sowing that kind of Wheat—Indeed any time in September is in good season. The...
296From George Washington to Benjamin Lincoln, 17 March 1799 (Washington Papers)
I have been induced (in convenient as it is to my Finances) to build two houses in the Federal City—near the Capital—to accomodate a person who means to lay himself out for the accomodation of the members of Congress; when that body shall have removed to the permanent Seat of the Government. For those buildings I shall want Glass, in quantity, quality & size, as per enclosed list; and being...
297From George Washington to James McHenry, 28 January 1798 (Washington Papers)
Knowing that the War Office has an Agency in the Western Lands, I take the liberty of putting the enclosed letters to General Putnam and Colo. Sargent under cover to you, open. By doing so, it supercedes the necessity of a repetition of what is therein mentioned. Another reason for giving you this trouble, is, that if Mr Massey is a Surveyor in the Northwestern Territory, it is highly probable...
298From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 28 May 1798 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed you will receive my Power of Attorney to sell the sum of three thousand four hundred and ninety four dollars and thirty one cents, Six pr Cent stock of the United States, which stands in my name on the Books in Philadelphia, and also the certificate of sd Stock. This ⟨stock⟩ is loaned by me for the use of the Potomack Company, and in the application thereof you ⟨will be⟩ pleased to...
299From George Washington to James McHenry, 10 August 1798 (Washington Papers)
The letter from Mr Ames to Mr Bent, containing further evidence to his good character, I send. The other letter from Mr Carter (who married a Niece of mine) though private, I send also but request it may b⟨e⟩ returned; what he says of a cert⟨ain⟩ character—may be treasured up, but reported as coming from him. His brother is an utter stranger to me, and therefore I can add nothing to what he...
300From George Washington to Frederick Kitt, 29 January 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 15th instant has been duly received, and we were glad to hear that you & Mrs Kitt were well, and had escaped the malady with which the City has been afflicted. But sorry to be informed that two, who had been my domestics, had fallen victims to it. Continue your enquiries, I pray you, after Herculas; and if you should find it necessary, hire some one who is most likely to be...
301From George Washington to Samuel Sommers, 28 November 1799 (Washington Papers)
Colo. Little forwarded your letter of the 25th instant to me, yesterday evening; & I have now to request (if it is not already done) that my Entry may be made in the County Surveyors Book of Record, and the Treasury Warrant deposited therewith. Not having the Laws of this Commonwealth (since the Revolution) by me, I am entirely unacquainted with the regular mode of proceeding with respect to...
302From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 12 August 1798 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 7th instant, giving an extract of Mr Nicholas’s letter to you. With respect to the request contained in it, I leave the matter entirely to his own discretion with your advice to advance, or halt, according to the tenableness of his ground, & circumstances. If he could prove, indubitably, that the letter addressed to me, with the signature of Jno. Langhorne,...
303From George Washington to Daniel Jenifer, Jr., 7 June 1797 (Washington Papers)
A person of the name of Perry called upon me yesterday concerning the exchange mentioned in the enclosed letter, and seemed very desirous of effecting it. I told him that whatever Mr Craik had done, or should do respecting it, I would abide by; or as his return from Congress must be uncertain as to time, if you were acquainted with the circumstances of this case (which indeed is more than I...
304From George Washington to Thomas Law, 17 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
Knowing that Nelly Custis had announced her intended Marriage to her Sisters; informed them of the day on which it was to be celebrated; and invited their presence at the Ceremony; I have given no particular invitations. But lest Mrs Law and yourself should require something more formal than an Invitation from the Bride Elect, I inform you that Friday next is to make her and Lewis one flesh &...
305From George Washington to Augustine Davis, Matthew Brown, and Leonard Yundt, 20 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
Be pleased to insert the enclosed advertisement four times in your Paper with proper intervals between —and consider me as a Subscriber to it from the first of next Month at which time you will begin to forward them to Sir Your Very Hble Servt ALS (letterpress copy), NN : Washington Papers. Augustine Davis had been editor of the Virginia Gazette, and General Advertiser in Richmond since 1790....
306From George Washington to James Ross, 1 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
You will perceive by the enclosed letters, left open for your perusal, the delinquency of Colo. Shreve, and my determination to enforce payment of the Instalment of his judgment Bond, the 1st of June last. Whether, as the Bond was deposited in the Bank of Pennsylvania for collection, it rests with me to draw it from thence for the purpose of putting it in Suit—or for them to order it—your...
307From George Washington to David Stuart, 4 January 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of this date is just received; and the cause why I did not hear from you by the return of my Carriage, was conjectured, as you will perceive by a letter I wrote to you yesterday (covering one from Mrs Washington to Nelly) and sent to the Post Office in Alexandria for conveyance by the Mail. I do not, myself believe, that there will be a call of the augmented Troops to the Field of...
308From George Washington to Burgess Ball, 22 September 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 16th instt has been received, informing me of the death of my brother. The death of near relations, always produce awful, and affecting emotions, under whatsoever circumstances it may happen. That of my brother’s, has been so long expected, and his latter days so uncomfortable to himself, must have prepared all around him for the stroke; though painful in the effect. I was...
309To Alexander Hamilton from George Washington, 14 August 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Enclosed are sundry letters (as mentioned on the other side) which have come to my hands, recommending Captain Edmund Taylor and Captain William K. Blue for the Office of Brigade Inspector. As this Officer is to be appointed by the Inspector General I forward these letters for your consideration; and add, that I have not a personal knowledge of the Gentlemen recommended which can enable me to...
310From George Washington to Charles Carroll, Jr., 13 December 1798 (Washington Papers)
Mr McHenry—Secretary of War—communicated to me your wish to receive an Appointment in the Corps of Light Dragoons, about to be raised. Conceiving that the inducement to this application could be no other than a laudable zeal to serve your Country, and a desire to set an example to the young Gentlemen of family & fortune in it, which, undoubtedly would be attended with a happy effect; I...
311From George Washington to James McHenry, 7 April 1799 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed are two letters of application for Appointments in the Army of the United States—One from Genl Morgan covering a letter from Capt. A. C. Randolph applying for an office in the Cavalry instead of the Infantry where you will find him among the newly appointed Captains. I have little or no personal knowledge of Capt. Randolph; but from the manner in which Genl Morgan speaks of him, and...
312From George Washington to Thomas Peter, 20 June 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 14th with the money, Tobacco notes & A/c from Colo. Deakins, came safe; but not ’till yesterday. I will endeavour to recollect that I stand indebted to you for change—but it is more your interest than mine that it should not be forgotten. Be so good as to let me know if the two Tobacco notes would sell in George Town, & at what for Cash, or on credit of 60 or 90 days?...
313From George Washington to Tobias Lear, 30 August 1798 (Washington Papers)
I have, at length, received the President’s answer (through the Secretary of War) to my request to be allowed a Secretary, who gives it as his opinion that I have an undoubted right to one, or all of my military family, if I find it convenient, and that their pay &c. will be allowed. And the Secretary having thrown a mass of Papers upon me which I have not looked into (being this moment...
314From George Washington to Richard Peters, 26 June 1797 (Washington Papers)
Until last week, I had no suspicion that the Hessian fly was among my Wheat; but upon examination I found there were many. They have come too late, this year, however, to do me much damage; but as I view them as the harbingers of those who will visit me next year, I would guard, as far as it may be in my power, against the threatned evil. Permit me therefore to ask, if from your own...
315From George Washington to Frederick Kitt, 10 January 1798 (Washington Papers)
We have never heard of Herculas our Cook since he left this; but little doubt remains in my mind of his having gone to Philadelphia, and may yet be found there, if proper measures were employed to discover (unsuspectedly, so as not to alarm him) where his haunts are. If you could accomplish this for me, it would render me an acceptable service as I neither have, nor can get a good Cook to...
316From George Washington to William Roberts, 17 July 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 12th instant is received, and I am obliged to you for the advice respecting the management of the flour I had on hand; which however, is less necessary now, as I have disposed of it all. I should be glad to render you any consistent Service in my power, but must decline writing to the Gentleman you have mentioned, on the subject proposed; first, because I am entirely...
317From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 15 October 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 28th ulto has been received, and I sincerely regret the continuance of the malady which afflicts the City of Philadelphia, and other Seaport Towns; but hope the frosts which we have lately had, & the approaching cold, will eradicate the disorder. The Season rendering the Room for which I wanted a stove in a manner useless for the purpose it was designed without one, I have...
318From George Washington to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 17 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 15th, enclosing Mr Blagdens statement, relative to my proposed buildings, did not reach my hands until last night. He has not accompanied this Statement with Specific prices; nor has it altered my opinion of the unreasonableness of the former estimates of some of its parts. But being desirous of closing the matter with Mr Blagden some way, or other, I make him the following...
319From George Washington to William Thornton, 30 January 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 28th instant, enclosing Deeds for my Lots in the Federal City—and Messrs Blagden & Lenthals estimate and drawing of the Windows—dressed in the manner proposed—came to my hands yesterday. The drawing sent, gives a much handsomer appearance to the Windows than the original design did; and I am more disposed to encounter the difference of expence, than to lessen the exterior...
320From George Washington to Stephen Milburn, 15 May 1797 (Washington Papers)
Having in a great measure given up the idea of Renting my Farms (from an apprehension that I could not dispose of the whole of them, & that unless I did this my objects wd not be answered) I was not as explicit as I might have been in my answers to some of the questions you asked on friday last. Revolving on the matter since, & believing if I wait until an offer is made for the whole—I may not...