51From George Washington to William Pearce, 6 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter & Reports of the 1st instant I have received, and am glad to find by the first that you have got your family safe to Mount Vernon; as, unquestionably, it will be a satisfaction to you to have them along with you. Change of Air may, and I hope will, restore your eldest daughter to health again. I had no doubt but that the late capture of our Vessels by the British Cruisers, followed...
52To George Washington from William Pearce, 9 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from William Pearce, 9 April 1794. GW wrote Pearce on 13 April that “your letter of the 9th instt (which with the weekly reports) have been duly received.”
53From George Washington to William Pearce, 13 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
By your letter of the 9th instt (which with the weekly reports) have been duly received, I find you wish to open a communication between the lower rooms, in what is called the Servants Hall, and to make a closet therein: against the latter I have no objection at all—nor against the first provided the doing it does not cut away a brace, and thereby weaken the house. If the chimneys project into...
54To George Washington from William Pearce, 15 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from William Pearce, 15 April 1794. GW wrote Pearce on 20 April acknowledging receipt of “Your letter of the 15th, with the weekly reports.”
55From George Washington to William Pearce, 20 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 15th, with the weekly reports, came to hand as usual, yesterday. I was sorry to learn by the first that you had been unwell. It is almost impossible for me to say, with exactness, what I owe the Estate of Mr Anthony Whitting, because his accounts do not appear to have been regularly kept, but rather in detached Memms. More than his wages from the first of Jany until the day...
56To George Washington from William Pearce, 22 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from William Pearce, 22 April 1794. GW wrote Pearce on 27 April that “Your letter of the 22d instant with its enclosures came duly to hand.”
57From George Washington to William Pearce, 27 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 22d instant with its enclosures came duly to hand. Thomas Green’s account of the dimensions of the Rooms in my house in Alexandria, is so confused & perplexed, that I can make neither head nor tail of it. The length, breadth & height of each, with the distance from the washboard to the Chairboard, & the number of doors & windows in each room, was all I wanted; instead of...
58To George Washington from William Pearce, 29 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from William Pearce, 29 April 1794. GW wrote Pearce on 4 May that “Your letter of the 29th ulto, and the reports which were enclosed, came duly to hand.”
59From George Washington to William Pearce, 4 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 29th ulto, and the reports which were enclosed, came duly to hand. I am sorry to find by the first that the Ship Peggy had not then arrived at George Town, from London. I fear the White thorn Plants (5,000 in number) which I have on board, together with Mr Lears fruit Trees, will suffer very much, if they are not entirely destroyed; by the advanced season. Let the ground...
60To George Washington from William Pearce, 6 May 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 6 May 1794. On 11 May, GW wrote Pearce : "The Weekly reports enclosed in your letter of the 6th instant, have been duly received."
61From George Washington to William Pearce, 11 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
The Weekly reports enclosed in your letter of the 6th instant, have been duly received. By the first Vessel bound to Alexandria from hence, I will send Papers for the two lower Rooms in my house in that place; but if it has been newly plastered, as would appear to be the case (in part at least) by Green’s acct it ought not to be put on until it is thoroughly dry; or the Paper will be lost. The...
62To George Washington from William Pearce, 11 May 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 11 May 1794. On 18 May, GW wrote Pearce : "I am sorry to find by your letter of the 11th Instt that the Crops & every thing else were suffering from a drought."
63From George Washington to William Pearce, 18 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am sorry to find by your letter of the 11th Instt that the Crops & every thing else were suffering from a drought. yet, by the weekly report which accompanied the letter, it appears that rain had fallen the 6th, only five days before, but I suppose this must have been a slight one. It is not only unlucky, but unaccountable, that the Oats should not have been received with the other things....
64To George Washington from William Pearce, 18 May 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 18 May 1794. On 25 May, GW wrote Pearce : "I learn with concern from your letter of the 18th instant, that your crops were still labouring under a drought."
65From George Washington to William Pearce, 21 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
Agreeably to what I promised in my letter of the 19th, I now write to you further, on the subject of my Flour. Although I think the probability is, that flour will rather rise than fall, yet, as the warm Season is coming on, and I had rather be upon a certainty with respect to the Sale of mine than to hold it up for a higher price, by which I may be disappointed. It is my desire, if what I...
66From George Washington to William Pearce, 25 May 1794 (Washington Papers)
I learn with concern from your letter of the 18th instant, that your crops were still labouring under a drought, and most of them very much injured. At disappointments and losses which are the effects of Providential acts, I never repine; because I am sure the alwise disposer of events knows better than we do, what is best for us, or what we deserve. Two or three fine rains have fallen here in...
67To George Washington from William Pearce, 27 May 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 27 May 1794. In GW’s letter to Pearce of 1 June , he writes, "I am glad to find by your letter of the 27th ulto that you had had some good rains"; in Pearce’s second letter to GW of 4 June , he refers to "my Letter of the 27th."
68From George Washington to William Pearce, 1 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am glad to find by your letter of the 27th ulto that you had had some good rains, previous to the date of it. Those rains, with such as have followed since, may give a very different appearance both to your Oats & flax; & may enliven, & push forward the Corn and B. Wheat; but I fear much for any grass that may have been cut, there having been no weather to cure it (in this part of the...
69To George Washington from William Pearce, 4 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
I Received your letter of the 25th of May the Cause of your drilled wheat and I[n]deed the whole Crop being so bad—Must have been from the long Drought last fall which prevented a Great Deal from Coming up and I beleive what did Come up did not Git soficient Strength to stand the winters frost—and what did live through the winter was Very much Injured this spring by the long dry spell we...
70To George Washington from William Pearce, 4 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
In reading your letter that I Recevd this Evening I find you have advised me to take good security for the flour —I did Intend to mention to you that he has Given me Alexander Smyth as one of the Indorsers and Jams Duglass for the other and I am Told by Doctor Craik and Several others that the Security is good. I am Sir with the greatest respect You[r] Huml. Servt P.S. I am not sure wheathr I...
71From George Washington to William Pearce, 8 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 4th instt accompanying the reports, came duly to hand; & by the Post of tomorrow I was in hopes I should have been able to inform you of the day I should leave this for Mount Vernon—but the case is otherwise—Congress are yet in Session, and although they talk of rising tomorrow, this may not be the case, and if it were other business will claim my attention for some days...
72To George Washington from William Pearce, 8 June 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 8 June 1794. On 15 June, GW wrote Pearce : "Your letter of the 8th with its enclosures I received yesterday."
73From George Washington to William Pearce, 15 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 8th with its enclosures I received yesterday. If nothing, unforeseen by me at present, intervenes to prevent it, I shall leave this City for Mount Vernon the day after tomorow; (tuesday) but as the weather is warm, my horses fat & out of exercise, and I may have occasion to stop a day on the road, it is not probable I shall reach home before sunday or monday next. I shall...
74To George Washington from William Pearce, 9 July 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 9 July 1794. On 13 July, GW wrote Pearce : "Your letter of the 9th, with the Reports of the preceeding week came to my hands yesterday."
75From George Washington to William Pearce, 13 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 9th, with the Reports of the preceeding week came to my hands yesterday. I arrived in this City myself on Monday; made rather worse by my journey, and a wetting I got on the Road on Saturday; having travelled all day through a constant Rain. I am sorry to hear that the wet weather continues to throw your work backward—especially plowing—as I am sensible you have much of it...
76To George Washington from William Pearce, 16 July 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 16 July 1794. On 20 July, GW wrote Pearce : "Yesterday brought me your letter . . . dated the 16th instt."
77From George Washington to William Pearce, 20 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday brought me your letter, & the Reports of the preceeding week; the first dated the 16th instt & the other the 12th. Frequent Rains at this season, if they do not fall too heavily, nor are of too long a continuance, will be the making of the Corn & Buckwheat; but if they are of such a nature as to prevent plowing it will be bad; however, it may so happen, that if you cannot plow in one...
78To George Washington from William Pearce, [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 23 July 1794. On 27 July, GW wrote Pearce : "Your letter of the 23d and the reports, have been duly received."
79From George Washington to William Pearce, 27 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 23d and the reports, have been duly received. The ideas which I expressed in one of my late letters, respecting the cultivation (in Corn) of the lots in the Mill swamp, were not intended to forbid the practice in all parts where it was necessary, to cleanse & prepare them for grass; but to let you see that Corn was not so much an object with me, as meadow; and that I did not...
80To George Washington from William Pearce, 27 July 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 27 July 1794. On 3 Aug., GW wrote Pearce : "Your letter of the 27th Ulto, and the reports, I received yesterday as usual."
81From George Washington to William Pearce, 3 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
I removed to this place On Wednesday last, in order to avoid the heat of the City of Philadelphia. It is probable I shall remain here until about the middle of September—but letters will come to me as regularly as if I had remained in the City. Your letter of the 27th Ulto, and the reports, I received yesterday as usual; & wish the rains we have been complaining of, may not be much wanted...
82To George Washington from William Pearce, 3 August 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 3 Aug. 1794. On 10 Aug., GW wrote Pearce : "I have duly received your letter of the 3d, with the reports of the preceeding week."
83From George Washington to William Pearce, 10 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your letter of the 3d, with the reports of the preceeding week. If you think the Oat ground at River farm, will not be too much drawn by a succeeding Crop of Wheat, for Clover; I have no objection to your sowing it with Wheat. but I have serious doubts on this head; and doubts equally serious of another kind, viz.—that on such stiff & baking land as mine is, sowing Clover...
84To George Washington from William Pearce, 10 August 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 10 Aug. 1794. On 17 Aug., GW wrote Pearce : "Your letter of the 10th has been duly received."
85To George Washington from William Pearce, 16 August 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 16 Aug. 1794. On 24 Aug., GW wrote Pearce: "In reply to your letter of the 16th which, with the reports, came duly to hand."
86From George Washington to William Pearce, 17 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 10th has been duly received, and I am glad to find by it that your Corn still retains a favorable appearance, and that the ground on which it grows is in tolerable good order for the reception of Wheat. I wish it had been in perfect order, as I have no idea of the propriety of seeding where it is not. You have not yet answered a question in one of my late...
87From George Washington to William Pearce, 24 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
In reply to your letter of the 16th which, with the reports, came duly to hand; I have only to observe that it never was my intention to withdraw the hands from other essential work to employ them on the New Mill-Race; on the contrary I only wish that this job may be prosecuted at times—and at all times, when their other avocations will permit it, without detriment. No work is more essential,...
88To George Washington from William Pearce, 24 August 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 24 Aug. 1794. On 31 Aug., GW wrote Pearce : "In your last letter of the 24th instt came a copy of the conditions of Colo. Lyles Bond."
89From George Washington to William Pearce, 31 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
In your last letter of the 24th instt came a copy of the conditions of Colo. Lyles Bond; but you did not give the date of it; which reason the purpose it was wanted for, cannot be accomplished until the date is transmitted. In one of the early letters I wrote to you, I pointed out a method, which if you would observe, it would be impossible to omit any thing to which an answer was required:...
90To George Washington from William Pearce, 31 August 1794 (Washington Papers)
I Receved your letter of 24th Instt, Mr Groves the person who I have imployed as overseer For Union farm, is a Maried Man & has four Children he Comes well recommended—from Several others as well as the Mr Masons, and he is said to be Very attentive to his Business & Carefull of his stock If he should a[n]swear this description I shall not be Affraid but the business will be Carried on well,...
91From George Washington to William Pearce, 7 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 31st ulto with the Reports, I have received. A few days ago I received a letter from Mr Pyne dated in the City of Washington still expressing a desire to be employed at Mount Vernon, and a wish to be there some short time before Butler left it, that he might get a little insight into the nature of the business, previous to his entering upon duty. I referred him for his being...
92From George Washington to William Pearce, 14 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am well satisfied that the omission of the date of Colo. Lyle’s bond was accident, & not design—& for that reason suggested a mode, by the observance of which, no information that is required will ever be omitted. When is that Gentleman, by promise, to discharge this bond? I think you were quite right in sowing the early (or drilled) wheat at different seasons, with a view to discover the...
93To George Washington from William Pearce, 14 Sept. 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 14 Sept. 1794. On 21 Sept., GW wrote Pearce : "Your letter of the 14th instt and the weekly reports, have been recd."
94From George Washington to William Pearce, 21 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 14th instt and the weekly reports, have been recd. We left our Quarters at German Town yesterday, and are again fixed in this City. Thomas Green’s quitting my business of his own accord—whatever the pretence may be—is in my opinion a lucky circumstance, as my repugnance to turning him away was on account of his helpless family. These you may suffer to remain where they are,...
95To George Washington from William Pearce, 21 Sept. 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 21 Sept. 1794. On 28 Sept., GW wrote Pearce : "I have received your letter of the 21st instt, and the Reports of the preceeding week."
96From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 21st instt, and the Reports of the preceeding week. I am glad to find your seeding of Wheat is over, and that it is compleated in such good time. There cannot, in my opinion, be the smallest occasion for opening the new road, which under different circumstances than those which exist at present, was ordered by the Court at my particular request —Nor would it...
97From George Washington to William Pearce, 28 September 1794 (Washington Papers)
In a seperate letter of this date, I have wrote you pretty fully respecting the New Road which you are appointed Overseer of, with orders to open; that the letter may be shewn to the Court—to Mr Mason—or whomsoever is the mover in this business, without having other matters of a more private nature blended therewith. Since writing to you this day week, I have engaged a Scotchman, just arrived...
98To George Washington from William Pearce, 28 Sept. 1794 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from William Pearce, 28 Sept. 1794. On 2 Nov., GW wrote Pearce: "I have received your several letters of the 28th of Septr—and 5th 17th and 23d of last month" ( ViMtvL ).
99From George Washington to William Pearce, 1 October 1794 (Washington Papers)
I am thus far (55 miles from Philadelphia) on my way to Carlisle agreably to what I wrote you on sunday last. As I am not much accustomed to the management of Buck Wheat—and think I have heard you declare the Same—the purpose of my writing to you now, is to inform you that this Crop on the whole road I have travelled, is cut down (although I should have thought it much too green) and remains...
100From George Washington to William Pearce, 3 October 1794 (Washington Papers)
If this letter should reach your hands, it will be delivered by Mr Weston, who with his lady may take a ride from Alexandria to Mount Vernon. Should this happen, I request you will make their visit as agreeable as your situation will enable you to do. I am Your friend &ca ALS (photocopy), reproduced in Historical Review of Berks County , vol. III, no. 2 (January 1938). GW probably was...