251To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 3 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
The weather has prevented the meeting of a sufficient number of the Potomak Company to do business today, they have therefore adjourned ’till Thursday, when it is expected that numbers will come in. If it should be convenient for you to attend I think your presence will be of great service; but should that not be the case, it would be well to send a power to vote in behalf of the shares you...
252To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 19 October 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have just returned from my trip up to the Shanandoah without being able to accomplish the object of securing for the public the property at the junction of that River with the potomac in the manner I wished. I am not, however, without hopes that it may yet be done. I found, on examination into the title, that the ferry tract, which contains about one hundred & twenty acres, by patent, was...
253To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 26 October 1795 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 26 Oct. 1795 . In Timothy Pickering’s letter to Lear of 28 Jan. 1796, he referred to “your letter to the President of the 26th of October” ( MHi : Pickering Papers).
254To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 17 November 1795 (Washington Papers)
I should ere’ this have acknowledged the receipt of your respected favor of the 2d inst. but waited for a further communication, or for the arrival of Colo. Rochefontaine. The latter has just taken place. And I have informed Colo. Gilpin thereof, who told me a few days ago that he would be ready at a moments’ warning to accompany that Gentleman to the junction of the Potomac & Shanandoah; I,...
255To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 7 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment returned from Annapolis, and had the happiness to meet your aceptable & respectable favors of the 30th of Novr and the 2d of Decr with their enclosures. As it is within a few hours of the closing of the mail it is not in my power to give a decided answer to Mr Myers’ proposition for superintending the works of the Potomac Company; but before the next mail, I will see the...
256To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 9 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor to address you on the 7th inst. acknowledging the receipt of your respected favors of the 30th of Novr & 2d inst. The Assembly of this State have postponed the decision on the Potomac business ’till friday the 11th inst. ’till which the Directors do not feel themselves authorized to make any engagements on account of the Company, as the funds from the first subscription are...
257To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 14 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
I am yet without information as to the result of the potomac business in the legislature of this State. Of course the board can come to no determination respecting Mr Myres. I have conversed with the Directors on the subject of that Gentleman’s services and it appears to be the universal wish to have him here, if he shall be disengaged when we feel able, from funds, to make engagemts. I have...
258To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 18 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
Since I had the honor of addressing you last, the Potomac bill has passed the House of Representatives of this State by a majority of ten, and there was no doubt of its passing the Senate. But until this is known the directors cannot act in any engagements. I saw Mr Charles Lee yesterday, who gave encouragement that the application to the legislature of Virginia would be successful as it was...
259To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 21 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure to inform you that the Legislature of this State has taken 40 Shares in the Potomac Company, and that the other 60 are subscribed by individuals, with a condition to relinquish them or so many of them as the State of Virginia may agree to take. This puts us upon secure ground, and ensures the completion of the navigation of the River and its principle branches. Tomorrow...
260To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 23 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the Directors of the Potomac Company held yesterday, I was requested by the Board to beg your acceptance of their best thanks for the communications which you have had the goodness to make respecting Mr Myres, and to express their wish that the services of that Gentleman may be obtained to superintend the Works on this River. If Mr Myres be yet free to engage, the Directors...
261To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 6 January 1796 (Washington Papers)
Captn Myers, who arrived here last week, put into my hands your highly respected favor of the 25 ultimo; and I have now the pleasure to inform you that Captn Myers has been engaged by the Directors of the Potomac Company for one year, as Engineer & Superintendent of their works. The Directors being unacquainted with Captn Myers’ fitness for the business he has undertaken, further than his...
262To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 8 February 1796 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 8 Feb. 1796 . On 10 Feb., Lear wrote to GW: “I had the honor of writing to you on the 8th inst.”
263To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 10 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 8th inst. Since which I have been favored with a letter from Colo. Pickering, covering the agreement of the prop[r]ietors of the land at the junction of the Potomac & Shanandoah, and requesting my agency to complete the purchase for the United States, if it can now be done. Tomorrow I set off for that quarter, and shall endeavor to close the business...
264To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 23 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure to inform you that I yesterday closed the bargain, on account of the United States, for the two tracts of land at the junction of the Rivers Potomac and Shanandoah, for the sums which the proprieters proposed to sell them last fall, and with some circumstances respecting the Reservations on the ferry tract, more advantageous to the public than were then proposed. I set off...
265To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 26 February 1796 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 26 Feb. 1796 . On 2 March, Lear wrote to GW: “I had the honor to address you under date of the 26th ultimo”; in GW’s letter to Lear of 13 March , he acknowledged receipt of “letters of the 26th Ulto and 2d Instant.”
266To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 2 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor to address you under date of the 26th ultimo, informing of my having closed the business respecting the property at the junction of the Potomac & Shanandoah Rivers &c. Agreeably to my promise at that time, your account current should have been forwarded by the last Post; but I was called to Alexa. on business which prevented its being prepared. It is now enclosed, and I hope...
267To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 14 March 1796 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 14 March 1796. On 21 March, GW wrote Lear: “Your letter of the 14th Instant did not get to my hands before Saturday.”
268To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 21 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Desireous, on every account, to have the business relative to the Arsenal on this River closed, it was my intention to have set off tomorrow morning for Philadelphia, in order to ensure its completion on the first day of April, as that is the day fixed for the public to take possession of the premises; but last evening my dear Fanny was violently attacked by ⟨a pleuretic⟩ complaint, which...
269To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 23 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
All I can do at this time is to acknowledge the receipt of your respected favor of the 21st instant, with its enclosures. The situation of Mrs Lear is such at present as to occupy my mind & my attention. To the within letter I refer for particulars, and trust to your goodness to excuse the brevity of this; assuring that I shall take the first moment in my power to attend to the matters...
270To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 25 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Afflicted as I am, I have thought it my duty to write the enclosed, which will communicate an event that must be distressing to you, my dear friend, as well as to myself. The partner of my life is no more! And I am too much distressd at this moment to add more than to assure you that tho my life now is not worth preserving, yet as it is, it is most sincerely & devotedly your’s ALS , DLC:GW .
271To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 27 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Once more I refer you to another letter for what has occurred to me on the late distressing event, and I will therefore only say that the contents of your last letters to me shall be shortly attend’d to, and that I am most truly & devotedly your’s ALS , DLC:GW . See Lear to GW, 25 March. Lear is referring to GW’s letters of 13 and 21 March.
272To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 30 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment received your kind & acceptable favor of the 27th instant; and at the same time a letter from the Secretary of War on the subject of the Arsenal. It contains but a few lines, informing me that he shall put the papers, which I transmitted last month, into the hands of the Attorney General, to enable him to draw the deeds, and that he will write me more particularly in a short...
273To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 19 April 1796 (Washington Papers)
Could I beleive, for a moment, that you thought my Opinions were grounded on interested motives, or influenced by party views, I should blush to appear before you; but having long known the liberality of your mind, I have never hesitated to declare my sentiments to you, without reserve, on such points as occasionally occurred between us; and I am pleased to think that you do not esteem me less...
274To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 30 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment returned from Berkley County where I have been detained much longer than I expected on account of the difficulties raised by the Wagers; because the land was not taken possession of on the first of April, agreeably to contract. These I have at last surmounted, and have received possession for the United States; but the deeds are not yet executed, as one of the parties is in...
275To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 20 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
I received your kind & respected favor of the 16th inst. with much pleasure. No apology, my dear Sir, can be necessary for your not having recollected my having put the Certificate for one hundred Bank Shares into your hands. I only wonder, that, under the multiplicity of important, and often anxious, cares which lay on your mind, you can recollect one half you do. I am rejoiced, however, that...
276To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 2 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
Nothing but my absence from home (to which place I returned last Evening) could have prevented an immediate acknowledgement of your respected & kind favor of the 25th ultimo. I am pleased to find, by Mr Van Vleck’s letter (of which you had the goodness to enclose me a copy) that my Maria can be admitted into the School at Bethleham; and the time which he mentions for her acception is more...
277To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 17 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your respected favor of the 13th instant reached this place last evening, and should have been answered by return of the mail; but I had been absent for some days at the Great Falls, on the business of the Potomac Company, and did not get home till this day. I trust, my dear Sir, that after knowing my reasons for not having sooner acknowledged the receipt of your kind letter of the 14th of...
278To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 10 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment returned from Berkley, and as business will call me to Philadelphia in the course of next week I shall have the pleasure of communicating to you fully every thing relative to the subject of the Arsenal land &c. At present I have only time to say, that Rutherford’s deed has not yet come to hand, and that Wager’s is in the office to be recorded at the Court of this month. The...
279To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 15 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have before me your respected favers of the 9th, 10th & 12th inst. which have been received in due course. The directions contained in these several letters shall be duly attended to & the articles therein mentioned, forwarded. We have been fortunate in getting the things on board the Vessel without any injury and they are well stowed. A few more are to go down this morning (if rain should...
280To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 20 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to enclose you a bill of Lading for the Articles ship’d on board the Sloop Salem, which was chartered to take your things around to Mount Vernon. She sailed Yesterday with a good wind, and I think the chance is that she will be in the Potomac by this day week. She is entirely filled with your things; and a few are yet remaining, which will be put on board a Vessel that sails...
281To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 31 May 1797 (Washington Papers)
Mr Peter informs me that you wish to know more particularly respecting the Carpenters engaged for you than what I communicated on Saturday last. Since that time I have seen Frederick, who tells me that the letter from his brother was dated at Amsterdam on the 7th of March, in which he states, that he had engaged for you two very good House Carpenters & Joiners, who would come out in the Ship...
282To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 16 August 1797 (Washington Papers)
I was yesterday at the Great Falls, when Frederick informed me that he could calculate with certainty upon getting two hundred bushels of Rye, and perhaps more, from 4/6 to 5/ pr bushl. The farmers will begin to get it out in a few days, and as soon as there may be enough received to make it an object to send for it, he will give me information thereof. I am, my dear Sir, most respectfully &...
283To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 8 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
Since I had the pleasure to see you last I have contemplated very fully the subject of renting your River Farm, provided you should be disposed to let it upon the terms which I understood you had offered it to a person who was speaking to you on the subject some time ago, which, if I mistake not, was for 1200 bushl Wheat the first year—15 or 1600 the second year and 1800 for the succeeding...
284To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 9 November 1797 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 9 Nov. 1797. GW wrote Lear on 10 Nov. : “I have received both of your letters dated yesterday.”
285To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 12 January 1798 (Washington Papers)
I enclose the letter from Colo. F. Deakins which I mentioned to you yesterday. Any Commands you may have for Richmond I shall be happy to take. Altho’ I have not sanguine expectations of pecuniary aid from the Assembly of Virginia; yet a petition to permit the collection of Tolls is an object of too much importance to be neglected at this moment. I therefore feel it a duty incumbent on me to...
286To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 4 March 1798 (Washington Papers)
I enclose a deed for the Potomac Shares which you subscribed for the use of the Potomac Company, which you will be so good as to execute whenever it may be convenient. The form of the Receipt to be given to those who convey their Shares is also enclosed, which will be given when the deed shall be delivered. It was thought best to have those shares conveyed to the President of the Company...
287To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 26 April 1798 (Washington Papers)
I, unfortunately lost one of my working Steers a few days since, and having none to match the one left, and a large quantity of manure yet to haul out on my Corn hills, I applied to Mr Stewart to know if there were any on your River Farm that had not been, and would not be used this year, that would be likely to match mine. He informed me there were a number of that description; but that he...
288To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 27 April 1798 (Washington Papers)
I wrote to Cornelius the day after I was last at Mount Vernon; but have not yet recd any answer from him. When I last saw him he was about removing from Loudon [to] Berkley, which may have prevented his receiving my letter. I think it uncertain, however, whether he would incline to go so far from his family for a long job, as he is now about to make a new fixture, and has several Children...
289To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 2 July 1798 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 2 July 1798. On 4 July GW wrote Lear : “I have received your letter and A/c of the 2d Instt.”
290To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 24 March 1799 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Tobias Lear, 24 March 1799. On 26 Mar., GW wrote Lear : “Your letter of the 24th. Inst. . . . was delivered to me last night.”
291To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 30 October 1799 (Washington Papers)
I arrived at this place yesterday afternoon, and finding that Colo. Parker had gone to Winchester I dispatched a messinger for him (one of the Soldiers). He got here this afternoon, when I delivered him your letters. The huts for the 8th Regt are in a state of forwardness; 22 of them are finished to the roofs; several of which are now covering, they are 16 feet sqr. and intended for 12 men...
292To George Washington from Tobias Lear, 4 November 1799 (Washington Papers)
In obedience to your orders I left Mount Vernon on Monday the 28th of Octr to communicate to Colo. Parker your instructions respecting hutting the Troops at Harper’s Ferry. I reached the Camp at Harper’s Ferry on the eveng of the 29th; and finding that Colo. Parker was gone to Winchester, I sent an Express for him immediately. In the afternoon of the 30th Colo. Parker arrived in Camp, when I...
293I, 15 December 1799 (Washington Papers)
The following circumstantial account of the last illness and death of General Washington was noted by T. Lear, on Sunday following his death, which happened on Saturday Eveng Decr 14th 1799 between the hours of ten and eleven. On Thursday Decr 12th the General rode out to his farms about ten o’clock, and did not return home till past 3 oclk. Soon after he went out, the weather became very bad,...
294II, 14 December 1799 (Washington Papers)
This day being marked by an event which will be memorable in the History of America, and perhaps of the world, I shall give a particular statement of it, to which I was an eye witness. The last illness and Death of General Washington On thursday Decr 12th—the General rode out to his farms about ten o’clock, and did not return home ’till past three. Soon after he went out the weather became...