791[Diary entry: 3 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 3d. Mercury at 53 in the Morning—61 at Noon and 60 at Night. Moist, warm, and giving all day; with little or no wind. At times it dripped a little of rain and at other times was foggy. Rid to Alexandria to a meeting of the board of Directors of the Potomack Co. Did the business which occasioned the Meeting. Dined at Lomax’s & returned home in the evening. Dug the 10 Rows of Carrots...
792[Diary entry: 4 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 4th. Mercury at 57 in the Morning—67 at Noon and 64 at Night. Exceedingly pleasant all day, being clear, calm and warm. Ground much dried. About dusk the wind sprung up from the South west and blew very fresh till near day. Rid to the Ferry, Dogue run, & Muddy hole Plantations and to the Ditchers—also to Frenchs. At the last 3 Men had begun to get rails—at the Ferry the People were...
793[Diary entry: 5 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Friday 5th. Mercury at 54 in the Morning—51 at Noon and 46 at Night. Day clear. In the Morning it was calm but by 8 oclock the wind Sprung up at No. Wt. & encreased till it came to blow hard & continued to do so till Night and some time within it. It grew colder but was not disagreeably cold. A Mr. Smith—Boat builder came here to build me a fishing Boat for which I am to allow him 8/. a foot...
794[Diary entry: 6 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 6th. Mercury at 35 in the Morning—49 at Noon and 45 at Night. The wind pretty fresh all day from the Southward—weather tolerably clear & pleasant—ground not froze. Brought Bullocks from the Mill Meadow to Stall feed. At home all day. Mrs. Stuart, Miss Allan, and the two youngest Children of the former came here just before dinner. The Muddy hole Plows finished plowing the ground they...
795[Diary entry: 7 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 7th. Mercury 32 at Morn 46 at Noon and 43 at Night. Wind Southerly and pretty brisk all day—clear and warm. At home.
796[Diary entry: 8 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Monday 8th. Mercury at 45 in the Morning—48 at Noon and 46 at Night. Heavy & lowering all day & sometimes sprinkling. Abt. 4 Oclock it set in to a fine & constant rain which continued through the Night. But little Wind all day & tht. southerly till the evening whn. it got to the No. Et. Rid to all the Plantations. Finished cleaning and grubbing the New Meadow at the Ferry. Old Will & the Women...
797[Diary entry: 9 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 9th. Mercury at 38 in the Morning—39 at Noon and 38 at Night. Wet Morning with the Wind tho’ light at No. Et. Cloudy and Mizzling all day. Two Millwrights who came to my Mill yesterday began to work to day on a new Cog wheel to the grist Mill. Kept within doors by the badness of the weather. Took an acct. of my grass seeds on hand—which are as follows 10 Bushl. Clover a 68 1/2 685 lbs....
798[Diary entry: 10 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Wedneday 10th. Mercury at 33 in the Morning—38 at Noon and 37 at Night. Raining in the Morning, and lowering, & sometimes mizzling the rest of the day with the wind at No. Et. Mrs. Stuart & her Children and Miss Allan went away after breakfast. Just before Dinner Mr. Brindley Manager of the Susquehanna Works & his Son in law came on their way to South Carolina. About the sametime I recd. by...
799[Diary entry: 11 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 11th. Mercury at 31 in the Morning—32 at Noon and 30 at Night. Cloudy all day with the Wind at No. East. The greatest part of the day it was spitting Snow, but so thin and lighty, as never to whiten the ground. Sent Mr. Lear to Alexandria to receive money and do other business for me. Rid to the Plantations at the Ferry, French’s and Dogue run and to the Ditchers. At the first the...
800[Diary entry: 12 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Friday 12th. Mercury at 24 in the Morning—27 at Noon and 22 at Night. Wind at No. Wt. with flying clouds and very cold. At home all day, writing letters, & doing other matters previous to Majr. Geo. Washingtons setting of for New Kent for which place he set out after dinner, in order to receive & bring up some Negroes which his Wife’s Father Colo. Bassett had given him. A notation in the Mount...
801[Diary entry: 13 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 13th. Mercury at 17 in the Morning—32 at Noon and 30 at Night. Wind at No. West in the Morning but at South East in the Evening—forenoon clear, but lowering afterwards but not very much—rather raw and cold. Rid to the Ferry, French’s, and Dogue Run & Muddy hole Plantations; also to the Mill & the Ditchers—Nothing remarkable at any of them. About 8 Oclock in the evening Doctr. Stuart...
802[Diary entry: 14 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 14th. Mercury at 34 in the Morning—51 at Noon and 46 at Night. Day clear and pleasant the Wind being Southerly. Doctr. Stuart stayed and dined as did Mr. Anstey after which both went away—the 1st. to his own home and the other to Alexandria. At home all day.
803[Diary entry: 15 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Monday 15th. Mercury at 42 in the Morning—52 at Noon and 50 at Night. Rain last Night with the wind fresh from the So. Wt. which continued so through the day. Very lowering all day & now and then a sprinkling with rain but not enough to drive people from work. The Sun set clear and the Western horison indicated fair weather. Rid to all the Plantations & to the Ditchers. In the Neck set the...
804[Diary entry: 16 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 16th. Mercury at 35 in the Morning—55 at Noon and 52 at Night. The forenoon a little lowering, but the afternoon clear and remarkably pleasant—little or no Wind all day. Rid to the Plantations at the Ferry, French’s, Dogue run and Muddy hole—also to the Ditchers. The same kind of work going on as usual at all of them. On my return home found Mr. Porter and Mr. Ingraham here, who dined...
805[Diary entry: 17 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 17th. Mercury at 33 in the Morning—54 at Noon and 45 at Night. Clear, with the Wind very brisk all day from the So. West—moderate but not very warm. At home all day. Just as we had dined Messrs. Richd. & Theodk. Lee came in, and after Sundown Colo. Carrington from Congress, and Major Swan from Boston arrived, all of whom stayed the Night. Maj. James Swan (1754–1830), who was twice...
806[Diary entry: 18 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 18th. Mercury at 34 in the Morning—55 at Noon and 47 at Night. The Morning was exceedingly pleasant & perfectly calm. The Wind afterwards rose in the So. Wt. quarter & shifted to the westward. The ground was froze this Morning tho’ not very deep. All the Gentlemen (messrs. Porter & Ingraham who had stayed two Nights with the others) went away after Breakfast. I rid to all the...
807[Diary entry: 19 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Friday 19th. Mercury at 27 in the Morning—37 at Noon and 27 at Night. Wind at No. Et. in the Morning, with appearances of a change of Weather. About Noon it was calm, clear, and very pleast. but towards sundown the wind Sprung up again at No. Et.—the clouds gathered fast, and indicated rain speedily. Went to French’s and marked of the fields (as they are to be divided in future) by stakes.
808[Diary entry: 20 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 20th. Mercury at 32 in the Morning 45 at Noon and 43 at Night. About 8 Oclock in the evening of yesterday it began a slow, & very moderate rain which continued it is supposed through the Night. In the morning it was very heavy with great appearances of a repetition of rain but none fell. Towards noon the Sun shone & the afternoon was clear & very pleasant. Wind at So. Et. all day but...
809[Diary entry: 21 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 21st. Mercury at 37 in the Morning—42 at Noon and 42 at Night. A very heavy thick fog till 10 Oclock—Cloudy & lowering Most part of the day afterwds. though the sun made feeble efforts to shine. Evening clr.—but little wind and that at No. Et. Major Swan (of Boston) & Mr. Hunter of Alexandria came here to dinner & stayed all nig[ht].
810[Diary entry: 22 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Monday 22d. Mercury at 37 in the Morning—37 at Noon and 36 at Night. Wind still at No. Et. Morning very heavy, which, about 10 Oclock turned to a thick mist and in the Afternoon to rain. Major Swan & Mr. Hunter set off for Fredericksburgh before Breakfast. At home all day.
811[Diary entry: 23 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 23d. Mercury at 32 in the Morning—34 at Noon and 32 at Night. Heavy & thick—always misting & sometimes raining. A good deal of the latter fell in the night. Wind—tho’ not much of it at No. Et. At home alone all day.
812[Diary entry: 24 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 24th. Mercury at 46 in the Morning—49 at Noon and 48 at Night. Raining more or less all day. In the Morning there were some appearances of the weather clearing, but it soon thickened and set in to raining, slowly till towards sundown, when the clouds again broke to the Westward. In the Night the wind blew fresh from the So. West & Continued to come from that quarter all day but very...
813[Diary entry: 25 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 25th. Mercury at 35 in the Morning—42 at Noon and 39 at Night. Lowering morning, with some appearances of the weathers breaking in the forenoon but it soon thickened again and before 3 began a fine snow which soon turned to rain which it continued to do thru the whole, or greater part of the Night. Wind at So. West. Rid to the Ditchers & Mill and to the Ferry, French’s Dogue run, &...
814[Diary entry: 26 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Friday 26th. Mercury at 36 in the Morning—46 at Noon and 46 at Night. In the Morning early it rained—about 9 Oclock the weather seemed disposed to break but sooned thickened again and rained more or less from abt. Noon till Night when the weather again seemed inclined to clear. Wind tho’ not much of it, was at So. Wt. in the Morning & more Westerly in the afternoon. Mr. Madison & Mr. Griffith...
815[Diary entry: 27 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 27th. Mercury at 36 in the Morning—40 at Noon and 36 at Night. A good deal of Rain falling in the Night, the ground was very wet; after 9 oclock it became clear with little or no Wind till towards Sundown, when it came out pretty brisk from the No. West. Rid to all the Plantations and to the Ditchers whom I found had made a mistake and instead of working on the line dividing the...
816[Diary entry: 28 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 28th. Mercury at 26 in the Morning—36 at Noon and 32 at Night. Wind Westerly all day, and not much unlike Snow—Grd. froze in the Morning. Colo. Henry Lee, his Lady, Miss Lee and Mr. Fendall came here to dinner—the last of whom went away afterwards (crossing the river for Maryland). Miss Lee is undoubtedly Mrs. Matilda Lee’s sister Flora Lee.
817[Diary entry: 29 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Monday 29th. Mercury at 30 in the Morning—30 at Noon and 30 at Night. Wind cold & raw from the So. West. About Sun rise it began to snow & continued to do so for 3 or 4 hours when it turned to rain, and rained thro’ the day. The Wind was Southerly but raw & cold; ground hard frozen. Rid in the Morning before breakfast to Muddy hole Plantation in order to set the Ditcher (Danl. Overdonck) to...
818[Diary entry: 30 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 30th. Mercury at 32 in the Morning—38 at Noon and 32 at Night. Foggy and warm with very little or no Wind the greater part of the day. In the evening it became clear. Rid to the Ferry, & French’s Plantation, and intended to have gone further but getting wet in passing a Mirey place at French’s I returned home to get on dry cloaths. Sent Danl. Overdonck to Muddy hole again who with a...
819[Diary entry: 31 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 31st. Mercury at 32 in the Morng.—48 at Noon and 40 at Night. Wind at No. West and pretty fresh early in the Morning, but decreased as the Sun rose and became quite calm & a little lowering towards Night. Accompanied by Colo. Lee I rode to the Ferry, Frenchs Dogue run and Muddy hole Plantations and also to my Mill & the Ditches. At Dogue run the Women were altering the Meadow fences...
820February [1787] (Washington Papers)
[Thursday 1st.] Mercury at 32 in the Morning—46 at Noon and 46 at Night. Wind (tho’ not much of it) variable and weather lowering but with changeable appearances. Mr. Fendall, Colo. Lee & his Lady, & Miss Lee went away after breakfast. I rid to the Ferry & French’s Plantations. At the first the women were cleaning up field No. 1 below the Hill. Friday 2d. Mercury at 30 in the Morning—36 at...