1From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 15 January 1783 (Washington Papers)
You will be surprized perhaps at receiving a letter from me—but if the end is answered for which it is written, I shall not think my time miss-spent. Your Father, who seems to entertain a very favourable opinion of your prudence, & I hope, you merit it; in one or two of his letters to me, speaks of the difficulty he is under to make you remittances. Whether this arises from the scantiness of...
2From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 22 September 1783 (Washington Papers)
With this you will receive the letter of your Aunt Lewis, to me. Altho’ I believe the ground she is proceeding upon, has more of the ideal than real advantages, which she expects from it, yet I have no objection to the experiments being made, & pray you to pursue the dictates of her letter, & communicate to me the result as soon as the necessary enquiries are made. Let me beg of you to make...
3From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 15 January 1784 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 22d Ulto—the former one, accompanying my Trunks, also came safe. When I came to examine the Chimney pieces in this House, I found them so interwoven with the other parts of the Work and so good of their kind, as to induce me to lay aside all thoughts of taking any of them down—for the only room which remains unfinished I am not yet fixed in my own mind but...
4From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 22 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter was brought here some days ago. I desire you will present Mr Ryan’s note to him for payment; which, if not immediately made, or such assurances as you can rely on, that he will make in a very short time, return it to me or to Mr Rumsey, if he is in Richmond, as I do not incline to transfer the debt from him to Ryan. It was not my intention to receive an order upon any one,...
5From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 3 April 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 20th Ulto did not come to my hands until the 31st —Whenever you have occasion to write to me from the line of the Post, always put your letter into the Mail. all other conveyances are uncertain; at best, irregular. Not expecting you were going to Richmond, I did, previously to the receipt of your letter, write to the Attorney General (to whose care my letter to you had been...
6From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 13 April 1786 (Washington Papers)
If royal gift will administer, he shall be at the Service of your Mares, but at present he seems too full of royalty, to have any thing to do with a plebean race. perhaps his stomach may come to him—if not, I shall wish he had never come from his most Catholic Majesty’s Stables. Your Papa has not been here, yet. I am just come in from a ride—the Dinner bell rings—and your Man says he must go...
7From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 30 September 1786 (Washington Papers)
I was from home when your Servant arrived, found him in a hurry to be gone when I returned, have company in the house, and am on the eve of a journey up the river, to meet the Directors of the Potomack Company. These things combining, will not allow me time to give any explicit answer to the question you have propounded. Generally speaking, I have seen as much evil as good result from such...
8From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 15 November 1786 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 31st of Octr in reply to mine of the 30th of Septr came safe to hand. It was not the intention of my former letter either to condemn, or give my voice in favor of the Patriotic Society of which you are a member. I offered observations, under the information you gave of it, the weight of which were to be considered. As first thoughts they were undigested, and might be very...
9From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 10 January 1787 (Washington Papers)
I condole most sincerely with you, my Sister & family, on the death of my Brother. I feel most sensibly for this event; but resignation being our duty, to attempt an expression of my sorrow on this occasion would be as feebly described, as it would be unavailing when related. If there are any occasional services which I can render my Sister or any of you, I shall have great pleasure in the...
10From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 9 November 1787 (Washington Papers)
In due course of Post, I received your letters of the 19th & 26th Ult.; and since, the one which you committed to the care of Mr Powell. I thank you for the communications therein, & for a continuation, in matters of importance, I shall be obliged to you. That the Assembly would afford the people an opportunity of deciding on the proposed Constitution I had hardly a doubt; the only question...
11From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 3 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
A Mr H. Banks, of your Assembly is disposed to be kind to me or has some view of being so to himself. Charity leads to the first—suspicion to the latter opinion. He has informed me that the Sherif of Greenbrier has a considerable demand upon me for the taxes of my land on the Great Kankawa, in that Country—but has forborne (through his means) from proceeding to extremities till he could advice...
12GW to Bushrod Washington, 24 December 1787 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: GW to Bushrod Washington, 24 Dec. 1787. Letter listed in American Book Prices Current, 27 (1921), 1021.
13From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 29 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
Altho’ I have little expectation that this letter will find you in Richmond I still send it thither. Under this persuation, I shall add no more than to acct for the enclosure being so long in my possession. The truth of the case is, with a letter for myself, from Mr Smith, it was enclosed with the Papers with which he was furnished for prosecuting the ejectments of the People living on my...
14From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 17 November 1788 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 9th came to my hand last night. What the abilities of my deceased brother Samls Estate towards paying his debts, may be, I am unable to say; but I much fear that the management of it is in very bad hands; as the hours of your Uncle Charles are—I have reason to believe—spent in intoxication. This circumstance, added to a natural indolence, leaves too much to the Steward to...
15From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 25 November 1788 (Washington Papers)
Mr Packet handed me your letter of the 20th—In one thing my sentiments are perfectly in unison with yours, and that is, to manage a Virginia Estate well there cannot be a divided attention—because with all the attention that can be given they are rarely productive—How far Alexandria above other places may claim a preference in prospective, for your place of residence requires better...
16From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 16 January 1789 (Washington Papers)
The Man who lives in my House in Town is there, I am told, on curtesy; and was only to have a reasonable previous notice to remove—Under these circumstances, if you can make the House and Stable (for of the latter there was once a very good one) convenient for your purposes, you shall be welcome to the use of them. This lott was once, well inclosed, but has no fence I believe at present;...
17From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 27 July 1789 (Washington Papers)
Among the first acts of my recommencing business (after lying six weeks on my right side) is that of writing you this letter in acknowledgement of yours of the ultimo —Not being fairly on my seat yet, or in other words not being able to sit up without feeling some uneasiness, it must be short. You cannot doubt my wishes to see you appointed to any office of honor or emolument in the new...
18From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 8 January 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have long suspected—but, such has been my situation for some years back, that I have not been able to ascertain the fact—that a tract of about 1200 acres wch I hold on four mile-run near Alexandria has had the wood thereon dealt pretty freely with by unauthorised persons in its vicinity. The enclosed from Mr Whiting gives information of a particular act. He is directed in a letter of this...
19From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 8 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
I am sorry to think I have cause to accuse you of inattention to my requests. When you were at Mount Vernon last, I told you I had been informed that, the Assignees of Semple, against whom I, as the Surviving Exr of Colo. Thos Colvill had obtained judgment on a Bond, either had thrown, or was about to throw the matter into Chancery; and I desired if this was, or should be the case that you...
20From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 23 February 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 13th instt with the enclosures, came duly to hand. I thank you for draughting the answer which I have put my signature to; and with the Bill, now return. If I mistake not, my renunciation of the Executorship of Colo. Fairfax’s Will already stands on record in the Genl Court, on some former occasion; be this however as it may, I have always refused, & never intended—directly...
21From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 30 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 22d instt came to my hands yesterday afternoon. I thank you for the information contained in it, and for your kindness in offering to draw my answer to Henshaws Bill, now in the high Court of Chancery; before whom it seems, I am to appear. It is really hard that I am so often called before Courts in matters in which I have no interest; but am continually saddled with the...
22From Thomas Jefferson to Bushrod Washington, 23 September 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
I presume I am not mistaken in supposing that an injunction is the proper and most effectual mode of preventing a person from drowning a millseat of mine by raising his dam below it. With this view I have prepared the inclosed bill and documents , and trouble you with them to procure and send me an injunction. The defendant being very actively employed at present in raising his dam, the case...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Bushrod Washington, 1 October 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
Some months ago a subpoena in Chancery at the suit of Mr. Banks was served on me as former governor of Virginia , calling on me and others not named [but I suppose the Counsellors of that day] to appear &c. Presuming it was for some act done on behalf of the commonwealth I wrote to the governor to know whether I must defend, or whether the executive would not undertake it for the Commonwealth,...
24From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 10 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
You are very welcome to a part of the Guinea—or Chinese Hogs which you saw at my Mill—But it is necessary to inform you, that except the Sow which you might have seen in a pen & her Pigs wch were running about it, I have none others, unmixed at that place. This happens from their running at large. There is a Vessel now up (in this Port) for Norfolk & Richmond; to Sail, by adverti⟨s⟩ement, on...
25From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 10 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
On Saturday last I received your letter of the 24th Ulto. Presuming that Mr Keith has sent you all the attested accounts of my Executorship of the Estate of Colo. Thomas Colvill, in which the affairs of John Colvill his brother (to whom he was Executor) were involved—together with the Will of the former and the claims originating from an extraordinary devise which you will find therein, I am...
26From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 14 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
Since my last to you, relative to my Executorship of Colo. Colvills Estate, I sent, as therein mentioned, to the person from whom I had purchased the Guinea, or Chinese Hogs which you saw at my Mill, and obtained two; a boar & a sow; the latter with Pig. He informed me, however, that they were not of the whole blood; but, in his opinion, improved from their mixture with another breed of Hogs...
27From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 9 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Owing to some irregularity of the Post, your letter of the 29th Ulto did not reach my hands until 8 oclock last Night. I shall leave the management of the chancery business respecting Colvils estate entirely to you; not only for the purpose of closing it speedily, but effectually also; as I want to be quieted in this business, & to be finally done with it. Mr Keith has, to the present stage of...
28From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 21 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Presuming that you have received my last, sent thro’ the hands of Mr Keith, with such aids as he was able to afford you respecting my Administration of Colo. Colvils estate, and supposing, as the Chancery term is closed or about to close, that the enclosed letter from that Gentleman would not get to your hands in time to influence your measures I resolv⟩ed, at first, not to send it. ⟨But upon...
29From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 29 June 1796 (Washington Papers)
You have not informed me what or whether any thing has been done in the Court of Chancery (in this State) for bringing the acct of my administration of Colo. Colvills Estate to a close, that my hands may be entirely clear, of it. I therefore give you the trouble of this enquiry: as I am extremely anxious to be acquitted. The balance due from me, (and at present lodged in the Bank of...
30From Thomas Jefferson to Bushrod Washington, 9 October 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
I now inclose you the record in the case of Dickenson v. Paulett and Marks. Mr. Marks, by purchasing all Paulett’s right, stands completely in his shoes. His first wish is to obtain a confirmation of his right to the land. But if Dickenson notwithstanding his prevarications and delays of paiment shall be decreed to retain still an equitable right to the land on paying the purchase money, then,...