From George Washington to George William Fairfax, 20 July 1763
To George William Fairfax
Mount Vernon 20th July 1763
Dear Sir,
I have not a Lath in the World of any kind, seasoned or unseasoned, or you shoud be heartily welcome to them—I never knew before that it was in any wise necessary that they shoud be Seasoned; for I usually got and put them up as they were wanted—Smart bring’s the Bucket &ca;1 he has been detained longer than ordinary by a mistake of Peters (or mine) who I told to make staples & hasps proper for your Locks (not considering I must confess, that there were Chamber Locks among them) and he went and prepared a kickshaw in imitation of the brass receptacle for the Bolt and has been obliged to make new ones—We beg you will accept of our Compliments yourself, & render them agreable to Mr Mrs & Miss Fairfax. I am Dr Sir Yr Most Obedt Hble Servt
Go: Washington
ALS, MB.
1. As GW’s letter of July to Fairfax seems to confirm, Fairfax after his long absence was having extensive work done on his house, Belvoir. Apparently none of the family had lived in the house for perhaps as long as two years. Lord Fairfax stayed at Belvoir for a while after George William Fairfax left in 1759 for England with his wife and sister, but Lord Fairfax moved into his newly constructed land office at Greenway Court in 1761, and Bryan Fairfax moved with his wife from Belvoir to Green Hill also in 1761. Smart was a 13–year-old slave belonging to George William Fairfax, and Peter was GW’s smith. The bucket Smart was taking to Belvoir is probably the “well Buckit” charged against Fairfax’s account on 19 July. GW’s account at ViMtvL is labeled “Carpenters Work. according to Wills acct given in every Saturday Night since the 1st of Jany 1760.” The sum item is entered in , folio 105, but obviously under the wrong date.