To George Washington from Gilbert Simpson, 14 June 1773
From Gilbert Simpson
Loudown June the 14: 1773
Sr
this Coms to acQuaint your honour that I am Returnd home from youghagahanay and have Left all well when I Came from there I left provision Enuf for the people to Eat and work anuf to do and I have Got a nye neibour to have an Eye over them and there work. tho. my fellow is Sufficent to take Care and is as trusty I beleive as most white men and will Carrey on work as well as most when Laid down to him Sr I Should be glad to get a fwe Lines from you to know what you determine upon wheather you take my part of things or not as I have wrote you about1 and Sr I want to know whether you will be at Leesburg any time this Summer or not for it would save me the troble of Coming down to you for I have been Saddeld with a great del of trouble and hard Ship alreydey and Should not be fond of much more unteel I Goe out again which perpose to do about the first of September when I think the flies is a Little more moderate and then if you perpose to send more hands and horses and Clothing for them that is there I Shall if God willing be a going out and pray Sr send me in your Letter whether you are Going from home ths Summer to Stay any lenth of time or not that I may not mis seeing of you when I Com down I Send you in the inclosed a true account to Shew you how your meney is Laid ⟨out⟩ and sum more to it2 So no more but Remains your umble Servant to Command
Gilbt Simpson
N:B: I understand that Mr Lun Washingtons overseeer has got 15 acers of Land in Corn and I heard Just before I Came away that one of the negros had thrasht the overcer but no great hurt on Either side.3
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. GW wrote Simpson on 8 July. GW’s letter has not been found, but Simpson’s letter to GW in July makes clear the nature of its contents.
2. For GW’s record of Simpson’s expenditures, see GW to Simpson, 23 Feb. 1773, n.2.
3. This is probably Lund Washington’s tract of land “calld Mt Johnston” which lay “on the Waters of Red Stone.” He paid William Crawford £60 for procuring the tract in March 1770 (Lund Washington account book, 1762–1801, MdAN, f. 50). When GW made his journey westward in the fall of 1770 he stopped to view Lund Washington’s land which was not far from his Washington’s Bottom. Although there was snow on the ground at the time, “upon the whole it appeard to be a good Tract of Land and as Level as common indeed more so” (, 2:323). Lund Washington also paid William Crawford £50 in 1771 for another tract of western land, “lying on Raccoon Creek” west of the Monongahela River, and in 1775 paid Valentine Crawford £200 for a tract “upon Shirtee Creek known by the Name of Cat Fish Camp” (Lund Washington’s account book, 1762–1801, MdAN, ff. 50, 51).