1Resolutions of the Dismal Swamp Company, 2 May 1785 (Washington Papers)
That the money, which can at present be raised, be put into the hands of some proper person, and such person be empowered to engage as many German, or other labourers at Baltimore, or any other part of this continent, as the money will procure. That, if this scheme should prove wholly or in part abortive, the managers hire as many negroes as they may think proper, untill they can import from...
2George Washington and Horatio Gates to the Virginia Legislature, 28 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
To the Honorable the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia Pursuant to the resolves of the Honble the Senate & House of Delegates, and conformably to the direction of the Executive authority of the State, we repaired to the City of Annapolis, and held a Conference with Gentlemen appointed by the Legislature of Maryland—the result of which is contained in the Inclosure, No. 1. In...
3From George Washington to Lafayette, 8 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
The peregrination of the day in which I parted with you, ended at Marlbro’: the next day, bad as it was, I got home before dinner. In the moment of our separation upon the road as I travelled, & every hour since—I felt all that love, respect & attachment for you, with which length of years, close connexion & your merits, have inspired me. I often asked myself, as our Carriages distended,...
4From George Washington to John Ariss, 8 August 1784 (Washington Papers)
In answer to your letter of the 5th, I have to inform you that I have no untenanted Lands in the Counties of Berkley or Frederick, except two lotts Nos. 5 & 6—the first containing 346½ acres, & the 2d—224½—in the latter, which I bought at the Sale of Colo. George Mercers Estate, in the year 1774—& for which I have had many persons applying to become Tenants. My intention was, after I had...
5From George Washington to Thomas Clarke, 25 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
In your name & behalf Mr Laurens, as he passed thro’ this State last Month on his way from the seat of Congress to Charleston —presented me a very handsome gold headed cane: & accompanied it with such favorable sentiments of your good wishes towards the American revolution—& the flattering opinion you entertained of me, as to induce me, contrary to my usual custom, to accept of it. With this...
6From George Washington to Tench Tilghman, 11 August 1784 (Washington Papers)
I shall essay the finishing of my Green Ho. this fall; but find that neither my own knowledge, or that of any person abt me, is competent to the business. Shall I, for this reason, ask the favor of you to give me a short detail of the internal construction of the Green House at Mrs Carrolls? I am perswaded now, that I planned mine upon too contracted a Scale—My House is (of Brick) 40 feet by...
7From George Washington to Robert Lewis & Sons, 12 April 1785 (Washington Papers)
I have received two letters from you—one of the 8th of March—the other the 5th instt—& thank you for both. I acquiesce readily to the conditional terms you have made on my behalf with Joseph Davenport. His demand of Wages are as high as the best Mills in this Country afford; & the priviledges for wch he stipulates, shall be granted him with this addition, that his fire wood shall be Carted to...
8From George Washington to William Gordon, 3 November 1784 (Washington Papers)
The last post brought me your favor of the 18th ulto, & gave me the pleasure to hear you were well. My return from our Western territory was sooner than I expected when I left home. The Indians from accounts were in too discontented a mood to have rendered an interview with them agreeable, if chance should have thrown us together. I therefore returned from the Neighbourhood of Fort Pitt, where...
9From George Washington to La Luzerne, 5 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
Your early attention to me after your arrival at the Court of Versailles, amidst scenes of gaiety & the gratulations of friends, does me great honor & excites my warmest acknowledgments. That your august Sovereign, his amiable consort, & the Princes his brothers, should deign to interest themselves in, & wish to be acquainted with the circumstances of my life, is one of the most flattering...
10From George Washington to Samuel Chase, 5 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
Receive my thanks for your favor of 31st ulto, & for the copies therewith enclosed: they will answer my purposes equally with the fairest that could be made. When I found your Express at Mount Pleasant, & was unable to procure another in Marlbro’, I commenced one myself—got home before dinner, & dispatched one of my servants to Hooes ferry immediately. He placed the packet into the hands of...
11From George Washington to Jacob Read, 3 November 1784 (Washington Papers)
The last Post gave me the honor of your letter of the 22d Ulto from New York and the little Tract which it enclosed. for both, you have my thanks. My tour to the Westward, was less extensive than I intended. The Indians, it was said, were in too discontented a mood, for me to expose myself to their insults; as I had no object in contemplation which could justify any risk; my property in that...
12From George Washington to Thomas Freeman, 23 September 1784 (Washington Papers)
The situation of my affairs on the Western Waters in the State of Pennsylvania & Virginia, requireing a Superintendant; & you having been pleased to accept the appointment, I must beg leave to point out to you the performance of such duties as are particularly necessary. These will be to settle Tenants upon my Land; collect the rents which will arise therefrom—the Debts which will proceed from...
13From George Washington to Robert Townsend Hooe, 18 July 1784 (Washington Papers)
Hearing that you have a Vessel bound to some port in Spain, I am induced to ask if it is safe & practicable to bring from thence a good Jack Ass, to breed from—The late Don Juan de Miralles, resident from the Court of Spain at Philadelphia, promised to procure one for me; but in his death I met a disappointment. Another Gentleman of his nation, not long since, has also given me a promise—but...
14From George Washington to John Francis Mercer, 27 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
Mr Stone gave me your favor of the 20th. When I had the pleasure of seeing you at this place, I informed you fully, & truly, of my want of money—I am at this moment paying 7 prC. interest for a pretty considerable Sum which I borrowed in the State of New York (through the means of the Governor) —& not being able to obtain a surety of holding it for more than one year from the establishment of...
15From George Washington to George Plater, Charles Carroll, John Cadwalader, and Samuel Chase, 11 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
The Gentn who will have the honor of presenting this letter to you, is a Nephew of mine, heir to my Brother who was one of the Partners in the Principio Company, and to whose Will I was appointed an Executor, though circumstances put it out of my power to qualify. He is about to offer a petition to your honble Assembly, from the Execrs of my Brother, to obtain the Estates proportion of the...
16From George Washington to John Craig, 29 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
If I could give you any useful information on the subject of your letter to me, I would do it with pleasure; but, altho’ I have a good general knowledge of the Western Country, I am very little acquainted with local situations—& less with those on the Susquehanna than any other. Monongahela, of which Cheat river is a branch, is gentle in its current—easy of navigation—& besides, is supposed,...
17From George Washington to Charles Lee, 20 February 1785 (Washington Papers)
My Servant did not return with your letter, and the Papers therewith, until Nine o’clock last Night; so that I have scarcely had time to read the several Conveyances—In that from Mr & Mrs Dulany to me there is a capitol error. the Land held by the deceased Mr French, under the Proprietors Deed to Stephens and Violet, is no part of the Land exchanged. The original grant to Spencer & Washington,...
18From George Washington to George Mason, 13 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
My brother John is much in want of four, five or six hundred pounds which he is desirous of borrowing on Interest. If it is in your power to supply him, I will become security for the fulfilment of his agreement. He seems to have little expectation that money in these times, can be had at the common interest; & his own words will best express what he is willing to allow. “I believe I mentioned...
19From George Washington to Richard Claiborne, 15 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the 17th ulto. It would interfere with no views of mine, to give you a field to speculate in, if I was sufficiently master of the business, & had leisure for these kind of communications: but the truth is, I do not turn my thoughts to matters of that sort, & if I did, the business in which you want to be informed is too much in embryo—& depends too much on...
20From George Washington to Mathew Carey, 15 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
I purposed, so soon as I understood you intended to become the Publisher of a News Paper in Philadelphia to request that a copy of your weekly production might be sent to me. I was the more pleased with this determination, when, by a letter from my friend the Marquis de la Fayette, I found he had interested himself in your behalf. It has so happened, that my Gazettes from Philadelphia, whether...
21From George Washington to Joseph Wright, 30 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
It has so happened that your card of Septr 1st, with the Bust which accompanied it, did not get to my hands until some time in the course of last month: & that a letter from your good mother dated Decr 8th 1783, only reached me the 12th of last December. For the first you will please to receive the united acknowledgements & thanks of Mrs Washington & myself. The large one she prays may give...
22From George Washington to George Augustine Washington, 6 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
As soon as I got your letter announcing your intention of spending the Winter at Charleston I wrote you by Post, under cover to Colo. Willm Washington—& sometime after by Mr Laurens—by whom also I forwarded the articles of clothing you desired might be sent to you—there can be little doubt (as the Post now goes regularly) of both getting to hand. I need not therefore repeat any part of the...
23From George Washington to Virginia House of Delegates, 15 November 1784 (Washington Papers)
My sensibility is deeply affected by this distinguished mark of the affectionate regard of your honble House. I lament upon this occasion that my powers of utterance will not do justice to my feelings; and shall rely upon your indulgent report to supply the defect; at the sametime I pray you to present for me the strongest assurances of unalterable affection & gratitude for this last pleasing...
24From George Washington to James Rumsey, 22 February 1785 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to James Rumsey, 22 Feb. 1785. On 10 Mar. Rumsey wrote to GW : “Your favour of the 22d Ultimo has Just Came to hand.”
25From George Washington to Richard Henry Lee, 14 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
The letter which you did me the honor to write to me on the 20th of last Month, only came to my hands by the Post preceeding the date of this. For the copy of the treaty held with the Six Nations at Fort Stanwix, you will please to accept my thanks. These people have given, I think, all that the United States could reasonably have asked of them; more perhaps than the State of New York conceive...
26From George Washington to Jacob Gerhard Diriks, 15 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 24th of January came duly to hand; but being written in French (a language I do not understand) some time elapsed before an opportunity presented to get it translated—This I hope will be received as an apology for the delay of my answer. However much your merits deserve recommendation—& however pleasing it might be to me to offer my testimony to such facts as have come to my...
27From George Washington to Elias Boudinot, 31 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
Under a full persuation that my letter of Novr, to you, had miscarried, I wrote to you again by the last Post and recited the contents of it. After having done so, I was honored with your favor of the 14th of last Month. At the sametime that I thank you for your attention to my request respecting the Orchard grass Seeds, I have to lament that it should be the means of taking from you, what you...
28From George Washington to James Crane, 20 August 1784 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter which is left open for your perusal, will give you my sentiments respecting the sale of the Widow Bartletts Lease. Please to seal, before you send or deliver it. I shall have no objection to a transfer of the purchaser, if likely to fulfill the objects I had in view—& the conditions of the Lease are complied with. I am Sir &c. LB , DLC:GW . James Crane of Berkeley County,...
29From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 1 February 1785 (Washington Papers)
In a letter of the 14th of Decr from Mr Boudinot (which only came to my hands by the last Post) he informs me that he should send Six bushls of the Orchard grass Seeds to your care, for my use. If this has been done, I pray you not to forego the first opportunity of forwarding it to me, as it ought to be sowed as soon as the ground can be prepared, which I am now getting in order for its...
30From George Washington to Charles Carroll, 10 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
Immediately after my return from Annapolis, I wrote to some Gentlemen of my acquaintance in the Assembly of this State, suggesting the expediency of a conference between Delegates of their Body & yours, on the extension of the inland navigation of the river Potomac, & its communication with the Western waters. When I receive an answer, I will communicate the contents of it to you. I am &c....