To George Washington from Burgess Ball, 13 February 1794
From Burgess Ball
Leesburg [Va.]-–13th Feby 94
Dear sir,
I recd yours a few days past mentiong that you had procured the Clover Seed for me, and that it wd be forwarded as soon as the Ice wd permit.1 As I have troubled you so far, I wd take the liberty of requesting you’ll be so good as to procure & send me 2 or 3 Bush: of the Chocolate Shells such as we’ve frequently drank Chocolate of at Mt Vernon, as my Wife thinks it agreed with her better than any other Breakfast.2 I hope you’ll excuse my thus troubling you, as I know not how else we can procure it. We recd the Braceletts &c. for which Fanny is greatly obliged to Mrs Washington for her trouble in gettg made &c.3 I have sent down but 13 Bush: of B: wheat, the Thaw havg come on just as I had set in to hauling. It shall all be down as soon as possible.4 I am Dr sir Yr Affect. Hble servt
B. Ball
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. For this letter, see GW to Ball, 3 February.
2. In his letter to Ball of 24 Feb., GW promised to procure the desired chocolate, and on 24 Feb. he paid $2.20 for “2½ busls chocolate shels, and barl to send to Colo. Ball” (). On 16 March, GW wrote Ball that both the chocolate and clover seed were on board a vessel bound for Alexandria, Virginia. On Ball’s receipt of these items, see his letter to GW of 5 April.
3. The bracelets for Ball’s wife, Frances Washington Ball, were sent along with GW’s letter of 3 February.
4. William Pearce, GW’s farm manager, had received 131 bushels of buckwheat from Ball as of 18 March (GW to Ball, 23 March 1794).