1799] LAND MATTERS 437 this fact I would give no positive evidence: for after being at the whole trouble, and the greater part of the expence to obtain a recognition of the original grant of 200,000 Acres; and being compelled, very improperly I did think, and always have thought, to take it in twenty Surveys, the Governor and Council found themselves, by this act (which was protested against) under the necessity of jumbling a number of names into the same Patent, in order to give each claimant, according to his grade, and the rates they had alloted him, the qty. allowed, whereas, if the priviledge of locating that quantity, within the District which they had assigned for this purpose had been given to each Claimant, it would have prevented all the difficulties, and perplexities which have ensued; to the inconvenience of all, and entire loss of the Land, to some. But thus the matter was ordered, by that body; after which, and the issuing of the Patents consequent thereof, my Agency ceased; and I have concerned myself with no other part of the Land than was assigned me, and such as I purchased thereafter of others. With respect to the division of the tract you alluded to, so far am I from knowing that it was made according to law, that I do not know it was ever made; and as to the issue of Mr. Jno. West, I am entirely unacquainted, otherwise than by report; never having been in his house, that I recollect, more than once, and that 30 years ago; and 25 of which but little in this State. I am etc. *To CLEMENT BIDDLE [N. Y.P.L.] Mount Vernon, November 24, 1799. Dear Sir: A considerable time ago, in consequence of some applications from officers of Cavalry, to know in what manner they were to draw pay I wrote to the Secretary of War on the Subject; and received for answer, that as no Paymaster was appointed to that Corps, they were to draw on the Paymaster General. Mr. Custis (cornet in the Light Dragoons) being one of those alluded to, above, drew an order, as he informs me on the Paymaster General in your favour; but is yet without the money (of which he is a good deal in want). I pray you therefore to inform him, or me, wherein lays the difficulty of obtaining it from the Paymaster General, that I may apprise the Secretary of War thereof. When you inform me of the prices of those seeds which were ennumerated in my last, please to add to them that of Timothy seed also, by the Bushel. With much esteem and regard, I am etc. At what price could good German Oznabrigs be bought, taking eight hundred, or one thousand Ells? PS. If you could send me samples of some of the best German Oznabrgs. with the prices marked thereon, by the Ell, it would enable me to decide, whether to purchase in Philadelphia or Alexandria. I may, probably, require a thousand Ells. In some of the late Philadelphia Gazettes I have seen Advertised a number of Passengers from Hamburgh, who are to make their own contracts. Among these it is said there are Clerks in different Languages. If one could be had, who was competent in English; who is master of a fair hand in English character; and who has testimonials as to his sobriety, morals and general good character; such in short as would satisfy you, were you in want of such a Person; I should be glad to contract with him on as long terms as could be obtained, having a great deal of copying to do. And if a complete Country blacksmith; one who knows how to make Ploughs, and all other impliments for a farm would be acceptable also. [H.S.P.] 1799] NEED OF MONEY 439 *To JUDGE ALEXANDER ADDISON Mount Vernon, November 24, 1799. Sir: Your favour of the 8th. instant came duly to hand. Whatever is found to be contents of the Land I sold to the deceased Colo. Ritchie, by full and actual measurement I shall abide by. I have not heard a tittle from Mrs. Ritchie nor her brother in law on the subject of the Instalment, due me, and with pain I add, that if payment of what is due thereon is not immediately made, my own want of money must compel me to put the Bond in Suit. The object I had in selling that, and other lands, is entirely defeated by non-payment of the purchase money, agreeably to contract, and the consequence, a necessity of borrowing from the Banks at a ruinous interest; a measure I never, in the course of my life, have practised until within the present, and last year. The result of your late Election was painful to hear. With esteem etc. *To THE SECRETARY OF STATE [N.Y.P.L.] Mount Vernon, November 24, 1799. Dear Sir: Your favour of the 5th. instant came to hand in due course, and the manner in which you proposed to dispose of my letter to Mr. Murray, was perfectly agreeable to me. Knowing nothing of the writer of the enclosed letter, and unwilling to be hasty in encouraging proposals of this sort, without some information of the characters who are engaged in the Work; I take the liberty of enquiring, through you, who Mr. William W. Woodward is, and if you approve of his plan. In this case, be so good as to forward my letter to him; also enclosed; as directed; if not, I pray you to return it, along with his letter to me. With Doctr. Witherspoon I was acquainted, and have no objection to subscribing to his Works if the publication of them is by a proper hand, and on proper principles. With great esteem etc. *To WILLIAM W. WOODWARD [N.Y.P.L.] Mount Vernon, November 24, 1799. Sir: I have been favoured with your letter of the 19th. Instant. Being well acquainted with Doctr Witherspoon, whilst living, and knowing to his abilities; I shall, with pleasure as far as becoming a subscriber to his Works may contribute, promote the success of their Publication: and I do authorise you accordingly, to add my name to the subscription Paper which appears to be in existance. I am etc. [N. Y.P.L.] *To REVEREND BRYAN, LORD FAIRFAX Mount Vernon, November 26, 1799. My Lord: In the early part of this month, I went up to Difficult-run to examine with more accuracy than I had ever done before, the small tract of Land you were so obliging (many years ago) to accomodate me with, for a Stage for my Waggons whilst I had plantations in Berkeley County; to see if it would now (having many years since removed my people from those Lands) answer for a small Farm; those around me being overstocked with labourers. I was unable, with the assistance of several of the Neighbours thereabouts, to survey the lines, or more than one corner of the tract. There was also a corner to the Land lately belonging to the Earl of Tankerville, and at the end of the first course after leaving the run (where it was supposed the upper corner tree thereon formerly stood). From this, well known corner neither line tree nor corner tree could be found; the next, called 1799] A LAND DISPUTE 441 for by the Deed, was a white oak on the bridge branch. In running the course of the Deed from thence, it crossed the main (Leesburgh) road much lower, than those present, conceived it ought to have done; the concurrent opinion being, that this course and Tankerville's were the same; and it was well known to them all that the latter crossed the Road higher up. The person present, who had it most in his power to give correct information, attended for other purposes than to be useful to me; for when he found my line and Tankervilles did not accord, agreeably to the received opinion, he (William Shepherd) attempted to impress a belief that a very narrow-pointed gore, of a tract of 12,000 and odd acres, belonging to the late Thos. Lord Fairfax, run in between; and when it was observed that this was as improbable, as unheard of, by any of them before, it eked out by degrees, that his object was to deceive, until he could enter the gore as vacant land for himself. I have troubled you with these details by way of an apology for the liberty I am about to take (if you see no impropriety in granting it) of asking, having heard that the above mentioned tract of twelve thousand and odd acres was a bequest to you, or your sons, by the late Thomas Lord Fairfax, for the courses, or so many thereof, together with such of your Towlston tract, on Difficult run, below and dividing the seperate survey of 275 acres made for one Norris, as will enable me, not only to discover my own lines, but whether there is any vacancy between them and the Lands adjoining. To accomplish this, it will not escape your penetration, that there must be some corner; or line, of one or both of the tracts I have enumerated, and mine the same; otherwise the three plats (or so much of them as is essential to my purpose) could not be connected together so as to elucidate the point in question. Having had abundant proof of your readiness to oblige me on all occasions, I will add nothing further in excuse for asking |