this favour. As it is very probable Mr. Ferdn. Fairfax will make you a visit shortly I will be glad to be informed of his arrival, being informed that the land adjoining me, above (Ld. Tankerville's) is now in his possession. Sincerely wishing you a return of good health. I am with very great esteem etc. *To JOHN GILL Mount Vernon, November 26, 1799. Sir: Under cover with this, you are furnished with the Invoice of such goods as I require. As it was not so much in my power to fix the prices, as to designate the quality of the Goods, the amount of the cost of them may exceed, or fall short, of the sum due from you to me. If the first, the balance shall be paid by me, if the latter, I shall look to you for the deficiency. I have drawn up, and signed before evidences, a memoranda of the agreement we entered into the day you were at this place, according to my conception of it. I have not, intentionally, departed either from the spirit or letter of it; and if it meets your approbation, the counterpart may be signed by you, before witnesses, and returned to me; together with the Deed from Mr. Herbert to you; and against your arrival in Alexandria I will have a conveyance of that part of lot No 10 which lays on the upper side of Difficult run, ready for your Signature. It is not always an easy matter to make interested men, at a distance, (when they are deprived of opportunities of seeing, and judging for themselves believe that, there can be perfect candour used in a transaction, or relation of facts by the other party, when they are differently circumstanced [mutilated] nothing more certain than that, the Woodland part of No 10 which is on the lower side of Difficult run, would be infinitely 1799] BLANKETS AND CLOTH 443 more valuable to the propriator of the land adjoining it, on that side, than that part of Lewis's tract which lays on the upper side; seperated therefrom by a deep and Mirey run which can only be passed in places and not at those in all seasons. For the same reason, the last mentioned slipe would be advantageous to me, although entirely stripped of wood and much exhausted. I am etc. [N.Y.P.L.] *INVOICE OF GOODS TO BE SENT FOR BY MR. JOHN GILL, OF BALTIMORE, FOR AND ON ACCOUNT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, OF MOUNT VERNON IN VIRGINIA, ACCORDING TO AGREEMENT Mount Vernon, November 26, 1799. 6 pair of the largest, finest, and best Bed Blankets. 6 pieces of the largest, thickest and best striped Blanketing for negros. these pieces generally contain 15 or 16 blankets each. 6 pieces of Ditto 2d sort, somewhat smaller. 7. ps. of light coloured broadcloath (not quite white) for my servants liveries; to cost about 7/6 sterg. pr. yard. 1 ps. of Scarlet for ditto to cost abt 8/6 pr. yard 180 yards (or thereabouts, according to the number of yards in a piece) of blue thick set, or Dufd. for negros cloathing 200 yards, or thereabouts, of green do. for do. of a quality somewhat cheaper. 6 dble gross of the cheapest kind of white mettal Buttons.80 "From a photostat of the original through the kindness of Judge E. A. Armstrong, of Princeton, N. J. On November 26 Washington wrote briefly to William Thornton, inclosing a post note and check, amounting in all to $1,000 for Mr. Blagdin. He requested to know the number and sizes of the rooms in his city houses; "frequent enquiries are made of me concerning them without my being able to satisfy the Enquiror." The press copy of this letter is in the New York Public Library. *To SAMUEL SOMMERS Mount Vernon, November 28, 1799. Sir: Colo. Little forwarded your letter of the 25th instant to me, yesterday evening; and I have now to request (if it is not already done) that my Entry may be made in the County Surveyors Book of Record, and the Treasury Warrant deposited therewith. Not having the Laws of the Commonwealth (since the Revolution) by me, I am entirely unacquainted with the regular mode of proceeding with respect to Entries; but should conceive that, no application by letter to the Surveyors Office for one, after my letter had been there (without any person authorized to receive it) and advised to be carried to you as Deputy Surveyor, and there entered, could defeat my right. Be this however, as it may, I am persuaded you acted from you best judgment; and the matter, if contested must rest upon a fair representation of facts. It would be proper that my letters to the Surveyor (opened by you) should be deposited along with the Treasury Warrant and Entry. Being, next to my open and candid declaration in the presence of Shepherd and all others after finding that Tankervilles course and mine did not accord, and it having always been considered as my land, that I would enter it, the origin of the business. I should have proceeded 'ere this to the ascertainment of this vacancy (if there be any); but it is proper that the course of the adjoining Lands should be first obtained, and the Proprietors thereof notified of my intention to give it a fair appearance. If these can be accomplished, I shall, when the Weather will permit set about this Work with the County Surveyor or yourself. With esteem I am etc. [N.Y.P.L.] 1799] A LAND BOUNDARY 445 *To CHARLES LITTLE Mount Vernon, November 28, 1799. Dear Sir: Mr. Johnston delivered me your favour of yesterday, and a map of the Land, formerly Lord Tankervilles; but as he came late in the afternoon, and said he was obliged to return that evening, I did not incline to detain him until I could examine, and get such information from the plat as was necessary for my purpose. I therefore dispatched him, and took the liberty of detaining the latter until this morning. I am much obliged to you for sending it to me (and have paid Mr Johnston for bringing it). It shews clearly, that Tankervilles line and mine, from the Bridge, or Colville Branch are not the same. The question then is, whether the space between is vacant, or part of the late Thos. Lord Fairfaxs twelve thousand Acre tract. I have no doubt myself, as well from other circumstances, as from Shepherds conduct, of its being waste and ungranted; but until I can get the meets and bounds of the above tract of 12000 acres, and perhaps of the Towlston Land also this fact can not be ascertained with precision. The present Lord Fairfax has promised me every aid in his power to elucidate this matter; but thinks some of the Papers necessary to effect it are in the possession of his son (he does not say which) whom he expects down between this and Christmas: but finding that Mr Shepherd, and some who abet him, are active in their endeavours to arrest my Entry, it has put me more upon my mettle than I should otherwise have been, and more perhaps than the land, if obtained, is worth. For this reason, I mean to have the line of these several tracts, so far as they relate to me investigated with as little delay as can be avoided. If therefore, while you are in Berkeley, you should by chance fall in with either Mr. Thos. or Mr Ferdinand Fairfax, it would add to the favours you have already confered on me in this business, by requesting whichsoever of them has the Papers in possession (if they see no impropriety in the measure) to furnish me with a copy of the courses of such Land as adjoin mine, it would save me the trouble and expence of sending to the Land Office in Richmond for Copies thereof. Having the boundaries of the several tracts around mine and their connection with each other before me I might be enabled to discover without going on the Land, whether there be any surveyors error or not; although a Survey would be sure to contain the amount of such [illegible] as to obtain a Grant therefor. After having obtained this information, a Survey be necessary it is more than probable that I shall avail myself of your kind offer to attend it. With esteem etc. *To WILLIAM PAYNE [N. Y.P.L.] Mount Vernon, November 28, 1799. 81 Sir: If this letter should find you at home, the intention of it is (through Mr. Rawlins the bearer) to enquire into the State of my Entry, of a supposed vacancy of land on Difficult run. and always supposed . . . boundaries; and to be a ... a Mr. Willm. Shepherd or others for him have taken in your Office to... the progress of my Entry and Warrant. If you have seen the Register Mr. S. Sommers, since your return, you would from him, have received a perfect account of the whole... business. If you have not, Mr. Rawlins relation, who is acquainted therewith will save me the necessity of detailing them. I have done, and am ready to do, all that has been adjudged expedient and proper. I am etc. 81 The press copy was poorly made. Words indicated by leaders [ ... [N.Y.P.L.] ] are illegible. |