ROAD FROM VIRGINIA

487

Mrs. Fairfax this morning, altho. it woud have been out of her power to have accompanied her in the intended Visit; for she also was siezed with a severe Ague about Noon yesterday and has not got clear of the Fever yet, and again my Sister, Austin and her two eldest daughters came late in the Evening.

If you have had time to examine our Mississipi Scheme,1 and have come to any resolutions in consequence, I shoud be glad to know them, for I was desired (in case you Inclined to be an adventurer) to get you to sign the Articles and transmit an Account thereof to the next meeting of the Committee, which happen's now about, the better to know when our number is compleated; you will be so good also as to propose this matter to Doctr. Cockburne if you conceive it will meet his approbation, otherwise it will be unnecessary. My Sister presents her Compliments, and gives Mrs. Fairfax joy of her safe return to Virginia and Mrs. Washington joins in Complimts. to both Families as doth Dr. Sir, Yr. etc.1

17

*To ACTING GOVERNOR JOHN BLAIR 18

May 17, 1768.

Honble Sir: At present the road from Fort Cumberland to Pittsburg is very thickly Inhabited; so much so at least, as to render the communication easy and convenient for Travellers, and for the transportation of Provisions &ca. from the Frontiers of this Colony to the last mentioned Garrison, and to the Settlers that now are, or may hereafter be fixed on the Ohio;

18 The Mississippi Company was to be formed by 50 members, who were “to contribute equally towards the expence of sending an Agent to England to obtain from the Crown a Grant of Lands on the Mississippi aforesaid and its Waters." Every adventurer was to have 50,000 acres for a share; the crown was to protect the settlement from the Indians. A copy of the scheme or plan of the Company is in the writing of Washington in the Washington Papers, under date of June 3, 1763. There were, at that date, 19 members whose names are given.

"From a photostat of the original in the Boston Public Library.

28 Acting governor by virtue of being president of the Virginia Council.

but if the People on the otherside of the Alligany shoud be totally removed, the difficulties of that communication of consequence becomes augmented, and Our Frontier Inhabitants (by odds the most contiguous, and best adapted for the purpose of furnishing the Kings Troops with Provisions and such like things) subjected to Inconveniencies the Contrary of which the People of Pensylvania enjoy in the greatest degree by having Garrisons established all along their Road: So sensible are our Frontier People of this, that several of them in talking to me upon the subject, did request, that I woud lay the matter before your Honour; hoping, that, by means of your representation, Stages might be permitted (I mean some of the Inhabitants suffer'd to remain only) at three or four different places along the Road (that Our Assembly levied money towards the opening of) to the end that Travellers, drivers of Cattle, Hogs, Pack Horses &ca. might be accomodated with halting Places and Provision, to sustain themselves and Cattle in a March so tedious, and often incommoded by the swelling of many large Waters which they are compeld to cross. To this request I promised a compliance, in full assurance, that if the matter appeard in the same light to your honr., it does to me, you woud readily lay the Circumstances of it before his Excellency Genl. Gage, whose powers, I apprehend, can regulate these matters; and who; I am perswaded, in consideration of the benefits which his Majesty's Troops will derive from ready Supplies to his Garrisons, woud chearfully come into a measure of this kind; which, from its nature, can give no offence to the Indians, nor any one else; unless there be People in the world, so selfish, as to aim at a monopoly of those advantages which may follow a Trade to Pittsburg and the Country round it. I hope I shall stand excused for the liberty I have taken in laying this affair before your Honr. with great respect

I remain etc.

[C. L.]

Mount Vernon, Fairfax County.

His Excellency the Governour, by and with the consent of his Majesty's Council, having been pleased to grant 200,000 acres

19

"From a photograph of the original in the Würtenbergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart, kindly furnished by Dr. Löffler.

of land on the Great Canhawa, &c. to the officers and soldiers who embarked in the service of this colony, agreeable to a proclamation issued the 19th of February 1754, by the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Esq; the Lieutenant Governour; and having, moreover, been pleased to require that I should receive the several and respective claims of every person who engaged in the service aforesaid, before the battle of the Meadows in 1754,20 I do hereby give this publick notice thereof, requesting that every officer and soldier, or their representatives, will exhibit their respective claims to a share of these lands, properly attested, to me, before the 10th day of October next ensuing, in order that the whole may be laid before his Lordship and Council, and finally adjusted. And to the intent that no unnecessary application may be made, it is hereby signified that no person who entered into the service of this colony after the said battle of the Meadows (which concluded the campaign of 1754) is entitled to any part of these 200,000 acres of land, as they were given to the first adventures, under the proclamation aforesaid. GEORGE WASHINGTON.21

*To ROBERT CARY & COMPANY

Mount Vernon, August 20, 1770.

Gentn. This Letter accompanies my Invoices for Potomack and York Rivers as also Mr and Miss Custis's. Agreeable to the several Orders therein containd you will please to dispatch the Goods and by the first Ships bound to the respective Rivers. Those for Potomack will come I hope by a more careful hand than the last did as I neither receivd the Goods nor Letters by Captn. Saunderson till the middle of June nor coud ever discover in what Ship, by what Captn, or to what part of the

20 Known also as Fort Necessity.

"From the Virginia Gazette, Dec. 21, 1769.

TOBACCO PRICE

491

Country they came (the duplicate by Peterson giving no insight into any of these matters but left me in full belief that the Ship was lost as such a length of time had elapsd between the date of your Letter and the receipt of it). In short I do not know to this hour how the Goods came to this River as it was by Accident I heard they were Stored at Boyds hole about 60 Miles from this place and was obliged to send for them at my own expence which will often happen if they are sent into any other River than the one they are destind to; but why this shoud have been the case in the Instance before us I am at a loss to guess as there were two Ships Saild from London to Potomack after Johnstoun did; and a little before, or nearly about the time of the date of your Letter by Saunderson, to wit, Grig in the Service of Mollison and Walker belonging to Deberts, Lee, and Sayre.

When I opend the Packages a piece of Duffield chargd £4.13 was found eaten to a honey Comb (by Moth); whether this was the effect of long lying or carelessness of the Woolen Draper I shall not undertake to determine but certain it is, that I shall not be able to get a single Garment out of the whole piece. By Merchants more accustomd to the Importation of Goods than I am, I have been told that it must have been packd up in the order I receivd it, as there is no such thing as Moths eating in a close Parcel. If this really was the case, it is a species of Dealing which does not reflect much honr. upon the reputation of Messrs. Mauduit Wright & Co.

By Captn. Peterson I have Shipd you 32 Hhds of Mr. Custis's Tobo. and mine consisting of 17 more the Sales of which hope and flatter myself will be equal to other Tobacco's made in the same Neighbourhood; but which give, me leave to add, has not been the case hitherto notwithstanding you seem to think that I cannot be otherwise than pleased with the last Acct. you rendered.