Washington, Lund, 1737-1796

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A.D.S. Account from Sept. 1774-Feb. 1775 for sugar and codfish--£1.3.0. Autograph document signed, in hand of Benjamin Call, laminated, docketed "Henly and Caul". Receipted July 17, 1775 by Benjamin Call.

Scope and Contents This agreement between George Washington and Penelope French secured for his use the last piece of property he added to his Mount Vernon estate, a parcel that would become part of Union Farm. French, who had a life in interest in the land and buildings, also leased to Washington the use of twenty-one enslaved people including "Will, Paschal, Paul, Abraham, Sabine, Rosanna, Daphne, Lucy, Delia, Grace, Tom, Isaac, Robert, Moses, Julius, Spencer, Nancy, Celia, Nell, Mitty, and Lett", and three...

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A.L.S. 1 page. Mrs. French won't exchange her land tract for tract--"Mrs. Dulany and myself will give the Reversion of the Dogue Creek Land for Dow and Co Land Tract for Tract." Autograph letter signed, integral cover marked "By Abraham", laminated, docketed in later hand "From Benj. Dulany about land for G.W." in pencil, watermark (MW). Name on original manuscript appears as "Benj. Dulany". (See letter of same date, Lund W. to G.W.)

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In this letter Lunds writes about trying to recover runaway negro from [Jennifer] Adams and rent from Adams along with affairs of other tenants, among other topics.

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Report on farming, etc. wheat very poor, gave a very small amount of flour--ground has been either very wet or frozen since Washington's departure, thus holding up the plowing--mention of a good slave whom Mr. Adam will not sell for £50.

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Lund writes about crops and planting. Washington in Williamsburg at Burgess meeting, then onto Dismal Swamp. Martha includes a postscript at the end of the letter. One of only two extant examples of correspondence from Martha Washington to George Washington, Martha penned this six line postscript with news and greetings on the second page of a letter from Lund Washington to George on March 30, 1767.

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Account of weather and activities at Mt. Vernon. "The carpenters are laying the barn floor in the Neck." Waiting for the brickmaker's arrival, "The negroes are all well. Bishop has sowed half his field in wheat and made two casks of cider." Expecting a "great crop of corn." "The Children are very well & were yesterday at Alexandria Church ..."

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Condition of crops, wheat and corn--sowing--ditchers--several of the Negroes lately sick--Alton's Morris', Cleveland's and Bishops farms--brickmaker failed to report for work--timothy and lucerne--Cleveland's barn floor finished--compliments to Mrs. Washington, her children are well and send love, also their love to Coll. Wm. Fairfax and his lady.

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Washington's lost horses have not returned to Mt. Vernon--the corn crop--ditchers--sowing wheat and making cider--Price (brickmaker) has returned because they could get no other--none available in Mr. Piper's shipload of servants--milldam--how to get brickwood across creek?--half planks for Morris' barn floor--children are well--glad Mrs. W. has benefited from springs.

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Deals with mill and farm affairs--"Our mill is once more in a bad way"--wall of water pit falling down."--" ... give yourself no uneasiness or anxiety about the mill, you may depend I will use every precaution to prevent further damages."--sale of flour--wheat fields look promising--all are well.

Scope and Contents Will let Col. Simpson have money, but had difficulty in selling bill of exchange for continental money -- no word of escaped painter Cleveland -- work on store house and wash house [office] -- John [Broad] and negroes sick -- wet weather and wheat sowing -- scarcity of spinning wheels -- Lanphier supposed to repair old ones -- Committee has made choice of officers for militia -- "the remains of our company" to form company and ask Committee of Safety for commissions for officers -- Mrs....

Scope and Contents Meeting Mrs. W. at Mr. Digges across river--thinks Mr. Harrison will accept W-n's offer--Alexa. & Loudon people worried about Mrs. W.'s presence at Mt. V.--he thinks there's no danger--"her old acquaintance the attorney" wouldn't permit Lord Dunmore to come up river & take her--if necessary he can get her away quickly--she leaves soon for "down the country" with son and daughter-[in-law]--he writes G.W. weekly--rain prevents sowing wheat--repairing tumbling dam--work on wash or...

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Mrs. W. & Mr. & Mrs. John Parke Custis stop a few days in Fredericksburg on way to Col. Bassett's--mill dam repair completed--too wet to plow--John Knowles (bricklayer) sick--John Broad back at work--Judge the taylor & Sears sick--stucco man at work on dining room--carpenters on wash house [office]--letters by Constitutional post most reliable--kept in Alexandria by Mr. Hendricks.

Scope and Contents Sent word to Mrs. W. at New Kent informing her to come to camp--expect her here immediately--discussion by Md. and Alex. residents of plan to blocade river--Indian Head best place--"Captn Boucher [said] he woud undertake with 3 ships [sunk] to stop the Channel so that no ship of Force coud get up the River ..."--Mrs. W. packed his papers in a trunk to be sent to Capt. McCarty's for safe keeping--she gave him key to G.W.'s study but he won't touch anything there except in emergency--what to...

Scope and Contents Enclosed letter probably tells of Mrs. W's coming to camp--her long stay in New Kent after being sent for is ill-judged--nothing done about blocade of Potomac River--why he had to pay Mercer money--difficulties of paying in paper money--"John Lowe the Barber says you owe him 7/6 for a false tale for your hair"--James Cleveland came with certificates of improvements on Great Kanawa & Ohio land--settlers there left and went to Wheeling because of Indian attacks--won't return--G.W.'s...

Scope and Contents Dining room almost finished--"the Stucco Man agrees the ceilg. is a handsomer one than any of Colo. Lewises altho not half the work in it it was a plan recommen'd by Sears."--too late to turf the Ha Ha's--what proportions to use on gateways?--Lanphier no help on this or anything else--let him know in Spring what brick work to do after building the underpining & chimney to the house that will be placed opposite the store house--will plaster wash house or Servt's house [office] this...

Scope and Contents Account of money since Washington left, together with money to and from Mrs. Washington--all were bills contracted before he left--Washington's mother wrote asking for "linnen" not obtainable there and other trifles--explains accounts paid--will try to raise stone out of banks for chimney tops to be put up this winter, for kitchen, storehouse and other house to be built opp.--painting kitchen, storehouse, and house--corn crop--if Washington approves will put up a strong house at Morrises for...

Scope and Contents From the Collection:

This collection contains letters to and from George Washington that have been aquired by the MVLA since 1858. For more information, see content note for individal items. The collection grows organically as new items are acquired.

Scope and Contents Examination of [James] Cleveland re certificates of improvements on G.W.'s western lands--pd. Tho. Lawson for iron--Jennifer Adams' land--negro won't return to Va. from Adam's; should he be sold?--Col. [George] Mercer's & Col. [Geo. Wm.] Fairfax's estates--Bryan Fairfax's peculiar religious behavior--report of Dunmore attacking 100 men "this side of the great Bridge ..."--convention to raise 4000 men--Dunmore's negro troops--desires privateers to come and take Dunmore's squadron--negroes...

Scope and Contents Mill swamp to be cleared for pasture--coopers cutting trees for staves--corn--several of Oliver Cleveland's people ill--plan for hedging and ditching--suggests fallowing land & putting into wheat, thus saving labor for ditching & hedging--briar hedge planted from mansion to Hell Hole eaten by cattle--cherry trees will not live--"I should be glad to be informd in what manner the House now Buildy. opposite the store House is to be divided into partitions--in one of your Letters you say...

Scope and Contents Col. [George] Mercer's estate--difficulties in collecting rents in Loudon, no markets for crops, and men indicted there for spreading ideas that they should not be expected to pay--flower knots in garden to be leveled, flowers shrubs planted elsewhere--gravel sorted for walks--one of Cleveland's men left when hardships set in--Wm. Skilling will repair well--John Broad injured "playing Frolick"--wrote to Wmsbg. to sell the painter, now in jail there--believes Washington should accept wages as...

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River frozen--hasn't yet seen Mr. Marshall or Mr. Triplett about land exchange--thinks it bad scheme to raise hogs to take care of surplus corn--pork prices low--well keeps caving in, perhaps will have to ask instructions as to where to dig a new one--good negro shoemaker available from Adams--conduct of negroes--better sell bay or stop using him for breeding--hurts him to see miller and mill idle.

Scope and Contents Exchange of Adams and Matthews land still not settled--much alarm in Alexandria, expecting an attack from 5 large ships reported to be off Cone [mouth of Potomac]--river now blocked with ice but women and children evacuating and moving goods--they will fight to defend town--he thinks the ships more apt to be oyster boats--packing Washington's china and glass into barrels and then would be able to move things at short notice to Mrs. Barnes and to Morris' barn--rum and wine to be moved...

Scope and Contents Several accounts are over-due, one to Lanphier--Mercer's estate--no one has applied for Col. Fairfax's bond--Lord Fairfax at present pretty well--will sell Adams' negro to someone Washington owes money to--problems of the mill [on Bulskin ?]--Simpson--French and Dulany land not settled--John Broad still alive but dying--the well will hold, must make top brick instead of stone--house opposite store framed but not raised--next will work on 2-family quarters in Muddy Hole--salting fish--letter...

Scope and Contents Question of Lund's wages, he only brought it up because Washington had offered to pay him equal to what he had had in any former year--never expects to be rich--will serve him faithfully--Mr. Baily wants 10% to collect the rents, thinks 5% is enough--suggests he might collect them himself--Tayloe has instructed him to deliver the bonds to Col. Peyton--problems with Cleveland, who must be paid since he was acting as Washington's agent--John Broad still alive--Adams' land--Triplett questions...

Scope and Contents Dray colt--use of other horses--Stevens will not get to save the rest of Washington's lands [Kanawha] with only the negroes--he thinks it best to get two other white men and have them appointed by court to appraise work when done--if Washington thinks the upset times not enough excuse for failing to satisfy the legal requirements to save land from forfeiture must give Lund liberty to make best arrangement possible with man to go out--7,000 acres patented in Washington's name and Muse upon...

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Hopes Washington will come to Mt. Vernon while troops in winter quarters--no crop for sale this year--wheat destroyed, mill idle, short crop of corn--gives corn crop yields from each farm--many visiters and horses cause great use of crops--also 24 of own horses--wants to try making rum, sugar, and molasses from Indian corn stalk for money crop.

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Detailed description of Dow's land on Cameron Run--Mrs. French will never consent to exchange land--G.W. anxious to have her land--Mrs. W. goes to Mr. Digges across river in company of Dr. Stewart (Stuart)--[Mrs. French's land is between Epsewasson and Little Hunting Creeks, part of Union Farm].

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Lund encloses [Benj.] Dulany's letter concerning Mrs. French's landand Mr. and Mrs. D. agrees to sale of land.

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Lund writes about further efforts to exchange Dow and French lands, maybe Mrs. F. can be persuaded to trade Manley's land (adjoining French's), and has purchased Dow's land to bargain with Mrs. F along with a description of land.