To James Henderson
Mt V. Feby 20. 1811
Sir
I1 am much indebted to you for your favor of the 5th inst. from which I derive very pleasing & at the same time much2 useful information respecting the3 Dismal Swamp Co.— The handsome dividend which you anticipate in may furnishes strong evidence of the prosperous state of the Company's affairs & of the good management of those to whom they have been & are committed.4 I concur with you in opinion that a charter of incorporation will add very much to the security of this property &5 for some purposes, it seems to be almost indispensable.6 I shall therefore chearfully unite with the other members of the society in an application to the Legislature at their next Session for a law to that effect.7
Presuming that you will attend the general meetings of the stock holders whether holder in Wmsburg or Suffolk, I take the liberty of enquiring whether it would be agreeable to you to act as the8 representative of the Exectrs of Genl W. and if so whether a more formal delegation of power than this letter is intended to confer, (in the event of your consenting to act for them) be necessary? Should it not be convenient to you to act, I will9 ask the favor of Mr Prentice to accept the appointment.
My orders in future shall be more legibly written, tho at the same time I must inform you that those which the managers thought exceptionable were written with Wedgewoods metalic10 pencil through carbonated paper & that the letters are as indelible as if formed with the best ink. The discovery, for which the inventor obtaind a patent, has furnished the most convenient portable copying instrument that I have ever met with. I am sir very respectfully yr. mt. ob. Servt
Bush. Washington
Source Note
ADfS, NcD: Bushrod Washington Papers. BW noted that this was a retained copy.
1. After the word "I" BW first wrote "feel myself very" but crossed it out.
2. In place of the word "much" BW first wrote "very."
3. BW first wrote "affairs of the" after the word "the" but crossed it out.
4. After this sentence BW wrote the sentence "The rise in the value of this property seems to be inevitable, &" but crossed it out.
5. After the ampersand BW wrote "will greatly facilitate the operations of the society in contribute to chearfully contribute as far as I can to promote" but crossed it out.
6. After this sentence BW first wrote "I will beg the favor of Mr Prentis to represent the Exectr of Genl W. at the next meeting and to will I sh" but crossed it out.
7. After this sentence BW first began a new paragraph "I thank you for mentioning Mr Prentis to me, to whom I will write & request him the favor of him to represent the Exectrs of Genl W. at the next meeting." But BW crossed this sentence out.
8. BW first wrote "proxy" after the word "the" but crossed it out.
9. After the word "will" BW wrote "write forward and beg" but crossed it out.
10. In place of the word "metalic" BW first wrote "steel" but crossed it out.
Note: Because this document is only a verified first-pass transcription, it and the document metadata may still contain errors.