Your Mama Mildred and my Self came to this place better then a weak past, and did intend to have stretched as far as Fredericksbg to visit our relations, but the weather has proved so intensely cold and frosen that we have given over all views except that of returning home as soon as the frost will permit— I have had the pleasure of recieving yr Letter by Doctr Thom<mutilated> pleased that you had an oppertunity of seeing th<e> evacuation and taking possession of New York by our troops with the &c. &c. especially under the advantages of attending the Genl and his Friends— the Books you sent by the Doctr are safely arived and will be forwarded by a special messenger as soon as the frost will permit— I wrote you a few lines from Berkley in Decr and inclos'd letters from yr Brothers with a Catilogue of Books (the same I suppose that you have sent) so that if that is the case it will be unnecessary— I shall indeavour to form the best plan I can for obtaining the Books you want, but at present nothing has been attempted nor do I know of any oppertunity of writing, there is no going about¹, and even the wide river Potomack is frosen over as low I believe as its mouth— It will be necessary that Mr Hollinsworth should make out the Acct of sales of Nat: Butlers hhd Tobo also your Aunt Smiths siperately, and the Neet proceeds after deducting his Commission and all charges that they may have credit these you will have transmited by different hands it is not necessary that the money should be transmited you may apply that to your own use with the amount of the sales of that I sent— I would wish you to be in if possable by the time we fixed, as I shall be obliged to go to Berkley about the 10th of Apl and accompany yr Brothers down on the first of may—and should you not get to Mt Vernon before I set of to Berkley some inconveniencys might arise with respect to yr conveyance down to Bushfield— if therefore you cannot get to Mt Vernon by the middle of March, I think it would be advisable not to get there till the 10 of Apl it is probeble yr Mama may go up with me as far as Mt Vernon abt that time as I shall be on my way to Berkley and stay till I return² <mutilated>re in my way home, when we can all come together You will transmit me as speadily as possable a state of yr affairs, and what will be necessary to remit to keep you till yr leaving Philadelphia and bringing you to Mt Vernon— this letter is forwarded by a Mr McClure Merchant in Baltimore who has promised to get it forwarded, but is too great a hurry to furnish your Mama with an oppertunity of writing— we are well, this Family & Betseys also— Our Most Respectfull & Affe Compliments attends my very good Friends Mr & Mrs Powel— the Love of all here attends you— I am my dear Bushrod Your very Aff. Father