I had the pleasure to recieve your favour of the 21st Jany by Mr Lee which he was so obliging as to send by a Servt on the 8th Inst— it gives us infinite pleasure to hear from you frequently and to hear you are well, I have not the smallest doubt but that you apply your time properly, in persuit of knowledge and that the future advantages you will gain by it will amply repay you for your present labours, gladden the hearts of your parents, and be of service to your Country, inducements strong enough excite exercion in a less reflecting mind then yours— In my last or in my last but one, I wrote you, that I had obtained an order from Mr Thoms Rouand on Mr Will: Hunter of Alexandria to pay you in Philadelphia £50 this money, that I had inclosed the order to Mr Hunter and had requested of him that if the order was good (and I had good reason to believe it was) that he would cause the money to be paid as quickly as possable and at all events whether good or bad to inform me as quickly as possable that in the one case I might fall upon other expedients, or in the other I might be upon a certainty that you would get that supply, if this sum comes to your hands I am pretty well satisfyed that I shall be able to make a further remittance in tolorable time—and I hope if the present information we have be true that a peace is about to be concluded if not absolutely concluded on, that the produce of our estates will find a better Market, and of course that I shall be enabled to furnish you better then heretofore, I am anxcious that you should make yourself acquainted, perticularly with musick & the small Sword if I can rais cash (and I hope I shall be able) and you do not find them to intefeer too much with your Studys, for my own part I cannot see wherein they would interfeer— dancing should not at any rate be neglected in the present moment for altho you might hereafter attend lessons upon the Small Sword & Music, it would not do to enter yourself a Sholar at a dancing Shool after you had finished yr Studys— you seam to be apprehensive that I may think your expences too great or that you are extravigant, I have no reason to think you are extravigant, and as to your expences they are unavoidable and I had lay'd my dect for as large or larger sums accruing from high board, and the high price of those necessarys that are unavoidable— I am happy in hearing that the Genl holds you in remembrance his advise will be found to proceed from experience and sound Judgment and very worthy of attention— I shall make a push for Berkley the first good spell of weather in March to see if I cannot convirt some kind of property into Cash to remit you, or elce to send forward Hemp as the severity of the winter will probably be over— your Mama proposes to write by this post and I suppose will be very perticular in her discripsion of the Roberys committed by 3 Barges on the 1st Inst on Mrs Butler, Mrs Martin, Danl Fitzeh[e]w & others on Mattox & Nick Muse of this neck— Have you made any inquiries lately about Steels certificate that he passed to me and that you have lodged with you—about when, and how, I am to be paid, who are the persons to settle these matters with— I wish you would make the fullest inquiries, and of those the best quallifyed to inform you— if you have formed an acquaintance with Mr Morris I should think he would advise you, and he ought to be as well acquainted with these matters as any boddy, if Colo. Bland is at Congress I am sure he would give you any advice or assistance in his power— I wish you would after making the proper inquiries inform me by the first safe oppertunity— I don't know whether I have mentioned it before but if I have not a letter by every second post to Fredericksbg will be a good conveyance as I send up every 2d post day— I am my dear Bushrod Your very Aff. & Loving Father