Your letter of the 17th was not received until the 29^th. I perceive that it was written at Bath, & put into the Post office at Charles Town.

I owe you an apology for not having returned an earlier answer to your letter of the 20th June. The truth is, that at the time I recd it, and another from brother Thompson, I was engaged in a piece of business which required dispatch, & which induced me to postpone my answers to a period when it would be more in my power to reflect upon the decisions which you & he had made & to examine cases. But before that period had arrived our domestic misfortunes commenced.

Your letter of the 11th July found me upon a bed of sickness, from which I was not very soon relieved. I had scarcely become convalescent, before others of my family were taken down— finally, I determined to abandon the Country, which was becoming universally sickly, and to take refuge with Mrs W. in this place, which has, thus far, been unusually healthy. I trouble you with this account of my past troubles, as it furnishes the only legitimate apology for my long Silence since the rect of your favor.

I have not recd a line from you since yours of the 7th altho I have with infinite anxiety sent to Alexa. in the hope of recieving a letter to inform me what was done on the 11th as to the adjournment of the Court. Mrs Washington has not even yet recovered her strength, but it was our intention at least to set out on our Journey & to endeavour to perform it by slow rides in case you had informed me that the adjournment was to any day in this month.

I wrote you some days ago describing the Situation of Mrs W. & myself, and expressing my anxiety (which I most sincerely felt & yet feel) to attend the Phila. Court, and my doubts whether it would be practicable. I am now distressed, (as well on account of the effect as of the cause) to inform you, that I altogether despair of being able to go forward. I am yet very weak myself, although I should risk the attempt to get on, if I had myself alone to attend to. But Mrs W.

Very soon after the rect of your kind favor, whilst the Hack from Washington was here to take us to Trenton, & the night before the Journey was to commence, I was attacked by a bilious fever, which with the necessary evacuations have so prostrated my strength, that I have scarcely enough left to enable me to move, but with great difficulty, about the room. Mrs W. is equally indisposed with the same Complaint.

Your favour of the 1st inst. came to hand by the last Mail. I concur in the Opinion that the question is sufficiently doubtful to warrant the parties concerned, in acceding to the compromise proposed by Mr Banks, & that the property in contest is not of sufficient value to incur expensive litigation.

I take the liberty of enquiring whether the letter I wrote you under date of the 12th July last was received? And of asking the favor of an answer to it. I am induced to give you this trouble in consequence of the encreasing difficulties to which Mr Bernards mortgage, &; Mr Morson's refusal on that account to pay off his bonds, expose me. In particular I would state the case of one of my nephews Creditors who must be ruined if the payment of his debt is much longer delayed, &; my promise to him to write again to you on this subject.

Circumstances, with which it is unecessary to trouble you, will prevent my leaving home in time to reach Phila. on the 11th. I could do so were I to travel alone, but Mrs. Washington's health will not permit¹ her to go forward as fast as would be necessary for that purpose. I hope to get to the City on the 12th so as to be ready to proceed to business the next day.

I hope this letter will reach you on your return to Mount Vernon safe from the Enemy and what I deem more perilous, the dangers of the roads to & from Philadelphia— On our return Judge Livingston & myself suffered inconceivable anxiety from the unparelled state of the roads, and he received an injury from which I fear he has not yet fully recovered.

I should have been much gratified if Mrs Story would have done us the favor to retain the flowers & fruit which she was so obliging as to bring for us from Mt V. And Mrs W. & myself beg that she will now do us the favor to accept a part of them, which we return by your messenger.

After a careful examination of the circumstances which attended, as well as others which preceded the fire at this place, it is obvious that it was the work of an incendiary. But I know as little who to suspect at this moment, as when I first recieved the information. There is not amongst my domestics one, to whom I can trace it by any possible motive of vengeance, or whose conduct would in any manner warrant me in selecting him as the guilty person.

I have the satisfaction to acknowledge the Rect. of your esteemed favour of the 24th. I regret to learn I sincerely & learn with regret the loss you & Mrs. Washington have Sustained by the demise of the worthy Col. Blackburn. – The moment I recd. your letter I addressed a letter to the Editor of the Lancasr. Journal. – I assure you that all the Seaport towns from Norfolk in Va to Portland in Maine have been visited by active agents beside most of the large inland towns; Mr.