Know all Men by these Presents that I John Augustine Washington of the County of Westmoreland and Parish of Cople for and in Consideration of the natural Affection which I bear unto my Son Bushrod Washington of the County and Parish aforesaid as well as for and in consideration of five shillings to me in hand paid by the said Bushrod Washington before the sealing and delivery of these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged.

     My letter by Mr Nevison, of an old date, (occasioned by the impossibility of crossing Potomack) has undoubtedly reached you before this, and renders it unnecesary to repeat the unhappy circumstances there related— Jerry is a day later in setting of for Baltimore to meet you then was intended from the circumstance of bad weather and very unecpected— possalby he may be in time as I do not know when Mr Nevison reached Baltimore, and through whose means you were to recieve my letter— Mr Nevison rode a saddle of Billy Washingtons to Baltimore which I was to have had if wan

     I hope it is unnecessary for me to recommend to your Philosophy and good Sence, fortitude and Christian patience under misfortunes, especially those inflicted by Providence, it may be unnecessary on another ground, as tales of Woe are generally rapped in their progress, before this reaches you, you may have heard of the untimely and accidental death of yr poor Brother Augustine—a young Man at Delemear Academy trifling with a loaded gun she went of, and yr Brother setting before the fire recd the whole load in his breast of which he expired in a few minute

     I wrote you by Mr McClure as Merchant of Baltimore about three weeks past in which letter I think I inform'd you that I return'd from Berkley abt the 21st of decr.

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.

Some days past I heard that Colo. Richd Henry Lee was going to Philadelphia & wrote immediate a letter to you and sent it to Chantilly, since I have seen Colo. Lee and understood that this day he was to set out, I sent yesterday to desire Colo. Lee would call here as he went along if he does call this letter is intended to go by him if he does not, it will be sent by a vessel that is going to the head of Elk— in my letter which Colo.

     I am still in this place but hope to get away today, I wrote you by Genl Williams on the 21 or 22 inclosing you a Bill for £75 which I doubt not you have recd before this, it was unlucky I did not think to write to you by the first Stage from this place, as by that means I should have been shore to have heard from you before I left Baltimore, and as it is, there seams to be little or no prospect— I had hopes when I came here that I could have fixed it down with some Merchant of this place that upon my shiping them Tobo to have intitled you to draw on them, but there i

     <I> recd your Letters that came by Lawrence Washington (who I have the pleasure to inform you has been acquited by the examining Court of King George, his conduct being considered as self defence) these letters are all we have recd since those I got in Berkley, I was much consernd to hear you were indisposed,¹ but flatter myself that you must have recovered as some Gentlemen in this Town inform me that they had seen you since the date of your Letter and that you were well— my principal business in comeing up here was to bring up a little Tobo to try t

     I wrote you on the 1st Inst by one Mr Danl Jackson who was imploy'd by Colo.

     I got to this place this day too late to write by the post but a Servant of Mr Chas Carters is this instant setting of to Philadelphia after a Chariott as I am told— I am short of time to say more then that I am thus far on my way to Berkley to settle some plan for regular remittances (but if your affairs will not admit of waiting till you recieve remittances or hear from me from Berkley) you must close with Mr Mead upon his terms till I can fix a plan more conducive to yr happiness and my interest— having wrote you full

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 you

The last of Decr or very early in Jany I wrote you a letter which went immediately by a Special Messeng.

When I was in Berkley I wrote you not only by the Wagon which carried you a load of hemp but also by Doctr Bull, that when you found it necessary to write by Post to forward them to Fredericksbg with directions for them to be sent by the rider to Leeds, but since my return to Westmoreland I am inform'd that the rider from the Post Office in Fredericksbg to that in Leeds was discontinued, and as I had recd no letter from you since that dated in Lancaster, I was induced to think that yr letters of a later date might be laying in yr Fredericksbg office and sent up to see, but there

I have not time to write you a letter pray inform if the Hemp got safe to hand, the Wagon set out on Friday the 15th instant— please to let me know what it is likely to sell for and what demands (at least immediate one) you have for Cash. I am Most Afy Yours

Doctr Bull who I met with today at <mutilated> place¹ informs me that he shall certainly set out <to>morrow for Philadelphia and if he does and delays no time on the road he will possably reach Philadelphia <a> day or two before the Wagon that is on the road with a load of hemp for you, which is my reason for writing a few lines that you may be inform'd that some little relief is at hand, by the Wagon I have wrote pretty fully and inclos'd some letters to which I refer you— I got a letter yesterday from yr Mama d

Inclos'd are sundry letters one from myself dated 21st Octr which you will first read, it will serve to show you what disapointments I have met with about getting a load of Hemp sent to you; this day one Jonathan Seaman has taken in a load he undertakes the business, being imployed by Mr John Daniel who is indebted to me and recieves credit on his Bond here, I mention this that you may know you have nothing to pay him, nor find him, for himself Horses & he brings 2026 ⅌ (neet hundreds) I wrote you on the 21st as you will see by <the> inclos'd, the disagreeable an

Your Mothers letter which is inclosed will inform you that I did not expect to have had time to write to you, but Mr William Hunter who is the Bearer as far as Alexandria, consents to wait till I can write a few lines— I wrote you on the 10th of June by a Vessel going to the head of Elk and sent 3 hhds Tobo the tobo & Letters were to be forwarded by Mr Zebulon Holinsworth of that place to Philadephia to the care of Mr Levy Holinsworth, I hope long before this that both is g

It is long since I had the pleasure of writing to you from the scarecity of oppertunities, and sometimes being out of the way when they offer'd— indeed it is some considerable time since we have heard from you, your Letters to yr Mama & Sister was the last— I am very anxcious to hear from you, perticularly to know whether any remittances has come to your hands— Mr James Maury of Fredericksbg wrote me on the 23d of Apl that he had sent you twenty five pounds Sterling, equal to 33..6..8

Your Mother began her letter, to which this is annexed, before the arival of Phill.

I recd your Letter of the 28th Ulo by Mr G. L.

Jerry return'd some days past after seeing your Brothers safe to their School, a number of inconvenient circumstances have turn'd up to prevent his setting of for William'sbg till now, I fear you have suffered for some of the articles now sent, as your Mother has inclos'd a memd.

     We only reached this place the day before yesterday in our way to Berkley we shall proceed tomorrow but the weather is so hot that I had like to have kill'd one or two of my Horses in getting here, and unless it should turn out cooler we must move on very slowly— Your Mama is certainly better and I have great reason to believe will be much benefited, if I find the Air to agree with her I shall not return till late in Octr.

     Your mother is so much pleasd with the guallity and price of the tea and Sugar you sent by Phill: that she desires you will purchase three pounds of the tea and Six loaves of the Sugar least they should grow dearer— this you will Judge of being on the spot— as also of the practicability of getting it forwarded by water to Elk or safe storage for if their till it can be brought from thence to you comies or Nomony by some trusty hand, safe from the enemy &c. &c.