As you pass through New York, you will please call upon Mrs Hamilton & recieve from her the original letters from Genl Hamilton to Genl Washington, which I sent her some years ago to have copied. This letter will be considered as an authority for their delivery to you. With great esteem I am very respectfully dear Sir yr mo. ob. servt

I have at length returned home, after an absence of between 4 & 5 months, and I employ the first moments of leisure in reporting to you & brother Story the most interesting cases which came before me for Judgt during my late circuit. I shall say nothing of the Atlantic ins. Co. of N. Y. and the U. S.² which employed us very closely for 9 days, as the case will go to the Supreme Court.

As Mr Sparks will probably leave this in a few days for Boston, I have determined, altho but half settled at home after an absence of 4 or 5 months, to prepare my letter to you that it may be ready for him to take on. The tea cause employed so great a part of the court at Phila. that few others could be tried before the Session came to a close.

your favor of the 7th is this moment recd, and in two hours from this, I expect to be on my road to Mt Vernon— Avoiding any unxpected impediments, I hope to be at Mt V. at dinner on Wednesday the 16th.

In great haste I have only time to add that I am Dr Sir very sincerely & respectfully yrs

I recd yesterday a letter from the Chief Justice prior to his rect of mine, and written in consequence of the one which you had addressed to him. He observes, that he thinks it impossible for you to execute the work you contemplate upon the plan proposed without the facility of frequent recurrence to the papers. I am pleased to find that we so entirely concur in opinion on that subject without previous consultation. You are therefore at liberty to prepare for packing up the books & papers, and to proceed to the completion of the work as soon as you please.

Since the rect of your favor of the 17th inst. I have had every moment of my time so intensely employed in attending to a cause of peculiar interest & perplexity that I could not withdraw my mind from it with sufficient freedom to devote it usefully to other business. This must be my apology for my long silence.

The difficulty you mention of progressing with your work whilst the papers continue at Mount Vernon presented itself to my mind at the time when your first proposition was made, & it was that which mainly operated with me to decline that offer.

     I regret that it is not in my power to accept your Kind invitation to dinner on friday. On account of Mrs W.'s health, I have, for the last four or five years, been obliged to decline all invitations to dinner or evening parties. Accept, my good Sir, this apology, and believe me to be with very great esteem, Sincerely & respectfully yrs

     As soon as I understood that it was likely Spotswood would soon recieve his orders, I gave directions for the making of his clothes, and they are now in hand.

     As my official engagements occupy too much of my time to permit me to answer your separate letters, you must receive this conjointly, and it affords me great pleasure to assure you, in the first place, that I observe with much satisfaction the improvement of both of you in your hand writing, spelling, and diction.

     I yesterday recd a letter from Major Lewis, in which he states, that on the 24 Oct. 1798, Genl Washington paid you $250, being the amount of five shares towards building a hotel for Wm Tunnicliff in this City, which (as appears by the Generals diary or Cash Account) you were to have secured— The Major understands that the hotel was Surrendered by T. to the subscribers, & is the building in which Congress sat after the burning of the Capitol.

Your letter of the 5th has remained unanswerd to this late period, partly in consequence of a severe cold which confined me to my room, and prevented me from consulting with my brethren on the subject to which you referred, and partly on account of the interesting questions which have been discussed (amongst these, the validity of the state bankrupt laws) which have engaged my whole attention both in & out of Court, when my time has not been otherwise occupied.

     Your letter of the 20th confirming the anticipations of your good father contained in one of an earlier date from him respecting a speedy liberation from his confinement, has afforded me the most sincere pleasure. I was very much afraid, from what I had heard, that his wound would heal very slowly, and that the want of exercise; and inability to stir about his farm might seriously affect both his spirits and his general health.

I recd yesterday an answer from the Chief Justice to the letter I wrote to him on the same day that mine to you bore date. He informs me that he answered that letter on the day he received it, which answer of course miscarried, in a manner quite unaccountable, between Richmond & Alexa.— I have only now to say, in respect to the proposition contained in your last letter, that we accept it.

     I will look over & consider Doctr Masons letter & then write to you on the subject. It is probable that I can decide upon nothing positively until I have seen Mr Whipple, who is at the head of the Free Mason plan, & this will be early next month.

     You will please add your name to the letters to Mrs Tod, Robt Lewis, Samuel Washington, to which you will also give the proper direction— W. L. M. Spotswood— and Washington Thornton— These you will please Seal & forward by post or otherwise— If you can give a more precise direction to the last of these letters, I will thank you to do so.— The two letters to Mr Carter and Mrs E. Lewis are sent merely that you may give them the proper direction, and then to Seal & forward.

     Since my return from Phila. I received your letter of the 25 August. In consequence of funds having come to the hands of the executors for distribution, the balance due from you is reduced to the sum of only $527.71 with interest from the 22d of last month. It affords me, I assure you, great pleasure to give you this information since I can hardly suppose that it can greatly embarrass you to raise so small a sum.

     I trouble you with this letter merely to request that you will let nothing prevent you from attending the Court in Alexa. on friday where I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you. Believe me sincerely & affectly yrs

Your letter of the 12th Sept. came to my hand sometime during the present month in consequence of my long absence from home; & being one of a large bundle of letters which had been accumulating, it has only been perused within the last hour. This, I trust, will be accepted as a satisfactory apology for my silence.

I shall write to the Chief Justice today & state to him your proposition; as soon as I receive his answer, you shall hear from me conclusively, & I hope satisfactorily. I am very respectfully Sir yr mo. ob. Servt

     The petition of Bushrod Washington & Lawrence Lewis executors of George Washington decd respectfully showeth that there yet remains of the residuary estate of their testator to be sold an undivided third part of Eleven hundred & nineteen acres of land or there abouts in the County of Nansemond belonging to the estate of their testator & the pan or representative of Fielding Lewis & John Walker both decd — one brickhouse in the town of Alexandria conveyed by Archibald McClean & a small tract of land containing about one

     I duly recd your letter mentioning the officits claimed by Mr Hooe against his first bond. Whether they are correct or not is more than I can say; but it was surely very officious and improper in him to settle demands against Mr T. & myself without our authority. It is calculated to introduce confusion not only as between Mr. Hooe and us, but between Mr. T. & myself. We are determined therefore to disallow all similar claims in future.

     Know all men by these presents that I Bushrod Washington of Mount Vernon have constituted & appointed & do by these presents constitute & appoint William Herbert of Alexandria my lawful attorney for me & in my name & for my use to lease my fishery at the Mouth of Dogue Creek for a term not exceeding five years reserving such rent & stipulating such terms as he can agree for hereby ratifying whatever my Said attorney may lawfully do in the premises, As witness my hand & Seal this 25th July 1826

In the name of God Amen I Bushrod Washington of Mount Vernon do make this my last will and Testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

Imprimis I give to my dear and most excellent wife and her heirs the following negroes— viz: Nan Louisa and the children she now has a may here after have, Sam. Jessy, Clark and Silvia his wife and Lucy their daughter with all the future increase of the females and also Jenny who I purchased from W. Turner.

Yesterday afternoon I recd your favour of the 16th mentioning Mr Chews wish to become a candidate for the office lately rendered vacant by the death of Mr Griffith. Within a day or two after the demise of that gentleman, I was applied to by a particular friend to whom I promised my vote, and accompanied it by letters of recommendation to my brethren. I think I cannot have recieved, since that time, fewer than 30 or 40 similar applications from others.

     The first information I recd of the death of Mr Griffith was from a particular friend, who is an applicant for the vacant office, and was so prior to the appointment of that gentleman. Satisfied that he was well qualified to fill it, I gave him to understand that he might expect my vote, which was accompanied by letters of recommendation to the other members of the bench. I am dear Sir very sincerely your mo. ob. servt