yours of 15 Jan. I recd, a few days since at the Gloucester post office— I should have writen you much sooner but continued to hope that you would hear from Me to more effect— I lament that it has not been in my power to comply with the promise I made you— I made that promise in expectation of geting the money upon a Judgmt I had obtain'd but the party against whom it was have found means Still to delay me— I cannot however feel any reluctance in complying with the alternative contain'd in the proposition in my lettr of the last year.

     Below is Stated an Acct pd by me & which all the Legatees stand charged with. this is exclusive of money paid them on Acct of the money recd of Ship and which I have not stated. the Money was deposited in the Bank of Alexandria, and our joint checks will shew how that has been paid away— I will state H. Lewis A/c. which will shew how all the suit stand.

     Dr Howell Lewis in Acct with the Executors Genl Washington

1802

My late indisposition has been such as to prevent me from attending the meetg of the Legatees agreeably to notice— We have sent you a power of Attorney—and have taken the liberty of inserting your name. you will be oblidging enough to transact the business for us— I have also enclosed you a mortgage for the property I bought in alexandria and will thank you, when convenient, to forward me a Deed. yrs respectfully

Capt. Hammond has come prepard to make some arrangement with you as it regards the claim of the Estate upon him, he wishes me to say that the arrangement made between you will be agreeable to me I have no hesitation in saying that any agreement you may enter into with him I will confirm. I am most truly yours

     It ought to have been my fate to Introduce General Moreau to my paternal friend there to meet the Welcome adequate to his Worth. But since he can only visit the venerated Mansion, I know that you, my dear Sir, and all the family will have due feelings for the Circumstance of Receiving Moreau under the late Roof of Washington— Let me only add that, with much Regret not to be one of you in receiving him. I am very affectionately Yours.

     I have filed a bill in Chancery—Copy of Which is enclosed—on the opposite sides of this sheet is a rough answer proposed for you, which you will add to, alter or amend as you think proper— If it meets your Approbation, I wish it fairly transcribed, and sworn to, and enclosed to me at Annapolis where it will find me between the 11th and 18th of this month.

I beg your pardon for being so troublesome to you with my letters.

You have indeed misapprenhed me in supposing I intended publickly to defend myself agt the charges contained in genl Washingtons letter to govr Henry. Far from it. I had determined to submit to them in silence. To my family & friends only I intended to justify¹ myself.² Even this would have been painful, to me, for in doing so I shd not only have done violence to my present feelings, but to the habitual respect³ I have uniformly done to his illustrious character.

I am much obliged to your polite & friendly letter which I have just now received. I answer it thus promptly, to request the favor of you immediately to write to Mr Wayne to suppress the letter alluded to govr Henry, or at least the two paragraphs in it which I am accused of having acted on insinsere & inconsistent part towards the general. I mentioned the Reasons formerly, why it cannot be correct.¹ 

     I have this day learned that a letter¹ from me to Governor Henry of Virginia which was sent by him to Genl Washington with the General's Answer to it,² are to be printed in the history of his life. It is foreign to my wishes to hint at³ present at the State of the⁴ public mind towards General Washington towards the Close of the year 1777, & which events subsequent to that year, altered in his favor. I shall mention one passage only in his letter to Mr Henry⁵ in which there is an evident mistake.

In the letters lately addressed to you I have forgotten to mention a circumstance which deserves some attention. In the old books from which I extracted the facts composing the first volume I found our bay spilt thus—Chessapeake. Without any examination of the orthography I believe I have gone on to spell it in the same manner.

I have just received your letter inclosing your notes on the parts of the life which you have read. I am sorry they are not more ample—but I hasten to advert to the circumstance mentioned by Mr Wayne which is of real importance. I had designed barely to hint at Braddocks defeat in the first volume & to detail the circumstances minutely in the second & thought I had done so, but on looking into what I believe is the 12th chapter I find I have been much more particular than I thought myself or woud wish to be.

I have just received your letter inclosing your notes on the parts of the life which you have read. I am sorry they are not more ample – but I hasten to advert to the circumstance mentiond by Mr. Wayne which is of real importance. I had designed barely to hint at Braddocks defeat in the first volume & to detail the circumstances minutely in the second & thought I had done so, but on looking into what I believe is the 12th chapter I find I have been much more particular than I thought myself or woud wish to be.

     I md a Letter from Mr Carter of the 4th Int. acknowledging the nt of mine giving him the information that I had drawn on him in your favr for, the amount of his Bond prin[cipa]l & Int. from date, Mr Carter objects to paying one years Int.

The day after I wrote to you I was informed that a Mr Davidson of this place was setting out for Philadelphia & woud take charge of a box to you.¹ I thought it most advisable to send it tho I had not had it in my power to examine the second copy, or to correct the first. There is a part about which I wish you to be particularly attentive, as, on reading it over I had designed to change it, but the opportunity of sending it was so sudden that I have omitted to make the corrections I intended.

So idle were the gentlemen I had employed in my copying business during my absence, that with my utmost exertions I coud not get the books in readiness in time to send them to you before your departure from Alexandria. Every thing is now prepared, & I watch the stage continually for some person who will take them to Philadelphia. I am extremely anxious that you shoud give the volume an attentive reading & make all those corrections which I am sure will suggest themselves to you.

I did not receive your favour till a month after its date, owing to my absence at Norfolk. I saw Mr. George Ball the 5th inst. and personally delivered him your letter, which I first sealed.  He said he should write you on the subject of your letter, but never hinted to me its tenour.

I am happy in being able to remove [your] the uneasiness, expressed in your letter of the 9th, respecting what has been done. – Mr. Morgan is Satisfied. I explained fully to him what I long before had stated to him on the Subject. – I hope no censure will attach to Mr. Marshall but that I alone may be considered in fault. tho' I confess I cannot conceive of there being any thing dishonorable in the business.

Your two letters under the dates of Dec 22 & Dec. 27, came to hand in course of the mail. I have recently receivd two letters from the Chief Justice, in which he permits me to conclude the first vol, at the end of the 13th Chapter, terminating with the War of 1763, & to carry the Surplus to the 2d vol. He also desires me to strike out two or three long notes, which he designates & requests me to suggest to him such others as I think might be dispensed with. I write to him, next Mail, fully on the subject.

     I have been applied to by Judge Reeve one of the most virtuous and respectable men in Connecticut, for assistance in a matter, in which his feelings are deeply interested.

Enclosed you will find the original letter written by the General. Mr. Hamilton, editor of the Lancaster Journal, informs me in his letter to me says, – "It was found among the papers of the late Dr. Smith of your City, and was handed to me by his son Charles Smith Esq" Mr. H. has not informed me to whom it was written, nor can it be discovered by the letter itself, but it may be fairly presumed it was addressed, under cover, to the late Rev. Dr. — I hope it may be useful. — 

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.

Our Journey to Westmorland, was productive of no good— on examining the chain of Title, we found it imperfect. The deed fm Ludwell Lee & Flora his Wife to Genl Lee, we could not find. The Sale was consequently suspended.

As soon as I can procure the lost deed I will advise you very respectfully

     On the receipt of your letter I did immediately inform you, that I had no knowledge of, or interest in the land you mention. As my Brother Francis is the residuary Legatee, & only acting Executor of our Father, Mr. Thomas Walker, I have procured, & now inclose you his letter on the subject, to which I beg leave to refer you. I am very respectfully Sir Your obedt Huml.

     Yours of July 27th was sent to Charlottesville instead of Milton, & therefore did not reach me untill yesterday.

     The land in quetion fell to my Brother Francis as my Father’s residuary Legatee; and as he is the only acting Executor, I have sent your letter to him, with a request that an immediate answer may be forwarded. I am with respect Sir Your obed: huml. Servt.