Your letter of the 9th, in consequence of my absence from the City, was not recd 'till yesterday Just as I was going to the Court.

On my return home after I had the pleasure of seeing you, I made a diligent search among my papers for the letters of Genl Washington, about which we conversed. but not being able to discover them I then recollected that when Mr Walsh first established his newspaper I gave them to him as literary curiosities, and that after printing them the manuscripts were not returned to me,¹ but, as I learnt on enquiry, were probably destroyed with the other contributions to the paper.

     I am Just reminded by a second letter from Mr Mercer of New York, of one which I wrote you about a month ago respecting a second edition of the life of W— in 4 volumes which the C. Justice has ready for the press, and the proposal of Mr M. to print a second edition. I could not answer that gentleman properly without first enquiring whether you had secured the prolongation of the Copy right in the way pointed out by Law; & I also wished to know whether the first edition was disposed of.

     My friend Mr William Herbert is desirous of obtaining an appointment in the marine Corps, or failing there, in the Army. Being well acquainted with him, and believing that he possesses most of the essential qualities to constitute an excellent officer, besides others which render him entirely amiable, I feel anxious for his success, and with a view to promote it, I beg leave to solecit your patronage & assistance as far as you may think yourself at liberty to extend it to him. I am with great regard My dear Sir your affect. & faithful Servt

Mr William Herbert of Alexandria being anxious to enter into the marine Corps at Washington, if he can obtain an appointment in it, has applied to me for an introduction to you. This I give him with great pleasure, having had a long acquaintance with him, and a much longer one with the respectable family of which he is a member. He is a gentleman amiable in his manners, possesses a high sense of honor, and, I am persuaded, most of the important qualities to constitute a good Officer.

     I recd yesterday, at this place, your favor of the 30^th Ulto.— Had it come to hand before I left Mount Vernon, it is highly probable I could have found amongst my papers a rough Copy of the two opinions in the case of Miller vs Mitch— it is now too late to have the search made. These opinions however are copied into my note book volume 17 which is in the hands of Mr Richard Peters Junr of Philadelphia, who, I think it likely, will attend this supreme Court.

     Above is a check for $90 for the 30 bbs Corn for Bushrod.

     The 5 Copies of the life of Washin<gton> which by our last contract was to have been deliver<mutilated> I have given to five of my Nephews, and I am <mutilated> to have them bound without further loss of time. B<mutilated> as to deliver them to Mr David Caldwell, who will undertake to have the business of binding attended to.

I had the pleasure this morning of recieving your favour of the 20th. I am heartily rejoiced at hearing of any proposition to print a 2d. Edition of the Life of Washington as it is one of the most desirable objects I have in this life to publish a corrected edition of that work.

     Your favour of the 3d inst: in consequence of my absence from town was not recieved ‘till Yesterday. the draft which it covered on the 13^th of Virga. for $803 32/100 payable in North Carolina Bank Notes. was duly honoured, and in complyance with your request have exchanged the same for U. States Bank paper and deposited the note proceeds as $PR statement annexed— Say Seven hunded & seventy six Dollars 86/100 to your Credit in the Bank of the United States as you will find by the Cashr’s certificate above. I am with the highest respect Your obt serv.

I was about to sit down to give you an account of my autumnal Circuit, when I had the pleasure of receiving your late letter— Before I say one word on this subject, I beg to apologize for not acknowleging before the barrel of hams which you sent me— The barrel of hams safely arrived at Boston, & there by the carelessness of the Captain or Consignee or both, it was left on the wharf for a day or two, & thus all were stolen except five— These I received & they were so good that I regretted extremely my loss—& a

     I am prevented returning you the Bond sent me, to day, not having any one here to witness it so soon as this can be done it will be forwarded to you— Our man Dennis has taken shelter in Alexandria & it appears from the Constables account he cannot be brought out by a Warrant from this State, altho it appears his mistress i[s] l[i]ving in Faerfax County, the Constable say he could not get a Magistrate in Town to grant him a Warrant, that the Governor of this S[t]ate could only take him out— What think you of this, When you have leisure

After an absence from home for more than three months and a half, I have returned with health in no respect impaired by my official labors. I have not as yet had time to look into my domestic & agrecultural concerns, and have determined to write to you before they interfere to prevent me. many of the cases which came before the two courts are new and highly interesting, a report of which I shall endeavour to make as intelligible as can be done in the compass of a letter.

Agreeable to an order of the Prest. & managers of the Dismal Swamp Land Company, I have made a special deposit, in the Virginia Bank at Norfolk, of your dividend, which with all others, consists alone in North Carolina Bank notes, the only money received by our Agent. Hereafter, I beg you will be good enough to appoint an Agent in Norfolk with authority to receive your dividends, which will be made in the month of November of each year. This will be more agreeable to me, as it will rid me of the necessity of having Bank accounts.

I received last night from Alexandria, your favor of the 11th inst. and I beg you to accept my best thanks for your generous offer of the columns of the Federal Republican for the purpose of refuting certain illiberal remarks, which have appeared in other journals of the day, respecting a sale of negroes which it was my good fortune to effect during the last month.

Yesterday was the first day that I was at liberty to read your letter of the 19th July with the attention it deserved, and to look into a few Cases. I regret that is not in my power to devote more time¹ in examining the authorities before returning you an answer; but this is prevented by the necessity I am under of leaving home in a day or two for the Springs, whence I shall proceed on my circuit.

I wrote you a long letter soon after my return home in June, which I hope got safe to hand. The object of this is to ask your acceptance of a barrel of hams cured in my meat house which Messrs Wm Fowle & Co. have undertaken to forward to you. If they do not get injured, I think you will find them as fine you ever tasted. I trust that they are now on their voyage, if not already arrived.

I thank you for the opinion you have been so good as to give me in the case on which I consulted you. I have from the first thought it doubtful but shall decide it in conformity with your opinion.

     My very particular and honored friend and relative Lt Govr Phillips, with his lady and daughter contemplate a visit to Washington & its vicinity. They will probably pay their respects to you at Mount Vernon; in which case, I wish to introduce them to your acquaintance and attentions.

     My Cook having eloped during my absence, I am left perfectly destitute. I have thought it probable that as this is an id[l]e Season in Washington for persons of that profession; a good french Cook might be engaged for 2 or 3 months. Will you do me the favor to cause some enquiries on this subject to be made for me & inform me the result.

I returned from my Circuit yesterday after an absence of 3 months wanting as many days. I was ten weeks in Court without intermission, and have upon no former occasion had so many important cases to decide. Notwithstanding the length & severity of this tour of duty, my health, thank God, has continued to improve, and I now feel as well as I have been for some years past.

I have not heard from you since you set out for Philadelphia, but I hope your health has not at any rate been injured by your attention on your circuit duties.

     you proposed sharing with me in furnishing the bearer with clothes. These I have provided for her amounting to about $4.66.— If you can conveniently furnish her this year or 'till she can be got under the care of the overseers of the poor, with meal or Corn as your mill it will be about equal to the clothes. I propose this on account of her wandering life & my long absences from home to prevent her from suffering from her allowance not being regularly sent for.

I reached this place yesterday after a very fatiguing journey, & found all our brethren well, & all of them joining me in sincere regrets for your indisposition. However unwilling we may be to lose your aid, we all think that it would be madness to encounter the hazard of joining us, unless your health should be entirely restored. We hope, however, that you are improving, & will continue to improve, so that you may, after the earth & Atmosphere shall become dry, favor us with a short visit.

     In answer to your friendly letter of the 12 of Decr, I mentioned that this was not the country for my profession; and am every day more convinced of the necessity & importance to my interest, and to the highest object that can attract my attention in a temporal point of view of returning to that State where I met with encouragement in my profession, & great civility in my social intercourse with an enlighten & polished people.