The Revd Ichabod Nichols of Portland being about to pass through Philadelphia, I have taken the liberty of introducing him to your acquaintance— He is a gentleman of very high reputation for talents, for literary & theological acquirements & for unaffected piety— He intends in his tour to visit Mount Vernon; & I regret most sincerely that he cannot have the advantage of your presence to increase the interest of the scene— I am sure that you will be greatly interested in the conversation of this gentleman, than whom no one can be more worthy of your atten

I left this place the day after I wrote to you & did not return till to day. I cannot account for the inaccuracy you state otherwise than by supposing that I read the latter part of the sentence under an impression that instead of the word "deny" in the former part some affirmative word had been used & the correction was made in a hurry without taking time to examine the whole sentence. Undoubtedly the alteration you mention ought to be made. I hope you have made it. If not I wish Mr Bronson to publish the correction.

     If I am not mistaken, my nephew, Mr George Washington informed me that my note for Three hundred dollars was discounted at your bank; and as it will soon become due, I send you above a check on the Bank of Alexa. for the amount. Should I have misunderstood him, may I ask the favor of you to cause an enquiry to be made at the other George town Bank & wherever it is to pay it off? The note, you will enclose to me at this place. I am Dear Sir very respectfully & sincerly yr mo. ob.

     Knowing your reputation for integrity and benevolence of character induces me to confide my situation to you, which is truly mortifying to me I have led a very sedentary life waiting for Father to get an Appointment not wishing to degrade myself by letting the World know my uncomfortable situation. having no near relation to appeal to am at lenght compelled to apply to some great man, concluded it should be you to whom I would take the liberty, of asking to releive me from my unhappy situation.

I have a knephew a son of Major Taylor who is at school in Kentucky under the direction of my brother Doctor Marshall. He has written to me for some books which I cannot procure here, & which if I had them could not without much difficulty be conveyed from this place. I take the liberty to ask the favor of you to purchase them for me in Philadelphia & leave them with the bookseller packed up to be delivered to the order of Doctor Marshall.

     I did not sufficiently understand the business stated in your letter to return you an immediate answer. I now perceive that the money is deposited to your credit in the valley Bank at Charlestown, and as it is all to be paid to persons residing near the Bank, I think it best for us not to negotiate the Check in Alexandria, but for you to enclose to Bushrod C.

     As the money paid by Ransom ought to be appropriated without delay to pay debts so as to stop interest, I have out the statement underneath to show how much is to be paid to Mr Turner out of Saml Washingtons half of the sum you are about to distribute— The residue of that half is to be paid to Doctr Scholly & the other half to Thornton Washington. I think the sooner this is done the better. I am very sincerely & affectly yrs

     I have recieved the paper sent me & will correct Mrs Custis’ account in the way you suggest.

     I have to acknowledge the rect of your favor of the 3d accompanied by the bill "further to extend the Judicial System of the U.S."

I yesterday recd your letter of the 28th Ulto which I hasten to acknowledge. your conduct in relation to the sale of Rock hall meets my entire approbation, and entitles you, in my opinion to the thanks instead of the complaints of mr Alexander. your right to bid cannot as I think be questioned, and if, by doing so, you have raised the price of the land, I can easily concieve why other bidders should feel displeased, but I am altogether at a loss to imagine upon what ground the heir of Colo. Lee can be disatisfied at such a result.

This is doubtless one of the finest Islands in the West Indies, whether we consider its general Soil, ... capable of bearing all the productions of the Tropics in the richest abundance; its variety of Climate, ... furnishing many temperatures, by reason of its useful proportion of Mountains, rivulets & rivers; its Salubriety, ... from a genial atmosphere; or, its extent of Territory, so great as to supply all the reasonable wants of a great population.

     I have Just returned from Phila. when your favor of the 28th Sept. was put into my hands.

     With great pleasure I communicate, by order of the Philadelphia Southern Society, that, at a meeting of last evening, you were proposed and unanimously elected an honorary member of that association.

I have this instant received yours of the 24th.

With much respect for your personal character & with such freedom, as I may presume to take with your official character as President of the Colonization Society, I now address you.

     I presume upon the acquaintance which I had the pleasure to form with you at Mount Vernon some years past, to solicit a favour, which, if consistently with propriety, you can conveniently grant, will lay me under very singular obligations to you.

Your letter of the 5th Inst. accompany'd by the Bond drawn by you as executed by Mr Ludwell Lee and Gerard Alexander was handed to me last evening, I highly approve of the arrangement you have made, it will no doubt be very advantageous to Mr A. as well as us— I am persuaded very few persons would have been at the Sale, in consequence of a report that the debt had been settled, and no Sale was to take place— Mr Alexander in his letter to me of yesterday begs that the 20th day of November may be made the day of Sale, and thinks it will be unnecessary to advirtize it in the Alexa.

     I have Just recd a letter from Mr Ludwell Lee in which he requests that we will agree to postpone the sale of Rock hall to about the middle of November, and to agree to sell for one fourth of the purchase money down, he & Mr Alexander agreeing to give the bond which will accompany this letter. To the first proposition I have agreed but not to the last, & have drawn the bond for him & Mr A. to execute.

     The sale of the Rock hall estate is, I am pretty sure, fixed for the 15th next month. I have looked in the Alexa. paper for the advertisement but can’t find it. You will however see it in the Winchester paper.

     Since my last, I have had a conversation with Majr Lewis, upon the proposition which you made relative to the sale of R Hall. We are both anxious to swell the piece of the property to a sum at least sufficient to cover our whole demand, not only on account of Colo. Lees estate but to render unnecessary our application to the Chancellor to subject that estate to the payment of the deficiency.

     I had the pleasure some days ago to receive your friendly letter of the 20th Ulto which company, at that time & for many days afterwards, prevented me from sooner answering.

Mrs Hamilton has passed a fortnight with us lately & recd from me the letters in the enclosed list which are marked by a Cross.¹ I had no others. Will you have the goodness at yr leisure to look amongst the letters in your possess. for the balance & forward them to her?

     I have lately received a letter from Mr Christopher Hughes intimating the wish of your excellency to place in your collection of manuscripts specimens of the handwriting of some of our most illustrious¹ Citizens. It affords me great pleasure to gratify this wish as far as it is in my power, and I have now the honor to enclose to Mr Hughes for you, letters from the following personages who have performed distinguished parts in the Military & political transactions of our Country—viz.

     I send you Mr Lees letter Just recd by express, & will thank you after you have considered it, to inform me your opinion. Mr Alexander is entitled to no favor from us; but it may be a serious question whether the interest of ourselves & of those we represent will not be promoted by yielding to the proposition which is made or something like it?

     I recd many months ago your esteemed favor of the 10 June 1817 together with the portfolio for both of which I beg you to accept my grateful thanks.¹ I cannot with truth, and therefore I shall not attempt altogether to excuse the protracted acknowledgment of these favors; but I can assure you with perfect sincerity that it has not proceeded from insensibi[li]ity to your kindness which has made a warm & lasting impression upon my heart.