I am Just setting off to Fredg & have only time to enclose you with a N. Subpa, which please have delivered to the proper Shf. your Letr respecting the other suit aggt Nayles' Ence I recd and shall attend to‑With much respect I am Dear Sir Yr Mo. Ob. Sert

      I reced your favor dated the Sixth of Febry¹ this Eighteenth day of apl Opened, If I had recd it sooner should have answered it immediately, I herewith Enclose a Note from Chapman with an affidavit of the recieipt, Mr Alexanders Deposition is very material but not as much so, as some others if you have recd them, please let me know as soon as you recieive this, if Mr Chapmans note will secure the reading the Deposition, I am also to inform you that after Mr Chapman got the last Judgment in your Court he executed my property and sold it to amount of his Jud

     Your letter of the 20 March was delivered me on the 4th of this month whilst I was deeply engaged in packing up and moving my furniture from Walnut Farm to give up the place agreeable to contract to the person who is to live there this year, which is one reason why I have not sent you an answer before now, altho' that should not have prevented me if I had not conceived the answer rendered unnecessary in consequence of a letter my Mother wrote you from Haywood, which you have doubtless got long before now— When my Mother got to Haywood on her way from Richmond, she fou

     Ten days ago we ventured to carry my dearest Mildred to Bushfield, where she recovered so fast that Mr Lee & herself being anxious to return to Parkgate came here on their way last nigh though contrary to my opinion, her cough which is very troublesome yet is a most serious affair, Col Washington was (I hoped) recovering very quickly when I wrote you by Mr Butler— has since relapsed & was expected to die, which determined me to come up with Mr Lee & your sister to stay a few days with him & assist the girls in nursing their father, our Parkgate friends

     Presuming that you have received my last, sent thro' the hands of Mr Keith, with such aids as he was able to afford you respecting my Administration of Colo. Colvils estate, and supposing, as the Chancery term is closed or about to close, that the enclosed letter from that Gentleman would not get to your hands in time to influence your measures I resolv>ed, at first, not to send it. <But upon second> thoughts have changed my mind; lea<ving it> to chance, and your own Judgment, to give it the best effect of which the information is susceptible.

     Owing to some irregularity of the Post, your letter of the 29th Ulto did not reach my hands until 8 oclock last Night.

     I shall leave the management of the chancery business respecting Colvils estate, entirely to you; not only for the purpose of closing it speedily, but effectually also; as I want to be quieted in this business, & to be finally done with it.

     I rec: your letter of the 10th with a bundle of papers which I have examined. I had before issued a Subpœna from the Court of Chancery, and I wish to file the Bill, during the present Session that I may be enabled to obtain an order to be inserted in the Gazette warning the residuary Legatees to come forward with their respective pretensions. Your great object I know is to close this business, and obtain a quietus from all parties concerned.

     I have been for some time dreading Jerry's arrival and yet anxious to hear the reason of his Stay; I began to be really apprehensive that you or my sister were ill, not suspecting that a letter could be so long on its Journey from this to Westmoreland. Nancy & myself are very low spirited at the approaching seperation from our dear mother whose company has really made months but weeks in appearance. I have made every calculation most favourable to my own wishes on the Subject to authorise us in accompanying her.

     Well knowing what pleasure it will give you to releive me from embarrassment of any kind, I, without hesitation, take the liberty to ask your advice about some business I am perplexed with, and am inadequate to determine upon satisfactorily to myself— in consequence of the death of Mrs Lee (the Widow of Richard Henry Lee decd) it is necessary that her dower negroes should be divided directly agreeable to the Will of the said Richd H. Lee, and I am doubtful whether this division should be made by the administrator of Mrs Lee, or the Executors of Richard H. Lee.

     I am now at <Sir> Francis Thornton's on the Fall Hill where I arrived last night from Culpepper & Ora[n]ge— I waited on Colo.

     Since my last to you, relative to my Executorship of Colo. Colvills Estate, I sent, as therein mentioned, to the person from whom I had purchased the Guinea, or Chinese Hogs which you saw at my Mill, and obtained two; a boar & a sow; the latter with Pig. He informed me, however, that they were not of the whole blood; but, in his opinion, improved from their mixture with another breed of Hogs which he has.

     On Saturday last I received your letter of the 24th Ulto.

     Your are very welcome to a part of the Guinea—or Chinese Hogs which you saw at my Mill— But it is necessary to inform you, that except the Sow which you might have seen in a pen & her Pigs wch were running about it, I have none others, unmixed at that place. This happens from their running at large.

     Inclosed is a copy of so much of a record of a suit between Crisp and Holiman in Cumberland County Court, as contains the point now in controversy, and which is submitted to you, on this question—Can judgment of the Court on the verdict in this case be staid or arrested, because of the blanks in the declaration, on the plea of not guilty, after verdict?

     I write to You from after the Receit of your Letter by Joe & among other things requested You to inform me, what Nancy wou'd be <illegible> imediately necessary for Tommy, Occasions of Cloathg or other Calls & to advise whether Bank Notes wou'd answer— Since this I have recd a Letter from Tommy informing me that he has been supplied by Nancy with Money for one pair of Breeches, but that he is in want of another pair Supposing that Bank Notes may be negotiated without Loss in Goods I inclose You now two Alexandria Bills

     I recd some time ago papers from Mr Keith respecting your Executorship of Colvill's estate.

     I shall immediately bring suit in the Court of Chancery in order finally to close that business and to releive you from embarrassment as to the disposition of the mony on hand. I will thank you to give me the general outlines of the business, and of your wishes, that I may be enabled thereby to frame my Bill.

     Recd of Bushrod Washington Notes of James Swan to Robt Young for $10,909 which I promise to retain in my hands untill Robert Young & Co. have executed a deed or <pa>rchment to sd Swan for 130,000 Acres and also as Covenant to warrant the Title sent them by B. Washington.¹

     I take the liberty of availing myself of your kind offer in behalf of Mrs Jones and if you will beso good as to send one of your servants with the bearer to point out the Houhound, I shall bemuch obliged to you.

     Mr Jones has so large a party today that I shall not have the pleasure of meeting Col. Blackburn at dinner but I will spend the evening with you, &bring with me what Manuscript entertainment I can muster for him. Believe me with the truest esteem Yrs

I recd your favr by Gen. Lee a day or two ago, and have now only time to acknowledge it and to assure you of my best attention to its contents, so as to carry your wishes into effect. Present me if you please to the Ladies & believe me most sincerely Your affec. & obedt sevrt¹

     Your suit will probably be tried this Court. One of the pleas is fully administer'd. It will be necessary for you to furnish me with your administration Account Inventory appraisement vouchers &c. If you have settled any Account with the Court send me those likewise. I send you a subpena in case you should have witnesses to summon. I am Sir Your Obt Sert

     I obtained a Judgment agt Mr Hunter for Phyn Ellis & Ingles & issued an execution, but little or nothing was obtained, I believe— of this I informed you shortly before you left America— I also informed you that I had understood Mr Hunter had subjected his real property to the payment of his debts— But of this I am not certain— no person I believe has qualified as Exectr to his will— it would be well for you to get a copy of his will or in some manner obtain information how he has left his property & in what it consists— I am so far removed from Alexa

     I wish I could give you the Satisfaction you wish as to the time when your case will be finally decided. We must proceed regularly and there is no rule by which to guess when the case will come on in its turn which it must do if defended with a view to delay.

     Your letter of the 26 Septr never reached me until last monday, or I should have acknowledged the receipt of it before now— I am exceedingly obliged to you for the trouble you have taken respecting my advertisements, and especially for your Solicitude about my Affairs— Many Applications have been made to purchase, lease & rent my Farm, but none of them were wrorth my attention— I am just informed that there are two Gentlemen desirous of purchasing it, and I am inclined to believe that I shall shortly be able to contract with one of the two for it, but whether I di

     We are in the deepest Distress at this place at this Time— poor Judy Blackburn who was deliver'd about ten Days ago of Twins, died Yesterday about Noon at the Mother's just as Mrs Blackburn & I had got to Dumfries to see her— Poor Richard, as you may well conceive is inconsable. He is now, with all his little Ones, but one of the Infants (the other is dead) with us— Your Prudence will direct You to break this Matter with Caution to Nancy & Sally whose Tenderness of Heart will¹ be much shocked at this News.

     Some months ago a subpoena in Chancery at the suit of mr Banks¹ was served on me as former governor of Virginia, calling on me & others not named (but I suppose the Counsellors of that day) to appear— presuming it was for some act done on behalf of the commonwealth I wrote to the governor to know whether I must defend, or whether the executive would not undertake it for the Commonwealth, as they were possessed of the records & materials of defence. in his answer he assures me it shall be defended by the executive.