I yesterday saw Mr Lewis and found that by a strange mistake, Hicks bonds had not been taken to you, but to the heirs of Fielding Lewis. When I was urged by Mr Lewis in August to allow Robt Lewis to settle with the heirs of F.L. and to assign the debt from Hicks to you, I refused, not thinking ourselves at liberty to force the exchange upon you. But as I was clear that it would be to your advantage to accede to the proposal, I promised to write to you on the subject & to state my opinion.

     Genl Lee has written again to me for his bond & contract together with a statement of the payments made by him. Let me beg you to make another search for the bond & contract, & if not amongst your papers, be so good as to ride down to Mt Vernon & search among mine. There is one bundle endorsed "Dismal swamp papers" in which they may possibly be found, tho I think I have searched them myself. My nephew John will assist you. The Generals papers are in a long box in my study.

     I had yesterday the pleasure to recieve your acceptable favor of the 6th enclosing a Dft on Mr Swepson for $2000 the dividend declared on the share held by the Exectr of Genl Washington in the Dismal Swamp Co.— This is indeed a very pleasing proof of the prosperity of the Company,¹ as well as of the judicious² management with which its affairs are conducted. I confess that the amount of dividend, but for your former favor, would greatly have exceeded my most sanguine expectations.

     I had the pleasure this day, to recieve your favor of the 12th. I congratulate you very sincerely upon your safe return to the United States with recovered health, & hope that the advadvantage derived from your absence may be permanent.

     I returned from Phila. the day before yesterday when I had the pleasure to recieve your favor of the 30 Sept.

     In my letter to you of the 4th Novr I mentioned that I would send you a deed to Mr Minton for the 120 acres of land which he has purchased, & expressed my willingness to sell him¹ our interest in the other tracts either by the acre as stated in the Deeds or by survey to be made.

     My nephew Bush. Washington having conveyed all his estate to me for the payment of his Debts, I shall be compelled in the first place, and as soon as possible to sell his land in Westmoreland, upon which I understand there was a mortgage for a considerable sum of money given by his father to Mr Barnet.

     I recd your letter of the 2d— My nephews imprudent purchases at the sale of his father's estate cannot, I presume, have frustrated your purpose of his encumbering Laurel Grove from the mortgage, further than the amount to which those purchases extended, and to that amount I am willing that the land should continue liable, until it can be ascertained, on whose side is the balance of account. All I ask, or can expect is, that you will pay the balance of the mortgage, leaving this sum, for the present, for me to pay out of the Trust property.

     Since my return from Richmond I recd yours of the 11 Inst.

     I recd your letter returning the order of Shepherd which will compel us immediately to bring suit against him. we do not think it would be proper for us acting as executors to charge the debts due to the estate which would be the effect of assigning the whole of the debt to you and receiving from you a security for the excess.