Washington, George | An irritated President Washington seeks payment for a Pennsylvania land sale

Property from the Collection of Jay I. Kislak, Sold to Benefit the Kislak Family Foundation

Washington, George

Autograph letter signed twice ("Go: Washington"; "G.W.") as first President, to Senator James Ross of Pennsylvania, 

3 pages (223 x 188 mm) on a bifolium, Philadelphia, 11 June 1796; some reinforcement at folds. Matted.

In 1795, Washington began to rationalize and consolidate his extensive land holdings. One transaction proved particularly trying to the President: the sale, in August 1795, of 1,644¼ acres, in five surveys, located "on the Waters of Washington run" in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, to Israel Shreve. Senator James Ross executed the Articles of Agreement for the transaction on Washington's behalf. But almost immediately, Ross fell behind in his payments.

Washington sent the present letter to Ross, which reveals his irritation, frustration, and even embarrassment at the situation:  "I should not have given you the trouble of receiving a letter from me at this time, but for the purpose of explaining a mistake which in a degree implicates you.

"Two or three days ago a person (whose name I did not ask) called upon me to pay me, at the request he said of Colo. Shreve, £100 on account of the Land he had purchased of me. I told him I would not receive money from that Gentleman in driblets; that nothing less than the whole Second payment, which was £600 & inter[es]t, would be received; and that, if I was thus trifled with by Colo. Shreve, I would have recourse to other means to obtain a more punctual compliance with our bargain.

"This reply produced a further offer, to the amount I think, in the whole of £300; but conceiving as I did, at that moment, that the whole second Instalment was due, I refused this sum also. Nor was it before this morning it occurred to me, that in April last, you paid me Eleven hundred and Sixty dollars in part of this Instalment.

"Having made this discovery too late to rectify it with the person who was charged with a payment, by Colo. Shreve, and having authorised that person to inform him that nothing short of the whole sum due, would content me; I feel it incumbent on me to give you this explanation of the matter; and through you, (if an occasion should present) of making it known to Colo. Shreve."

Making matters worse, it appeared that Shreve, despite not paying Washington, had sold a portion of the tracts at a considerable profit, on top of which, Washington was not receiving rent from his tenants: "I think it not improbable that the person I allude to (not knowing his name) with the aid of the 1160 dollars received from you, would have paid the whole sum due on the second instalment with interest agreeable to the Articles; for he is a purchaser from Shreve, of part of the Tract, at a price very considerably advanced. Not knowing whether Mr Chas Morgan is living or dead, or what has been done relatively to the Rents which was due on the Land, will you permit me, to request the favor of you, to ask him (if in being) or Colo. Shreve, when I am to receive it. I am in the same predicament with respect to the Rents of the Land on Millers run, & shall be equally obliged by your enquiries concerning it whenever it shall fall in your way."

In a postscript, the President details his plans for the summer. "For the government of those who may have business to transact with me, I add, that on Monday or Tuesday next, I shall leave this City for Virginia; that I shall return to it again myself before the first day of September; and shall remain here until the middle or 20th of the Month."

Two and half years later, Washington was still chasing Shreve for payment, claiming "that the only inducement I had to sell the land on which you live, was necessity; to raise money, to enable me to pay the expences of my public Office; to which the compensation was inadequate" and demanding "the next payment due on the Instalment Bond, when it becomes due (the first of June next) without fail" (Papers, Retirement Series 3:314–315).

REFERENCE:

The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, ed. Hoth & Ferraro, 20:271–273

PROVENANCE:

Sotheby's New York, 1 May 1985, lot 83 (undesignated consignor)