TODAY
At Mount Vernon, Washington is visited by family: his brother John Augustine, his nephew Billy, and his sister Betty's sons, George and Charles Lewis. Family chatter fills the Mansion. The bloody news from Massachusetts is yet to reach Virginia.
In Williamsburg, Royal Governor Lord Dunmore orders the removal of gunpowder from the Williamsburg magazine to a British ship, aiming to prevent its seizure by colonial militias. “The Gunpowder Incident,” as it comes to be known, sparks outrage among Patriot leaders in Virginia.
Unaware of yesterday’s battles at Lexington and Concord, Washington attends to his affairs on a clear day at Mount Vernon. He bids farewell to two overnight guests, General Charles Lee and Dr. William Rumney.
In response to a soldier seeking a land claim for his service during the French and Indian War, Washington signs a certificate verifying that the man had indeed served in Washington’s regiment.
At Mount Vernon, a hard wind blows from the west. Washington bids farewell to some of his overnight guests. Unbeknownst to Washington and his guests, the first shots of the American Revolution are fired in Massachusetts as British forces clash with colonial militias in Lexington and Concord. The British retreat to Boston under relentless fire, suffering 79 dead. Forty-nine Americans are killed.
Also unbeknownst to Washington—under the cover of night, two indentured servants, Thomas Spear and William Webster, flee Mount Vernon in a small rowboat.
Washington spends part of the day walking to a nearby fishing landing with General Charles Lee. A seasoned military officer, Lee is preparing for his journey north to join the brewing revolutionary efforts.
Near midnight, Paul Revere and William Dawes, tipped off about British plans to seize military supplies and arrest Patriot leaders, ride from Boston to warn colonial militias of the British advance on Lexington and Concord.
Washington and neighbor Colonel George Mason depart Mount Vernon and ride the familiar road to Alexandria. They attend the Fairfax County Committee meeting to elect delegates to the Third Virginia Convention. Washington and Charles Broadwater are chosen, once again, to serve as delegates.
Washington welcomes several notable guests to dine at Mount Vernon. Among them is General Charles Lee, who has been traveling to Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. Joining them are Colonel George Mason, Washington’s close friend and fellow patriot from nearby Gunston Hall, and Henry Lee, a young man eager to learn the art of war.
Much impressed by Charles Lee, Henry Lee was soon to write him to request the privilege of serving under him and learning the art of war.
Washington departs Mount Vernon early in the morning, riding to Alexandria to attend the muster of the Fairfax Independent Company, a local militia under his command. He returns to Mount Vernon late at night.
In the afternoon, Dr. William Rumney, Mr. Robert Adam, and Captain Lyonel Broadstreet (who would be taking over Washington’s merchant brig Farmer) arrive at Mount Vernon for dinner.
In Massachusetts, British General Thomas Gage receives secret orders from London to suppress the colonial rebellion by force. These orders lead Gage to plan a mission to seize and destroy colonial military supplies reportedly stored in Concord, Massachusetts, and to arrest key Patriot leaders.
Washington hosts several guests at Mount Vernon, including his stepson John Parke Custis.
In a letter to John Dickinson (author of the influential Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania), Washington laments a recent royal instruction prohibiting the granting of western lands, except under certain conditions, until further notice from King George III.
The day begins with rain. Washington hosts three acquaintances at Mount Vernon as tensions in Massachusetts edge closer to outright conflict with Britain.
Merchant Thomas Newton Jr. writes from Norfolk to inform Washington about ongoing efforts to sell Washington's goods, including herring and flour.
Washington spends a misty day at Mount Vernon. Thomas Contee, engaged in the tobacco trade, writes to Washington confirming his acceptance of the offer to purchase Washington's brig Farmer. “The Eighty pounds Bills will be paid you on receipt of the Vessel,” Contee writes.
Washington spends the day at Mount Vernon. James Cleveland, tasked with developing Washington’s western lands, writes from Pennsylvania to report significant delays, insufficient canoes, and lost provisions.
Washington rides about 7 miles to attend the Sunday service at Pohick Church.
For the past 13 years, Washington has served on the vestry of Truro Parish, which includes Pohick Church. More than an important center of the Anglican faith, the church is a hub for local community and political discourse.
George and Martha Washington ride roughly three miles to visit his gristmill. Constructed four years earlier, the facility enables Washington to process his wheat and corn crops into flour and cornmeal.
Robert Adam departs after breakfast, and Washington spends the day at Mount Vernon.
Across the Potomac River, Maryland planter George Digges writes to Washington expressing interest in purchasing 400 bushels of salt, which recently arrived on Washington’s brig Farmer.
On an exceptionally cold day at Mount Vernon, Washington receives a visit from Robert Adam, an Alexandria merchant and longstanding acquaintance. Adam stays the night, likely to discuss trade matters or ongoing business ventures related to Washington’s farming enterprises.
Such relationships are vital as Washington navigates the increasingly unstable economic environment caused by colonial resistance to British policies.
Washington continues hosting yesterday’s guests at Mount Vernon, engaging in discussions centered on the escalating tension with Great Britain.
Washington writes to George Mercer, his aide-de-camp during the French and Indian War, that he believes the American people want to reconcile with Britain but not “at the expence of their liberty, & the sacred compacts of Government.”
On a misty day at Mount Vernon, Washington hosts several prominent colonial figures for dinner.
In Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, grows increasingly concerned about the colonial militias' stockpiling of arms and munitions. He receives intelligence about caches of weapons stored in Concord and begins planning to seize them.
At Mount Vernon, Washington sits to write a letter to Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia. Washington expresses concern over reports that land grants promised to veterans of the French and Indian War under the Proclamation of 1754 are being declared invalid.
If true, the decision could strip Washington of thousands of acres of land.
Washington spends the day at Mount Vernon, hosting guests and attending to his estate's affairs. In the afternoon, Philip Curtis, the captain of Washington's brig Farmer, arrives to discuss matters related to the ship’s recent voyage, which successfully delivered 4,000 bushels of Indian corn to Lisbon and returned with 3,000 bushels of salt from the Turks Islands. The colonial economy is strained by British restrictions, and goods like salt, crucial for preserving food, are in high demand.
On a cool day at Mount Vernon, Washington is visited by Rector Walter Magowan, who had once served as the tutor for Washington’s stepchildren. Across the colonies, Committees of Correspondence intensify their communications.
Washington sets out early from Fredericksburg on his return journey to Mount Vernon. He dines at the bustling town of Dumfries where, just days earlier, he had reviewed the local Independent Company.
After 16 days away, Washington arrives at Mount Vernon at sunset.
Washington remains in Fredericksburg and dines once again with his brother-in-law, Colonel Fielding Lewis, at the Lewis residence, Kenmore, which serves as a center of familial and patriotic activity.
Washington arrives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, at about 11 a.m., observing “severe frost” on his journey. He dines with his brother-in-law, Colonel Fielding Lewis, and spends the evening at George Weedon’s tavern, known as a hub for revolutionary sentiment in the area. A traveling Englishman once remarked that Weedon was "very active and zealous in blowing the flames of sedition."
With frost on the ground, Washington departs Richmond for Mount Vernon after attending the Second Virginia Convention.
His thoughts are occupied by the Convention's proceedings and his growing prominence as a leader in the colonial resistance.
Washington returns to Richmond, a roughly six-mile journey, for the final session of the Second Virginia Convention. As he did upon his arrival in Richmond, Washington dines at the home of Richard Adams, a prominent merchant and legislator whose residence lies just a block from the site of the Second Virginia Convention at Henrico Parish Church.
Washington spends a misty Sunday at Wilton, the home of Anne Harrison Randolph, outside of Richmond. Randolph, the daughter of Benjamin and Anne Carter Harrison of Berkeley, is the widow of William Randolph. Since her husband’s death, she has presided over Wilton, which was built in the early 1750s about six miles south of Richmond.
Tomorrow, Washington will return to Richmond for the final session of the Second Virginia Convention.
At the Second Virginia Convention, Washington is selected as one of seven delegates to attend the Second Continental Congress, receiving 106 of the 108 votes cast.
Washington writes to his brother, John Augustine Washington, “...it is my full intention to devote my Life & Fortune in the cause we are engagd in, if need be.”
Washington and the other delegates of the Second Virginia Convention resolve to send seven delegates to the Second Continental Congress.
"Dined at Galts & spent the Evening & lodgd at Mr. Saml. Duvals," Washington writes in his diary.
Patrick Henry proposes a bold set of resolutions to the Second Virginia Convention, calling for Virginia to be “immediately put into a posture of Defence.” This recommendation sparks intense discussion. During the ensuing debate, Patrick Henry passionately declares, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Henry’s resolutions pass by a narrow margin.
As the last order of business for the day, the Convention appoints Washington to a committee to “prepare a plan for embodying, arming and disciplining” a colonial militia.
At the end of an eventful day, Washington dines at the home of Mr. Patrick Coutts, a prominent Richmond merchant residing on Shockoe Hill, a location that will later become the site of the Virginia State Capitol.
On a cold day in Richmond, Washington attends another session of the Second Virginia Convention, where delegates vote to unanimously approve of “the proceedings and Resolutions of the American Continental Congress.”
In the evening, Washington dines at Galt’s Tavern, owned by Gabriel Galt, and lodges at a house provided by the Galts.
Washington attends the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond, where delegates deliberate on the proceedings of the First Continental Congress. During the day's session, the convention hears reports from their seven delegates to the Congress and engages in discussions regarding its outcomes.
In the evening, Washington dines at Cooley's Tavern, a well-known establishment near the intersection of what would later become Main and Twenty-second streets in Richmond. Afterward, he returns to Colonel Archibald Cary's residence.
Washington arrives in Richmond around 11 a.m. He dines at the home of Richard Adams, a prominent merchant and legislator whose residence lies just a block from the site of the Second Virginia Convention at Henrico Parish Church.
In the afternoon, Washington travels approximately seven miles to visit Col. Archibald Cary—known for his fiery temper and staunch opposition to British policies—at Cary’s estate, Ampthill, situated on the south side of the James River.
Continuing his journey to Richmond, Washington dines with Wiley Roy, a tavernkeeper in Bowling Green, Virginia.
He lodges in the town of Hanover Court House (now Hanover, Virginia), 15 miles north of Richmond.
Washington spends a clear and pleasant day in Fredericksburg visiting his mother Mary Ball Washington. He also spends money repairing his saddle.
Washington, en route to Richmond for the Second Virginia Convention, dines with prominent merchant and planter James Hunter Sr. in King George County. He spends the night in Fredericksburg. It isn’t an easy journey. Washington notes in his weather diary: “A frost & cold—Wind very hard all day.”
The Richmond County Independent Company writes to Washington, informing him that they have unanimously chosen him as commander.
Continuing his journey to Richmond, Washington stops in Dumfries, Virginia, to review the Independent Company of Cadets of Prince William County. Following the review, he dines and lodges with Mr. Andrew Leitch, a merchant and member of the Prince William County Committee.
Washington departs Mount Vernon for Richmond, Virginia, where he will attend the Second Virginia Convention. He dines in Colchester, a small town on his route, with Fairfax County Court clerk Peter Wagener.
Later in the evening, he lodges at the residence of Colonel Thomas Blackburn, a Virginia gentleman and acquaintance.
“Misting with Rain now and then through the day,” Washington writes in his weather diary at Mount Vernon. His friend and personal physician Dr. James Craik visits in the afternoon.
Captain Daniel McCarty, a prominent Virginia landowner and neighbor of Washington, dines at Mount Vernon.
Meanwhile in Massachusetts, John Adams, again writing under the pseudonym “Novanglus,” defends colonial rights in an open letter, asserting that these derive from natural law and colonial charters rather than British parliamentary authority.
On this Sunday, Washington travels roughly an hour and a half to attend Pohick Church.
Back at Mount Vernon, he meets with Maryland politician John Hoskins Stone who pays Washington £300 for 3,000 bushels of corn. A pioneering farmer for much of his life, Washington experimented with a variety of crops at Mount Vernon.
Washington conducts business from Mount Vernon and makes detailed notes about his peach and pecan trees.
In Virginia and elsewhere, local Committees of Safety actively implement the “Continental Association,” which aims to enforce a boycott of British goods.
On a clear and pleasant day at Mount Vernon, Washington is occupied with agricultural pursuits. He grafts several varieties of cherry trees, including the freshly cut branches sent by neighbor George Mason yesterday.
Washington spends the day at Mount Vernon, hosting two guests.
George Mason sends Washington cherry grafts he had requested, though Mason worries they might be too advanced for planting. “I send You the Cherry Graffs You desire, but am afraid they are rather too forward: the bundle wth the white stick in it is May-Dukes; the other the large black May Cherrys.”
Virginia’s leaders continue preparations for potential conflict with Great Britain. Chairman of the Spotsylvania County committee (and Washington's brother-in-law) Fielding Lewis, having heard that Washington has imported extra gunpowder for his county’s use, asks if Washington can send some of it to Lewis’s county.
I am directed to request that you will reserve Ten Barrells for the use of this County.
From Philadelphia, William Milnor, a business acquaintance, sends Washington a letter detailing the progress of specific goods Washington had ordered. Milnor updates Washington on the completion of sashes, gorgets, and shoulder knots—finishing touches for the Virginia militia uniforms.
Washington writes a letter to William Stevens, whom he hired to develop his frontier lands along the Great Kanawha River in the Ohio Valley. Washington gives Stevens detailed instructions on how to clear and plant the land efficiently.
So soon as you have pitchd upon the Spot to begin your Improvement on, use every deligence in your power to get as much Land as possible ready for Corn...
Washington spends the day at Mount Vernon and hosts Colonel Richard Henry Lee, a prominent figure in Virginia politics, for dinner.
The fifth anniversary of the Boston Massacre is commemorated with inflammatory speeches and pamphlets throughout the colonies.
Washington goes hunting but records that he “found nothing.” He hosts Colonel Benjamin Harrison and Captain James Wood, notable Virginia leaders, for dinner.
Washington’s overnight guests, Dr. Walter Hanson Jenifer, his wife Nancy, and Mrs. Sinah Ball McCarty all depart after breakfast.
Charles Carroll of Maryland writes to Washington recommending a pamphlet about the cultivation and management of hemp. Carroll describes it as both instructive and timely, particularly in light of the colonies' need to promote self-sufficiency.
Across the Atlantic, Washington’s longtime friend George William Fairfax writes him from England, reporting that many British subjects sympathize with the American cause. “It is reported in London, that you are Training the People of Virginia to the use of Arms,” Fairfax writes. “I hope you do not find those of your own County the most defficient, or that they misbecome their new uniform.”
The morning at Mount Vernon brings clouds and some rain, followed by clearing skies. George and Martha Washington host friends in the evening.
Washington makes a day trip to Alexandria with Mrs. Washington, likely keeping up-to-date with local news. He and Martha return to Mount Vernon for dinner.
Washington spends a “raw & cool” February day at Mount Vernon. After hosting “Mrs. Craik” for the night, her husband (Washington’s personal physician Dr. James Craik) picks her up after breakfast.
George and Martha Washington travel an hour and a half to attend Pohick Church then dine at the nearby home of Captain Daniel McCarty, a prominent Virginia landowner with deep political and social ties in the state.
For the past 13 years, Washington has served on the vestry of Truro Parish, which includes Pohick Church. More than an important center of the Anglican faith, the church is a hub for local community and political discourse.
With us here, things wear a disagreeable aspect; and the minds of men are exceedingly disturbed at the measures of the British government. The King’s Speech and Address of both Houses, prognosticate nothing favourable to us...
George Washington to John Connolly, February 25, 1775
Washington writes from Mount Vernon that “the minds of men are exceedingly disturbed at the measures of the British government … A little time must now unfold the mystery, as matters are drawing to a point.”
Dr. James Craik, Washington’s friend and personal physician, departs Mount Vernon in the morning. Washington hosts Virginia politician Robert Rutherford for dinner.
Washington anticipates news from Boston, where the atmosphere remains fraught between British soldiers and colonists.
Washington spends the day at Mount Vernon with Dr. James Craik, his personal physician. In New York, Alexander Hamilton publishes The Farmer Refuted, a passionate argument for colonial rights.
On a day he describes as, “Quite warm with little or no Wind and Clear,” Washington turns 43 years old. He and Martha dine across the Potomac River at Warburton Manor, the residence of prominent Maryland landowner and planter George Digges.
Washington dines at Mount Vernon with Capt. Thomas Marshall, who has come to offer him command of the Fauquier County Independent Company.
This invitation is part of a wider movement in Virginia and other colonies, where “independent companies” are forming as volunteer military units outside of British-controlled militia structures.
On a warm day, Washington makes the roughly 10-mile trip to Alexandria, attending the election of delegates to represent Fairfax County at the Second Virginia Convention. Scheduled for next month in Richmond, this convention is set to address the colonies' escalating concerns about British rule.
“At home all day alone,” Washington writes in his diary. In his weather report, he adds, "Cloudy all day, but not Cold with but little wind, and that variable. At Night Rain."
Writing from his home Gunston Hall, George Mason informs Washington, “By a Letter from Maryland Yesterday I am inform’d that his Majesty has ordered his Embassadors at the different Courts in Europe to declare his American Subjects in a State of Rebellion.”
This is a significant shift in British policy.
George Mason writes from Gunston Hall updating Washington on several matters, including a logistical issue involving an over-purchase of gunpowder for Fairfax County and his plan to collect funds directly from tithables to expedite payment for the powder and supplies procured for the county.
I can’t conceive how Mr Harper cou’d make such a Mistake as to buy double the Quantity of powder wanted for this County, when He had the Order in Writing sign’d by You & Me.
James Scott, Jr., a captain of the Fauquier Independent Company, writes Washington. Scott and Captain Thomas Marshall (the father of future Chief Justice John Marshall) had been chosen to offer Washington command of their militia unit, a role reflecting the increasing militarization and resistance efforts in Virginia.
A draft of what would be known as Barclay’s Plan of Reconciliation circulates in London, proposing various measures to heal the rift between Great Britain and the colonies.
Washington goes fox hunting on a clear but cold day at Mount Vernon. Unlike yesterday, no foxes are found.
On a “cool & raw” day, Washington goes hunting and bags a fox. Washington hosts several guests at Mount Vernon, writing in his diary “Robt. Phil, & George Alexander came home with us. Mr. Muir Doctr. Rumney & Cap. Harper lodgd here.”
The Alexander brothers belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Fairfax County and were instrumental in the development of Alexandria—a city that bears their name.
Washington spends a clear day at Mount Vernon. In Massachusetts, John Adams (writing as “Novanglus”) responds to the writings of "Massachusettensis," a loyalist. Adams defends the colonies' opposition to taxation without representation:
We had considered ourselves as connected with Great-Britain, but we never thought parliament the supreme legislature over us.
Virginia landowner Robert Ashby and his brother depart Mount Vernon after staying the night. A light snow persists at Mount Vernon all morning.
Washington notes in his diary that the day is "cloudy for the most part and raw." He and his stepson John Parke Custis “went a hunting but killd nothing although we found a Fox.”
Snow and rain fall at Mount Vernon all morning. Dr. Daniel Jenifer (a future signer of the Constitution) and his brother visit Washington for dinner.
In London, Benjamin Franklin continues his efforts to advocate for the colonies.
Washington spends a snowy day at Mount Vernon. Across the Atlantic Ocean, conciliatory proposals circulate in the British government—attempts to avoid a further escalation of conflict with the American colonies.
William Grayson, a lawyer and foxhunting companion, writes Washington that the equipment (flags and drums) ordered for the Prince William Independent Company have arrived. “I am with great respect yr Most Obedt Servt,” Grayson writes.
In letter to Thomas Cresap, Washington, on behalf of his late brother Augustine's executors, seeks clarification on allegations that Cresap has unlawfully occupied and leased land in Maryland belonging to Augustine's orphaned son.
George Mason sits down at his home, Gunston Hall, to write a letter to Washington. He expresses concern over recent news from Britain, specifically King George III's dismissive tone towards American grievances:
I suppose You have seen the King’s Speech, & the Addresses of both Houses in the last Maryland Paper; from the Style in which they speak of the Americans I think We have little Hopes of a speedy Redress of Grievances.
Washington continues to host yesterday’s guests at Mount Vernon. From London, Benjamin Franklin reports that a petition from the Continental Congress has been presented to both Houses of Parliament but was buried among other documents without distinction.
Colonel Nathaniel Harrison and “a Mr. Murdock,” possibly John Murdock of Maryland, arrive at Mount Vernon for dinner. As a trustee of the Potomac Navigation Company, Murdock likely discusses issues of navigation and economic development with Washington.
Two overnight guests, “Mr. Wagener, & Mr. Mills,” leave Mount Vernon after breakfast—part of a steady stream of acquaintances and business associates visiting the Washingtons.
Washington hosts several guests at Mount Vernon, writing in his diary, “In the Afternn. Mr. Calvert, Mr. Bordley, & Mr. Jacques from Maryland and Mr. Wagener, Mr. Mills, Doctr. Rumney, & Mr. Rutherford came here.”
“Miss Dent & a daughter of Captn. Marshalls dind here,” Washington writes in his diary. Capt. Thomas Hanson Marshall’s daughter is Mary Marshall. Miss Dent is likely Mary’s aunt, Sarah Dent. The Marshall family had longstanding ties to Mount Vernon; the family home, Marshall Hall, was located across the Potomac River.
Normand Bruce of Frederick County, Maryland, arrives at Mount Vernon with a letter of introduction from Thomas Johnson. Bruce, the letter explains, seeks "to shew that Hemp is the proper material for us to rely on much in preference of Flax" when manufacturing coarse cloth. Washington invites Bruce to dine at Mount Vernon.
Washington spends a misty day at Mount Vernon. From London, Benjamin Franklin writes to Thomas Cushing that Britain is preparing to dispatch “three more Regiments of Foot and one of Dragoons, seven hundred Marines, Six Sloops of War and two Frigates” to America.
Washington spends the day reviewing land he recently purchased from the Mercer family near Four Mile Run, a creek that flows into the Potomac River. He returns to Mount Vernon in the evening.
Washington travels to Alexandria for a scheduled meeting of the trustees working on a project to improve the navigation of the Potomac River. Unfortunately, no other trustees attend, leaving Washington to spend the night in Alexandria.
![Harpers Ferry along the Potomac River in 1803 (Harpers Ferry NHP Historic Photo Collection [HF-628])](https://mtv-drupal-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/files/callout/text-image-block-full/image/1944-1-1_harpers_ferry.jpg?VersionId=2zYw7c9h4MjM6z2jMNNsued7VBEXL1zo)
Thomas Johnson, a Maryland delegate to the Continental Congress, writes to Washington to discuss Maryland's preparations for impending conflict, particularly the challenge of acquiring arms. He expresses concern that British vigilance would force the colonies to seek local sources for materials rather than rely on imports.
Washington makes preparations for two Virginia militia units. In a letter from Mount Vernon, Washington details his orders for military supplies, including muskets, sashes, and gorgets. He requests additional shoulder knots for the sergeants and corporals of the Fairfax Independents and offers to pay for them himself.
Washington is visited at Mount Vernon by Daniel Jenifer Adams, a man who has outstanding debts to Washington dating back to a 1772 trading voyage. They discuss Adams’s ongoing efforts to settle these debts, a process that will ultimately involve a land transfer in Maryland later in the year.
On a warm and pleasant day, Washington goes hunting with his stepson John (Jacky) Parke Custis and kills “a Dog Fox” before returning home for dinner.
Washington spends his day at Mount Vernon. His stepdaughter-in-law’s sister, Elizabeth “Betsey” Calvert, returns home after a lengthy visit to Mount Vernon.
After three days in Alexandria, Washington rides home in the rain and snow. “Returnd home to Dinner alone,” he writes in his diary.
Washington, still in Alexandria, spends another day as chair of the Fairfax County Committee, addressing preparations for the potential escalation of conflict.
In Alexandria, Washington participates in military activities and chairs the Fairfax County Committee during a rainy evening. As chairman, he oversees the drafting of resolutions declaring it essential for Fairfax County to provide ammunition for a volunteer militia funded by a tax of three shillings per person. Additionally, the committee resolves to form a voluntary militia of men aged 16 to 50. This militia aims to give the colonies their own means of defense, reducing the need for Britain to maintain a standing army in the colonies and impose taxes to support it.
Washington travels from Mount Vernon to Alexandria, where he reviews the Fairfax Independent Company, a voluntary militia not under the royal governor’s control. He also participates in an election to choose members for the Committee of Fairfax County. He spends the night in Alexandria.
Washington attends Pohick Church on a “pleasant but rather too warm” Sunday. George Mason and others return with Washington to Mount Vernon “& stayed all Night.”
Washington replies to a letter from John West, who reported poor health and asked Washington to be the guardian for his son Roger. Washington expresses deep sympathy but explains that he is overwhelmed by numerous responsibilities and is reluctant to commit fully to the guardianship.
“Went a Fox hunting—found but did not kill,” Washington writes in his diary.
Washington spends a clear and cold day at Mount Vernon. Across the colonies, committees of correspondence disseminate information about British actions, helping unify colonial grievances.
The morning starts with a hard frost. Washington notes that a “Mr. Stone” dines at Mount Vernon—likely Thomas Stone, a prominent Maryland lawyer and a future signer of the Declaration of Independence.
“At home all day,” Washington writes in his diary from Mount Vernon. “Doctr. Rumney & Mrs. Newman went away after Breakfast.”
Dr. William Rumney, a local physician and friend of Washington’s, arrives to dine and lodge at Mount Vernon. Rumney is known for his role in treating the sick among Mount Vernon’s enslaved population.
Visiting friends, including prominent Maryland planter George Digges and his three sisters, depart Mount Vernon after breakfast.
The Washingtons, on the day of their 16th wedding anniversary, host friends at Mount Vernon.
Washington spends his day at Mount Vernon. “Very pleasant in the Morning, and calm,” he records. “Towards Noon the wind sprung up Northerly, but neither cold or hard.”
General Charles Lee departs Mount Vernon after breakfast. Washington lends Lee £15 cash, likely for traveling expenses to Williamsburg. Leonard Tarrant, representing the Hampton, Va., law firm of Balfour & Barraud, visits for breakfast and discusses a contract to purchase flour and bread from Washington.
![Charles Lee Esq'r. - Americanischer general-major, G.N. Raspe Nürnberg, [1778], Library of Congress.](https://mtv-drupal-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/files/resources/charles-lee-loc.jpg?VersionId=uu3tCvdw.uiyEX.KgfCS9eOURgq6n1iv)
“At home all day,” Washington writes in his diary on an “exceeding pleasant” day. General Charles Lee, a vocal supporter of colonial rights, spends the night at Mount Vernon.
“Genl. [Charles] Lee and myself rid up to Alexandria & returnd in the Afternoon,” Washington writes in his diary.
1775
“At home all day,” Washington writes in his diary from Mount Vernon. The first day of the new year is “calm, clear, warm, & exceeding pleasant.” His guest Dr. James Craik, a close friend and trusted physician, departs after breakfast.