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Meeting Mrs. W. at Mr. Digges across river--thinks Mr. Harrison will accept W-n's offer--Alexa. & Loudon people worried about Mrs. W.'s presence at Mt. V.--he thinks there's no danger--"her old acquaintance the attorney" wouldn't permit Lord Dunmore to come up river & take her--if necessary he can get her away quickly--she leaves soon for "down the country" with son and daughter-[in-law]--he writes G.W. weekly--rain prevents sowing wheat--repairing tumbling dam--work on wash or servent & store houses--bricklayers working on garden wall--John [Broad] sick--Sears sick--stucco work & chimney piece in dining room unfinished--bill of exchange--no word from [James] Cleveland or Simpson on western lands--John West wants money owed him--will pay Custis' bond from money of [Jenifer] Adams' bond--what to do with [Jenifer] Adams' land in Md.?--hopes to see G.W. in winter "for whether things are made up or not I suppose you can leave the army in winter."--painter still absent.

Mrs. W. & Mr. & Mrs. John Parke Custis stop a few days in Fredericksburg on way to Col. Bassett's--mill dam repair completed--too wet to plow--John Knowles (bricklayer) sick--John Broad back at work--Judge the taylor & Sears sick--stucco man at work on dining room--carpenters on wash house [office]--letters by Constitutional post most reliable--kept in Alexandria by Mr. Hendricks.

Sent word to Mrs. W. at New Kent informing her to come to camp--expect her here immediately--discussion by Md. and Alex. residents of plan to blocade river--Indian Head best place--"Captn Boucher [said] he woud undertake with 3 ships [sunk] to stop the Channel so that no ship of Force coud get up the River ..."--Mrs. W. packed his papers in a trunk to be sent to Capt. McCarty's for safe keeping--she gave him key to G.W.'s study but he won't touch anything there except in emergency--what to do with Col. Mercer's papers?--John West, Mr. Harper, Mr. Wilson ask for money owed them--Bishop needs money--Dr. Crail's negro came with news from over the mountains--Val Crawford comes, feels it useless to keep building on G.W.'s land there because of danger of British burning everything--should he grind wheat?--Jenifer Adams offers to rent Md. land--Col. Mason very ill since convention--Lund thinks Mt. V. very easily defended by 50 men--will consider making salt peter--Custis and wife with Mrs. W. in New Kent--Knowles is well, Webster sick, John Barry dead.

Enclosed letter probably tells of Mrs. W's coming to camp--her long stay in New Kent after being sent for is ill-judged--nothing done about blocade of Potomac River--why he had to pay Mercer money--difficulties of paying in paper money--"John Lowe the Barber says you owe him 7/6 for a false tale for your hair"--James Cleveland came with certificates of improvements on Great Kanawa & Ohio land--settlers there left and went to Wheeling because of Indian attacks--won't return--G.W.'s servants sold and negroes left with Will Crawford--Stephens stayed, will get mill going there--work on dining room continues--little chance of getting absent painter from Lord Dunmore--will plant Bosenberries--difficulties in acquiring spinning wheels--expects another new one, "so that we shall then have 7 ..."--wash house [office] chimneys being set up--considers changing door plan, but hesitates altering G.W.'s plans--Skirmish at Hampton--next letter will be by Mrs. W. when she goes to camp.

Dining room almost finished--"the Stucco Man agrees the ceilg. is a handsomer one than any of Colo. Lewises altho not half the work in it it was a plan recommen'd by Sears."--too late to turf the Ha Ha's--what proportions to use on gateways?--Lanphier no help on this or anything else--let him know in Spring what brick work to do after building the underpining & chimney to the house that will be placed opposite the store house--will plaster wash house or Servt's house [office] this winter--"I suppose there is a wall to be built in the new garden next the Quarter I think I have heard you say you'd designd to have a House Built the whole length for Negroes ..."--miller's time wasted with no wheat to grind--coopers work on mill dam & fencing--unable to buy slave--Lund goes to Stafford to settle mother's estate--will send his own negroes "over the mountain" for lack of anything to do in east--announces his intention to defend Mt. V. property against British--.

Account of money since Washington left, together with money to and from Mrs. Washington--all were bills contracted before he left--Washington's mother wrote asking for "linnen" not obtainable there and other trifles--explains accounts paid--will try to raise stone out of banks for chimney tops to be put up this winter, for kitchen, storehouse and other house to be built opp.--painting kitchen, storehouse, and house--corn crop--if Washington approves will put up a strong house at Morrises for wine, rum, etc.--Comm. sent to sound the river decided channel too wide and therefore plan [to block river] impracticable or very expensive--so must defend plantations on Potomac with muskets--attitudes of people about defending property in area--sales of wheat--will forward spinning--problems and process of making salt peter--Mrs. Washington does not approve leaving Mrs. Barnes as housekeeper in her absence, so Lund will do housekeeping--house has been crowded with company since Mrs. Washington's return.

Will transplant cherry trees, but thinks they will die--also plant vinyards and clean Hell Hole--much farm work to be done--shortage of help--illness--plasterer still here and Mrs. Washington has decided to have stucco in her room plain--wash house shingled and weather boarded but chimneys not up--report on timothy and other crops--has written every week--payment for sale of Col. Mercer's estate and letter in re. sale to Col. Tayloe--negro quarters need mending--difficulty of getting silver money--will try to collect rents--bull gored a wagon horse--Mrs. Barnes at Mt. Vernon--doesn't believe war ships will come up river this year--shortage of salt in area--his greetings to Mrs. Washington if she gets to camp before his letter--local militia officers.

Will alter servants hall since it is not intended for a wash house--thinks Jennifer Adams has not made a deed for his land unless very recently--Adams wanted to clear himself on charges of cutting timber--will try to get Washington out of bargain with Adams--run-away slave--thinks there will be no action on stopping navigation of Potomac or erecting batteries--will talk to Col. [Geo.] Mason about it--Mason ill--Committee for county chosen recently, lists names--Connelly [Tory] captured while going disguised through Md.--minute scheme for area not up to Conventions expectations--painter [run-away slave calling self Joseph Wilson] among prisoners taken at Hampton, does not want to return--Dunmore proclamation to free all indentured servants and slaves that go over to British--thinks white servants more likely to cause trouble--reviews servant situation, miller being paid and sitting idle--will grind 100 barrels of flour, possibly for export in exchange for arms--promises constant attention to Genl. Washington's affairs.

Examination of [James] Cleveland re certificates of improvements on G.W.'s western lands--pd. Tho. Lawson for iron--Jennifer Adams' land--negro won't return to Va. from Adam's; should he be sold?--Col. [George] Mercer's & Col. [Geo. Wm.] Fairfax's estates--Bryan Fairfax's peculiar religious behavior--report of Dunmore attacking 100 men "this side of the great Bridge ..."--convention to raise 4000 men--Dunmore's negro troops--desires privateers to come and take Dunmore's squadron--negroes ill--Col. George Mason getting well--hopes for gunpowder--proposed Potomac battery--Sears still here painting new room and dining room--he has picture frames to make yet--altered wash house (servt. quarters)--Knowles not recovered [from bull's goring].