George Washington, His Brother, and His Brother-in-Law Sign a Financial Instrument Securing His Claim to Land in the West, Sold to Him by a Fellow Officer of the French and Indian War in Exchange for Washington’s Surveying Work

This document passed from George Washington’s personal file, to another signatory of this document, Fielding Lewis, to his son, and then as a gift to his wife

 

The land was the soldiers’ reward for his service in the French and Indian War

Washington’s involvement in the French and Indian War, in which he served as lieutenant colonel of the newly formed Virginia Regiment, was due in part to the backcountry knowledge and map-making skills he had gained from surveying. But by the time that war ended, he had made a name for himself. In 1753, before the war, he was chosen to deliver an ultimatum to the French at Fort Le Boeuf, insisting that they withdraw from the valley. When his report of this venture, “The Journal of Major George Washington”, was printed in Williamsburg and then reprinted in London, it catapulted him onto the world stage.

The war broke out in 1754, and Virginia Governor Dinwiddie issued a proclamation designed to encourage enlistment in the local militia for the war against the French. In addition to their pay, those who enlisted in Lieutenant Colonel George Washington’s fledgling Virginia Regiment were offered a share in 200,000 acres west of the Ohio River. Unfortunately for these men, who would fight under Washington in the Braddock expedition in 1755 and the Forbes foray in 1758, both against the enemy at Fort Duquesne,, they were not to see these bounty lands until more than twenty years had passed, during which time Washington tirelessly led the struggle to secure their title and gain them possession of the land owed them for their service.

In 1769, in response to Washington’s petition, the Virginia governor and council gave him permission to seek out a qualified surveyor and to notify all claimants that surveying would proceed. Once the surveying was completed the land could be divided among the Virginia Regiment veterans or their heirs.

George Muse was born in England and moved to Virginia sometime in his youth. He took part in the 1741 British expedition against Cartagena in Colombia, led by Adm. Edward Vernon. Another participant in that campaign was Lawrence Washington, who went home to Virginia and named his plantation “Mount Vernon” after the admiral. In 1743 the royal governor appointed Washington adjutant general, or chief administrator, of the Virginia militia, and George Muse became one of his deputies. When Lawrence Washington died in 1752, his half-brother George applied to succeed him as adjutant general. The fact that George wasn’t yet of legal age didn’t discourage him, but it was surely a factor for Gov. Robert Dinwiddie. He found a solution that meant more men would owe him favors: he broke up Virginia into districts and appointed adjutants for each. Among the new district adjutants were George Washington and George Muse.

Muse would be a top officers on Washington’s expedition in 1754, ranked as a major – an interesting dynamic since Muse was more than a decade older than George Washington. That campaign ended at Fort Necessity.

After the war, Virginia determined to give western lands to all the officers on the expedition. This included Washington but also Muse, who was entitled to some of the western land claims respite his resignation under controversial circumstances. That meant he and Washington continued to share an economic interest in western settlement for decades.

Washington arranged to have William Crawford appointed the “Surveyor of the Soldiers Land.” In 1770 Washington, Crawford, and a fellow veteran named Dr. James Craik, set out from Fort Pitt by canoe to explore possible sites for the bounty lands, making notes and observations as they journeyed to the junction of the Ohio and Great Kanawha Rivers and several miles up the Great Kanawha. The surveying commenced soon after.

On August 3, 1770 Muse and Washington came to agreement, whereby Muse ceded a third of his claims to Washington in exchange for Washingotn’s surveying work. The transaction was secured by a bond from Muse to Washington.

Charles Washington, George’s youngest brother, was only five years old when his father, Augustine Washington, passed away, leaving the small child an inheritance that made him both a landowner and a slaveholder. His father left Ferry Farm to George Washington, which meant that Charles spent most of his formative years in a house owned by his brother. In practice, however, his mother, Mary Ball Washington, continued to run the plantation until George Washington came of age.

Fielding Lewis, born on July 7, 1725, was a colonel in the American Revolution and the brother-in-law and second cousin of George Washington through their common great-grandfather, Augustine Warner II.

James Hunter, Sr. came to Fredericksburg from Scotland in 1749 and entered business there with his uncle William Hunter, a successful merchant. James Hunter later became an important manufacturer of iron at Fredericksburg.

This is the original bond for Washington’s benefit, guaranteeing Muse would honor his end of the agreement. Autograph document signed, August 3, 1770, completely in Washington’s hand and signed twice with his rare full signature, “George Washington”.“Know all men by these presents that I George Muse of the county of Caroline & colony of Virginia am held and firmly bound unto George Washington of the county of Fairfax and colony aforesaid in the full and just sum of one thousand pounds sterling, to be paid unto the said George Washington, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns. To which payment well and freely to be made I bind myself, my heirs, executors, and administrators firmly by these presents. Sealed with my seal and dated this third day of August one thousand seven hundred and seventy.

“The condition of the above obligation is that if the above bound George Muse, his heirs, executors, or administrators shall well and truly comply with certain articles of agreement hereunto annexed according to the true intent and meaning thereof … to be void other than to remain in full …and virtue. Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Fielding Lewis, James Hunter, and Charles Washington.” Muse has signed. Witnesses were Lewis, Washington’s cousin and brother-in-law; Hunter, a large landowner; and Charles Washington, the future president’s brother.

On the verso is a notation in Washington’s hand noting the parties and date. This document also contains what appears to be an gift inscription on the verso from Fielding Lewis’s child, George Washington Lewis, to his wife, Catherine Lewis, herself his cousin on the Washington side. Their Granddaughter would play an important role in Washington-related history. Catherine Daingerfield Willis Gray Murat (August 17, 1803 – August 6, 1867) was an American socialite and preservationist. In 1858, she was appointed the first vice regent for Florida by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. Together with Ellen Call Long, she raised significant funds for the acquisition and restoration of Mount Vernon. Catherine Murat was the great-grandniece of George Washington and was married to the former Prince Achille Murat.

In November 1773 the Virginia council ordered that a patent for a tract of 7,276 acres on the Great Kanawha be issued to Washington and Muse, 3,953 acres for Washington and 3,323 acres for Muse. Muse ceded Washington his 2,741 acres of the 7,276–acre tract in exchange for 2,000 acres on the opposite bank of the Great Kanawha and for the payment of all costs of the surveying and division of the land. Washington had bought the 2,000 acres on the north bank of the Great Kanawha from William Bronaugh.