to me upon his return, and repremanded him severely." Of
another, Simpson, "I never hear ... without a degree of warmth & vexation
at his extreme stupidity," and elsewhere he expresses his disgust at "that
confounded fellow Simpson." A third spent all the fall and half the winter
in getting in his crop, and "if there was any way of making such a rascal
as Garner pay for such conduct, no punishment would be too great for him.
I suppose he never turned out of mornings until the sun had warmed the
earth, and if _he_ did not, the _negros_ would not." His chief overseer
was directed to "Let Mr. Crow know that I view with a very evil eye the
frequent reports made by him of sheep dying;... frequent _natural deaths_
is a very strong evidence to my mind of the want of care or something
worse."

Curious distinctions were made oftentimes. Thus, in the contract with an
overseer, one clause was inserted to the effect, "And whereas there are a
number of whiskey stills very contiguous to the said Plantations, and many
idle, drunken and dissolute People continually resorting to the same,
priding themselves in debauching sober and well-inclined Persons, the said
Edd Voilett doth promise as well for his own sake as his employers to
avoid them as he ought." To the contrary, in hiring a gardener, it was
agreed as part of the compensation that the man should have "four dollars
at Christmas, with which he may be drunk for four days and four nights;
two dollars at Easter to effect the same purpose; two dollars at
Whitsuntide to be drunk for two days; a dram in the morning, and a drink
of grog at dinner at noon."

With more true kindness Washington wrote to one of his underlings, "I was
very glad to receive your letter of the 31st ultimo, because I was afraid,
from the accounts given me of your spitting blood,... that you would
hardly have been able to have written at all. And it is my request that
you will not, by attempting more than you are able to undergo, with safety
and convenience, injure yourself, and thereby render me a disservice....
I had rather therefore hear that you had nursed than exposed yourself. And
the things which I sent from this place (I mean the wine, tea, coffee and
sugar) and such other matters as you may lay in by the doctor's direction
for the use of the sick, I desire you will make use of as your own
personal occasions may require."

Of one Butler he had employed to overlook his gardeners, but who proved
hopelessl