Thursday 7th. Mercury at 78 in the Morng.—82 at Noon and 86 at Night. Very little Wind at any time in the day, & that from the So. West. In the afternoon there were Clouds and appearances of Rain but very little fell here.
Rid to my Harvest fields at the Ferry—Dogue run and the Neck between Breakfast & Dinner.
Mr. Govournr. Morris went away before Breakfast as did Mr. Craik. Colo. Bassett & Mr. Geo. Washington accompanied the former as far as Alexandria. Mr. Arthur Lee came to Dinner, to which Colo. Bassett & G. W. returned.
In the afternoon a Mr. Turner, Steward to Colo. Richd. Corbin, came here with a letter from Mr. Thos. Corbin enclosing one from Colo. Geo. Fairfax respecting the said Thomas.
Richard Corbin (c.1714–1790), for many years a member of the royal governor’s council and receiver general of Virginia, had, despite Loyalist sentiments, lived quietly in retirement at his home in King and Queen County during the Revolution. His son Thomas Corbin had served in the British army and had just returned to America. The letter from George William Fairfax concerned aspersions on Thomas Corbin’s character by his brother, Richard Corbin, and attempted to enroll GW’s support for Thomas. On 8 July, GW wrote to Thomas Corbin assuring him that he would be happy to see him at Mount Vernon. For correspondence on this subject, see George William Fairfax to GW, 19 Mar. 1785 and 23 Jan. 1786, GW to Fairfax, 30 June, and GW to Thomas Corbin, 8 July 1785, DLC:GW.