EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE AND IMPORTANT REVOLUTIONARY WAR PATRIOT LETTER FROM JOHN BANISTER, WILLIAMSBURG, VA TO MESSRS. INGLES AND LONG OF PORTSMOUTH, VA. - 2-11-1772
Banister, John) Important Revolutionary War Patriot: Colonial Virginia Business Letter.ALS 2/11/1772 John Banister (1734-1788), Williamsburg, VA to Messrs. Ingles & Long, Portsmouth, VA. Banister was an important Revolutionary War Patriot from Petersburg. Written not long after Banister entered public service, this letter is datelined from his wife Elizabeth Bland Banister’s Williamsburg hometown. It concerns order and delivery of flour purchased from Banister’s Mill in Petersburg by the Portsmouth firm Ingles & Long.
John Banister had a long career as mill owner who created an industrial complex of flour and saw mills on the south bank of the Appomattox River just west of Petersburg, VA. At times he owned nearly 100 slaves to maintain his property and businesses. His home was historic Battersea Plantation built in 1768. Banister was a Justice of the Peace for Dinwiddie County, the first mayor of Petersburg, a colonel of cavalry in the Revolutionary War, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and a signer of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Virginia State Constitution and the one of five Virginia signers of Articles of Confederation.
(Letter in full)
Wms.burg. Feb’y 11th 1772
Dear Sir
Before this Daniel Fraze will have delivered you flour & seconds (wood cuttings from the saw mill)which he was taking in when I left home. Mr. Oldham has orders from me to send down as fast as possible the flour that is in the Mill, amounting to about 3 or less Barrels, but unless you send up pressing orders in my favour to show of when you have purchased Wheat every thing will be at a stand, as our wheat cannot last longer than to the end of next week. Cap. Goodrich used one M (thousand feet lumber)in going off without leaving a receipt for the wheat I lent you, as it is extremely disagreeable to have the settlement with the skipper suspended & the article left blank in my Book. Pray send some Barrels as my Coopers have been sick & we are in a way share that misfortune, to be much in need of a supply from you. The Mill has about 20 M (thousand feet of lumber) and if it can be had can do more than that quantity from this time. I beg we may not be out wheat about which write me by the first Packet; I lodge at Miss Carloss’s. I am Sir yr
Mo. obed. Servant
John Banister
(Address Panel: No postal marks.)
To
Mess’rs Ingles & Long
Merchants in
Portsmouth
(Docketed:)
Williamsburgh F. 11th 1772
John Banister
Answ’d 22’d, not copied
Williamsburgh F. 11th 1772
John Banister
Answ’d 22’d, not copied