According to my family historian (my aunt) during the Revolutionary War when Washington was in North Carolina, the Brits happened to decide to take residence at the farm of a relative of mine. The daughter, who was only about 16 at the time, overheard that the Brits knew where Washington was camped out and planned to attack him. This young woman rode bareback in the night to warn Washington of the danger. For this he awarded her a piece of land that he owned in Illinois. I always wondered if Washington acquired or added to his landholdings during the war?? It would be very easy to cut deals with all sorts of people for land in exchange for military favors. In this case my relative got some land, but in others perhaps it worked to Washington's advantage. Anyone know of any such possibilities?
Marta Russell
T. C. Frank wrote:
> Tom Lehman asked about George Washington's personal wealth.
>
> By the time of the Washington administration, certainly the richest man in
> the U.S. was William Duer, the speculator. He was also the
> under-secretary of the Treasury, and got caught up before very long in all
> sorts of scandals. I believe he was the one who embezzled the funds for
> Hamilton's famous industrial project in Paterson, New Jersey.
>
> I don't know if Duer was the richest at the time of the Revolution. I
> doubt it.
>
> Tom Frank
-- Marta Russell author, Los Angeles, CA Beyond Ramps: Disability at the End of the Social Contract http://www.commoncouragepress.com/ramps.html