Day 2

Well, it's day two of this blog.  It would be interesting to read George Washington's blog.  Of course he didn't have the internet or a blog.  But if he had, I would like to read it.

From George Washington's Last Will and Testament, July 9, 1799

Fourth Actuated by the principal already mentioned, I give and bequeath to George Washington Parke Custis, the Grandson of my wife, and my Ward, and to his heirs, the tract I hold on four mile run in the vicinity of Alexandria, containing one thousd two hundred acres, more or less, & my entire Square, number twenty one, in the City of Washington.

I can just click on a button and make a group of words be italicized.  Ben Franklin would have killed for such a machine.

That little bit of land that Granpa George left for little Georgie is worth more today than anybody could have possibly imagined back then but I'm sure Mr. Washington knew of its value in the day.

Google richest people in America 1700's and you'll find that George appears to have been outdone by the old fat man himself Ben Franklin and the signature man John Hancock too.  Washington versus Boston and Philadelphia.  Well certainly Boston and Philadelphia had been around a long time by the time Washington was even laid out on paper.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_richest_Americans_in_history#By_half_decade

Peter Manigault (October 10, 1731 – November 12, 1773) was an attorney, plantation owner, slave owner, and colonial legislator native to Charleston, South Carolina. He was the wealthiest man in the British North American colonies at the time of his death and owned hundreds of slaves. He was the son-in-law of Joseph Wragg, the largest slave trader of North America in the 1730s.

Manigault (pronounced MAN-eh-go) was born in Charleston on October 10, 1731, and was part of a wealthy French Huguenot immigrant family. Manigault was the son of Gabriel Manigault (1704–1781) and Ann (née Ashby) Manigault (1705–1782).

Like Dave Ramsey says, being born with money, or handed massive wealth at a young age, can be a blessing or a curse.  Seems that mister Man-eh-go handled it pretty good.  Probably had more wives than King Solomon.

During Manigault's studies in London and travels in Europe, he exchanged frequent letters with his parents. This correspondence was published as part of several articles over several years in the South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine.

Or maybe he was a bleedin' drunk.

A caricature drawn by George Roupell circa 1760 was entitled "Mr. Peter Manigault and his Friends" and depicts Manigault and several of his friends and acquaintances taking part in a drinking party.

There but for the grace of God go I, my Dad used to like to say and he was right about that.  Probably got it from his Dad who probably got it from his Dad.  

Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

So I'll go ahead and write my last will and testament and be done with it.  My thinking is that it clears my mind to think of other things, knowing that I, like George Washington Parke Custis, am set for life and my affairs are in order.  

Now young George Parke Custis did not know at the time that one Robert E. Lee would one day marry Mr. Custis' daughter and live with them in their big home in Arlington.  Nor did he know that eventually his son-in-law would go on to lead the Army of Northern Virginia and the old homestead there on the hill would be taken from him by force due to his living on the wrong side of the Potomac and would be turned in to a graveyard for Yankees.