Benjamin Harrison to William Short, 30 September-28 October 1785

I have received your several favors of 14^th Febry 6^th May, 7^th June & 10^th July. this last came last evening, I believe I acknowledged the receipt of the three first before, but being at my own house and my letter Book at the store I cannot tell the dates of my Lres, its true that I a long time neglected or rather omitted to write You, but this was not owing to an ainattention to my promises to You, it was owing to my anxious desire to serve you perfectly to Your wishes and mine, by giving you the Credit of £600 Sterling P^r Annum on France as we had talked of, I tried this by Lre to Philadelphia after you left this city also in person there last January, & February again, I tried it by Lre again on my return from thence, and I am extremely sorry forit, the last June or July Packett from New York for France carried you M^r Morris's Bill on Paris (I believe on Mess^rs. Le Couteulx & C^o. Bankers in Paris) for Nine hundred and fifty Dollars, the N^tPceeds of the Int. of your Certificates, for I have been obliged to pay Willing Morris & Swanwick 2¹/2 PC^t. for procuring the money & my House 2¹/2 PC^t. for negociating the matter (the Cash not being to be had for the Int. Warrants but on much worse terms) but I intend to endeavour to do better for you next year, if the approaching Assembly does not dock you off your Int: & that is talked of, if any thing is done in this way I will inform you of it immediately I do not apprehend it myself, the Certificates were at three for one some months ago, but this clamour against them sprung up on a sudden & lower'd them again to four, I believe it originated with Col. Henry Lee who is in the Assembly— As to your Friends (Sir Peyton & Col Henry) I do not think that they have any thing to expect from them, while I was in Philadelphia Sir Peyton instead of advancing for you, drew ninety odd pounds out of our hands of the Int. & wou'd have drawn all the rest I believe if I had not stopt it, nor do I think that I sho^d have recovered it of him again, if your Brother Peyton had not paid me the money and taken our order on him for it— In July I saw Col. Henry at Powhatan Court and applied to him for assistance for you, seeing that you were likely to suffer, he enquired of me if I had not remitted your Int. money & on my telling him that I had, he then saw that you wou'd not want his assistance and there our conversation ended, I applied also to your Brother Peyton, at the same time and place, he said he wou'd do whatever you required of him in your Letters, but he had got none of them then, Your Lre to him which came in yours of the 6^th May, I had unluckily sent to Cabin Point not knowing that he lived in Powhatan with your Uncle, that which came in mine of 7^h June, I sent to Powhatan Court by a safe hand, and I expect he has got it— Now my D Short I have told You what you may expect of some of your own friends or rather what you may not expect, I will now tell you what You may expect from me, my own friends have withheld from me sums of money to such an amount that they have thrown me into the most embarrassing situation and it will puzzle me to get out of it, and I am the more pained in it, that I have it not in my power to advance money for you, I intend if possible to remit you 1000 D^r in January next, if you must have more than that write and Authorize me to sell your Certificates to remit you money, depend I will do every thing in my power to serve you— Enclosed I send you ^a/c ballance in your favor 123 Dollars which includes the 20 Guineas for the Copying press, I shall write to M^r Morris by this opportunity to send you a Bill to that amount, and I do not doubt but you will get it with this Lrer, I shall direct copies of my two Lres that I have already wrote You to be sent with this), Nelson was with me today, and I shew'd him your Lre, he says he has written to you eight times, I suppose ^^that he has wrote you of his quitting the Council for the Bar, taking Tazewells place, who is moved to the Bench by the death of M^r Dandrige—

                                                                                                                                                                 Richmond 28^th Oct^r 1785

Dear Short

<...> is copy of what I wrote you by the last french Packet since M^r Morris has wrote me that he has remited you a Bill on Paris for 123 Dollars, I have also received your Letter from London

                                                                                                                        yours truly