Of Washington’s general treatment of the serving class a few facts can be gleaned.  He told one of his overseers, in reference to the sub-overseers, that “to treat them civilly is no more than what all men are entitled to, but my advice to you is, to keep them at a proper distance; for they will grow upon familiarity, in proportion as you will sink in authority if you do not.”  To a housekeeper he promised “a warm, decent and comfortable room to herself, to lodge in, and will eat of the victuals of our Table, but not set at it, or at any time with us be her appearance what it may; for if this was once admitted no line satisfactory to either party, perhaps could be drawn thereafter.”

In visiting he feed liberally, good examples of which are given in the cash account of the visit to Boston in 1756, when he “Gave to Servants on ye Road 10/.”  “By Cash Mr. Malbones servants L4.0.0.”  “The Chambermaid L1.2.6.”  When the wife of his old steward, Fraunces, came to need, he gave her “for Charity L1.17.6.”  The majority will sympathize rather than disapprove of his opinion when he wrote, “Workmen in most Countries I believe are necessary plagues;—–­in this where entreaties as well as money must be used to obtain their work and keep them to their duty they baffle all calculation in the accomplishment of any plan or repairs they are engaged in;—­and require more attention to and looking after than can be well conceived.”

The overseers of his many plantations, and his “master” carpenters, millers, and gardeners, were quite as great trials as his slaves.  First “young Stephens” gave him much trouble, which his diary reports in a number of sententious entries:  “visited my Plantation.  Severely reprimanded young Stephens for his Indolence, and his father for suffering it;” “forbid Stephens keeping any horses upon my expence;” “visited my quarters & ye Mill, according to custom found young Stephens absent;” “visited my Plantation and found to my great surprise Stephens constantly at work;” “rid out to my Plantn. and to my Carpenters.  Found Richard Stephens hard at work with an ax—­Very extraordinary this!”

Again he records, “Visited my Plantations—­found Foster had been absent from his charge since the 28th ulto.  Left orders for him to come immediately to me upon his return, and repremanded him severely.”  Of another, Simpson, “I never hear ... without a degree of warmth & vexation at his extreme stupidity,” and elsewhere he expresses his disgust at “that confounded fellow Simpson.”  A third spent all the fall and half the winter in getting in his crop, and “if there was any way of making such a rascal as Garner pay for such conduct, no punishment would be too great for him.  I suppose he never turned out of mornings until the sun had warmed the earth, and if he did not, the negros would not.”  His chief overseer was directed to “Let Mr. Crow know that I view with a very evil eye the frequent reports made by him of sheep dying;... frequent natural deaths is a very strong evidence to my mind of the want of care or something worse.”