Robert Carter writes to [William Camp,] August 27, 1729, the manager of his and the Burwell estate properties in York and nearby counties, concerning the stemming of tobacco and the construction of a mill.

     Sending a messenger on purpose with Some lettrs. to go by
[t] he [Will] iamsburg, I [t]hought it proper to give you this line, I have not
[y] et determined whether to have you Stem all your Tobo. or no, at
[th] ose Quarters wch. bears a high Character, the other Qrs. [. . .] va
[ . . . ] as Skedgye Creek & Lyons Creek, I beleve it will be prop [er] est
[ . . .] small, laying the lop lefe Straight & binding it into bundles
the under Tobo. to be Carefully & Neatly picked, and all manr. of
T [rash] to be hove away, I am in Some doubt about the Lyon's Creek
[ . . .] , perhaps it will be best to make the top fair unspoted Tobo.
[ . . .] es, for we have many times had as much for that Crop
[ . . .] of them, The Same way I intend to have Merchants hundred
[ . . .] all ordered, making none but the very prime of
[the crop] into bundles, Clean Steming all the rest [ . . .]
[ . . .] ear it, to lay Straight & tye up. I would have yu. Consult [Colonel Page about the ?]
managemt. of Burwells Crops

     The lying of my Rippon Mill this long unto [ . . . sticks]
[v] ery much in my Gissard, I am now with all my Streng [th working]
[o] n my dam that was Carryed away, Rawson my Mill [er hath]
[be] en imployed a Considerable time about repairing [ . . .]
all of which wanted a great deal of work, And he is either gone
or going to Mrs. Wormleys to Mend ^build her Mill, & is engaged to do
it before he can touch mine I have alalong designed & do Still [want ]
to have the most of my Mill framed at home where I think
[I C] an get all my Sills & timbers tht. are to lye Exp [ose] d to be [out]
[o] f Locust, altho I am Still in hopes of getting [ . . .]
that may be wanting of Sound Ceder Some where about [ . . .]
[ . . .] now to bring Roson with [ . . .]
[ . . .] Mill must Stand, & how [ . . .]
[...plea] sed god to disapoint me [ . . .]
[ . . .] ever Considering how well hands [ . . .]
[ . . .] out the Rippon Gang to go about [ . . .]
[ . . .] ast half a Dozn. of the [ . . .]
[ . . .] nt the work with all Expeditio [n ...]

     The other Difficulty is to have a person always to be with these
people to keep them to their Work, it will be very hard as well as not Conve
-nient for Pasquet always to be there, & it will be Necessary tht. he be wth.
his other people often, in Carrying on the plantation Work, to remedy
this I propose that each of the other overseers Wright Madeson & O [li] ver
each take his day to be there one day in the Week, & that they take
turns one of them to be there two days, & Pasquet to attend two days
in every week, This I am Sure none of the overseers will Grumble at
they li [ving] within half an hours ride the furthest of them, you must
provid [e t] hem some Meat by killing either at Rippon or Merchants
hundred a Middleing Hogg, or a Cow, Bull, or Steer, as yu. Shall thing [sic ]
properest, Indeed I would all the people (it is hard work if they follow
it Close) a pound of Meat a man, one day if not two dayes in a week
thus I have laid the method of Carrying on my Dam, & it may be
made a noble one between this and Decemr. bigg & high enough I
recken to have nothing to do when the mill is built but Just to Stop
the water, I carry on my Dam here in the Same manr. My Overseers
two & two take their day round & so fill up the week.

     If I remember right the earth at both end of the dam is
very good Clay; I must leave it to your Judgmt. from wt. place they
S [hould] Cary the earth, if both Sides are alike the Quickest way will [be to]
have half on'l from one Side & half from the Other & the [ . . .]
into the Middle of the dam where it is now to be Stoped [ . . .]
to build the Mill on the first land on the lower or Nearer side [ . . .]
and by takeing away the land there for the Dam