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 letters 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 Tobacco or no, at
[th] ose Quarters which bears a high Character, the other Quarters [. . .] va
[ . . . ] as Skedgye Creek & Lyons Creek, I beleve it will be prop [er] est
[ . . .] small, laying the lop leaf Straight & binding it into bundles
the under Tobacco to be Carefully & Neatly picked, and all manner 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 unspotted Tobacco
[ . . .] 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 & tie up. I would have you Consult [Colonel Page about the ?] management
of Burwells Crops

     The lying of my Rippon Mill this long unto [ . . . sticks]
[v] ery much in my Gizzard I am now with all my Streng [th working]
[o] n my dam that was Carried 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 all along 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 lie Exp [ose] d to be [out]
[o] f Locust, although I am Still in hopes of getting [ . . .]
that may be wanting of Sound Cedar Some where about [ . . .]
[ . . .] now to bring Roson with [ . . .]
[ . . .] Mill must Stand, & how [ . . .]
[...plea] sed god to disappoint me [ . . .]
[ . . .] ever Considering how well hands [ . . .]
[ . . .] out the Rippon Gang to go about [ . . .]
[ . . .] ast half a Dozen 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 with
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 Middling Hog, or a Cow, Bull, or Steer, as you Shall thing [sic ]
proper, 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 days in a week
thus I have laid the method of Carrying on my Dam, & it may be
made a noble one between this and December big & 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 manner 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 Judgment from what place they
S [hould] Carry the earth, if both Sides are alike the Quickest way will [be to]
have half on it from one Side & half from the Other & the [ . . .]
into the Middle of the dam where it is now to be Stopped [ . . .]
to build the Mill on the first land on the lower or Nearer side [ . . .]
and by taking away the land therefore the Dam