Can't you picture his excitement after many trials to at last get in touch with his father!
On March 18, 1783 Archibald Govan sends two letters enclosed to a friend in New York to forward to Virginia "by the safest, spediest conveyance. There is probally now a post direct from New York through the Continent."
In these days ships approached George Town by way of the Western Channel, as it was called, on the far side of Analostan Island, where the depth of the water was from twenty-seven to thirty-three feet—deep enough to admit the passage of an "Indiaman."
George Washington Parke Custis, the owner of Arlington, was much disturbed when a causeway was built across from the island to the Virginia shore, and prophesied the filling of the channel and the end of George Town as a port.
So up the creek to these mills for their produce, and up the great river to its wharves, piled high with hogsheads of tobacco came these ships and many more of which we have not the names:
The Potomack Planter, Captain James Buchanan, for London.
The brig Brothers.
The schooner Betsey, bringing rum, coffee, and chocolate.
The ships Ritson and Felicity.
The sloops, Lydia and Betsey, plying between George Town and New York. These ships from the North were laden with whale oil to be used for the lamps which, in 1810, were placed on the streets to "enable the citizens to go safely to and from evening service."