In a message dated 6/17/00 12:16:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, swarren2@prodigy.net writes: << http://historic.shcsc.k12.in.us/tourtown/tp.htm >> This controversy has gone on for some time. Thomas Posey's father, Cpt. John Posey, has gone down in the history books as "improvident", "reckless", 'unreliable" and lots of other things. George Washington is always painted as a hero. Even though not much talked about, Thomas Posey's (actual?) father, was also a soldier and politician of some note before he fell into disgrace. He almost won against George Washington and other notables of the time in an election for the House of Burgesses. Cpt. John Posey conducted himself honorably in the French and Indian Wars with George and others. It was only as he got into heavier and heavier land speculation that he got into trouble. He was an important vestryman, soldier and politician, along with the rest of them until that. As a result of the money he owed Washington, a judgement against him meant that Washington could get all of his land in "Dogue Run" (now southern portion of Mount Vernon property) for next to nothing. I think that this action is suspect, especially since Washington, much to the amazement of others, continued to lend him money long after others had stopped. There may have been a "method" in old George's madness. The history books always paint George as a "good hearted friend" to Cpt. John Posey, that he (George) just couldn't say "No" to his old friend Posey. George Washington ended up either the richest, or close to the richest, man in the country. It was all about land, land, land. Washington owned land all over the eastern seaboard and all over the western frontier when he died. I found interesting stuff on the web a few days ago. Some of the Maryland cousins and the Virginia folks did anything they could to distance themselves from Cpt John Posey as he, and his son, John Price Posey, died in infamy. John Price was hanged I believe. Some of this rumour and myth about Thomas Posey may be that people have to rationalize that General Thomas Posey must have been Washington's son (and conversely, not Cpt. Posey's son) because he was "such a good guy", such a hero, accomplished so much in his life, he couldn't possibly been spawned by the reprobate Cpt. John Posey. Many folks in Pre-Colonial and Colonial times, pre and post Revolution got into trouble with land and money. The economic depressions and the failures of the economy and of crop failures etc. that followed the Revolution, were devastating. Cpt. John Posey got into more trouble because he had a lot to lose. I and others think it possible that Cpt. John Posey has been demonized more than he should be, and George Washington, lionized more than he should be. The answer is somewhere in the middle.