led New
Scotland.

One of the very first to establish himself in the business of exporting
tobacco, was Robert Peter, who is often spoken of in old records as
"George Town's pioneer business man," and also as "The merchant prince
and land owner." As a young man of about twenty he had come from
Crossbasket near Glasgow, first to Bladensburg and thence to George
Town, and in 1752 established himself in business, and in 1790 became
its first mayor. He represented the firm of John Glassford & Company of
North Britain, Glasgow, well known both in England and in Scotland. So
much of the tobacco trade flowed into the Scottish city that the wealthy
merchants there who dealt in it were known as the "Virginia Dons," and
to this day there is in the old port of Glasgow a Virginia Street.

James Dunlop, a cousin of Robert Peter, also had come from his home
Garnkirke, near Glasgow, first to New York, then to George Town about
1783 and established himself in this same lucrative exporting business.
He did a great deal of business in Dumfries, Virginia, near
Fredericksburg.

These old letters give a picture of the times:

George Town, December 15th, 1788.

Gentlemen:

Your favors of the 11th July duly received by Mr. Dunlop with the
black cloth, which I am afraid I shall soon have occasion for, my
old friend Mr. Heugh being now in a very dangerous way indeed, etc.

GEORGE WALKER.

Andrew Heugh had been one of the Commissioners in the laying off of
George Town. He owned one of the very first lots on the water front and
High Street.

Here is another one of these letters:

George Town, August 8, 1788.

Gentlemen:

The quantity of tobacco planted this year in the neighborhood of
this place is vastly larger than ever was known. John Campbell and
J. Dunlop are very backward in buying with all cash, but as Colonel
Deakins is again in cash the price still keeps at a guinea ... from
these causes I would not be forward in recommending speculation in
the weed, especially as those of good information are holding off.

GEORGE WALKER.

No less a person than General Washington himself wrote in 1791 that
George Town ranked as the greatest tobacco market in Maryland, if not in
the Union.

Duc de la Rochefoucault Liancourt, traveling in the United States in
1795-'97, says that in 1791 tobacco exports from George Town were
$314,864.00. They went even higher in 1792 and 1793,