"to his little Negroes who carried them away in baskets...."

"Thomas Middleton, an English cabinet maker living on the President’s Square had both a little “yellow girl” and “Negro Jack” to make his life easier."

We know about Middleton's slaves because they were accused of stealing for their master, but in my book I didn't get into that. Much more important was to show how easily emigrant workers adapted to slavery. 

In the winter of 1798-99 work began in earnest on the interiors of the Capitol and White House. While it would seem there was plenty of work for everyone, the Irish coterie around Hoban looked with alarm as Joseph Middleton, an English carpenter and joiner, set himself up in a temporary house on the White House grounds. They accused him of using public materials for furniture and fittings he did for private houses.

The commissioners investigated by calling witnesses. In the letter below Commissioner Alexander White, a lawyer, summarized their findings in a letter he sent to his colleagues. Here is an abbreviated transcription of the letter.

...because it is in proof before the commissioners, that a variety of cabinet work and some carpenters work have been done in Mr.Middleton's shop while he was receiving daily pay from the public, some part of which by Middleton himself and other parts by his journeyman and apprentices... That he saw Middleton's yellow Girl carry 2 x 2 1/2 inch plank about two and two and an half feet long out of the shop when Middleton was in it..... he saw Middleton hand down from the President's house 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 inch plank about 2 1/2 feet long to his little Negroes who carried them away in two baskets... He saw mahogany chairs and tables carried from the President's house after sunset by Middleton's apprentices.... Then on Friday and Saturday before Christmas he saw Middleton's Negro man Jacob carrying public stuff out of the yard....

By the way, in this letter the "Negro man" is called Jacob. There are other letters about this from which I got the name Jack.
 

The investigations of the commissioners preserved documents I find useful, but I can't help but wonder why the three of them wasted so much time investigating the theft of building materials and did not simply arrange for a better guard or stricter accounting. There obviously was a larger game afoot. I append another letter below White's, written by Middleton accusing Hoban of desperately trying to drive him off.

But that doesn't explain why the commissioners themselves immersed themselves in investigations of the workers. I am beginning to think that they were trying to build a file on the workers' misconduct to find a scapegoat for the slow development of the city. 

Middleton's letter to the commissioners.