At Mount Vernon, Graves went ashore and demanded a large supply of provisions. At first, Lund Washington (a distant cousin of General Washington's, who was running Mount Vernon in the General's absence) refused to comply, stating that under orders from the General, he would "make no unworthy comprise with the enemy." However, a short while later, as Graves was angrily preparing to attack Mount Vernon, Lund capitulated. After making a conciliatory visit to Graves on board the Savage, Lund saw to it that the captain and crew were supplied with sheep, hogs, and an abundance of other supplies in return for leaving Mount Vernon unscathed. In addition, 17 Mount Vernon slaves escaped to the vessel and sailed away with the British.

When he heard of the incident, George Washington was furious. On April 30, he wrote to Lund: "It would have been a less painful circumstance to me, to have heard, that in consquence of your non-compliance with their request, they had burnt my Houses, and laid the Planatation in ruins. You ought to have considered yourself as my representative, and should have reflected on the bad example of communicating with the enemy..."

So that is why the British did not capture or destroy Mount Vernon -- even though George Washington would have preferred that they had done so, given the circumstances.