1To Thomas Jefferson from George Hancock, 5 August 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
A large portion of the last five years I have devoted to the collection of Minerals particularly those to be found in the western part of Virginia and The States of Tennessee and Ky. the collection consists of about 600 specimens many of them rare, and among them a large collection of Organic remains, I have also a very pretty collection of Shells probably the most perfect in this state— I had...