1Jefferson’s Reply to the Address of Welcome of the Virginia House of Delegates, [7–9 December 1789] (Jefferson Papers)
I receive with humble gratitude, Gentlemen, the congratulations of the honorable the H. of Delegates on my return: And I beg leave thro’ you to present them my thanks and dutiful respects. Could any circumstance heighten my affection to my native country, it would be the indulgence with which they view my feeble efforts to serve it and the esteem with which they are pleased to honour me. I...
2Jefferson’s Reply to the Address of Welcome of the Virginia Senate, [9 December 1789] (Jefferson Papers)
I am filled with sentiments of the warmest gratitude by this very distinguished attention from the honorable the Senate. The visit to my native country, a pleasing event in itself, is rendered infinitely more so, by the welcome of so respectable a member of the sovereignty, and by the esteem they condescend to express for me personally. My faculties, such as they are, too poor indeed to be...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Cyrus Griffin, 11 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am honored with your favor of to-day, and thank you for your care of the letter which accompanied it. I am sincerely sorry that I had not the pleasure of seeing you at Richmond, and of renewing to you vivâ voce the assurances of friendship and attachment which I have long entertained for you. With respect to the office I hold at present and that newly proposed to me, the indulgence of the...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Skipwith, 11 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Fulwar Skipwith informed me at Richmond that you would be there to-day, and that he supposed you would return by this place on Monday. I propose to leave this about Tuesday, and to have the pleasure of visiting Hors du monde on my way up. But as it is essential we should be together, and I find that Mr. Eppes will hardly consent to go from home, I take the liberty of begging you to come by...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Carter, 12 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Finding that Mr. Eppes has made no purchase of horses for me, the bearer comes for those you were so kind as to offer me. Thinking it almost certain that they will suit me from what I hear of them, I send you enclosed an order on Mr. Donald for £60. which will be paid at sight: only be so good as to keep it up till Tuesday evening, because if, contrary to my expectations, the horses should not...
6From Thomas Jefferson to William B. Giles, 13 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am honored with your favor of the 9th on the subject of the hire of my servant, but as my stay in Virginia will be too short to intermeddle with my affairs I must beg the favor of you to do in the matter as you would have done had I not returned.—I take the liberty of asking information from you, if you know who are the executors or administrators of the late young Mr. John Bannister, as I...
7From Thomas Jefferson to William B. Giles, 1[3] December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Some two or three years ago. a Monsr. de Vernon of Paris applied to me to know how he might recover some property which he had in the hands of a Mr. Marck of Petersburg. I advised him to appoint an attorney here, and to furnish him with his proofs, and recommended the late Colo. Bannister. He did so. Colo. Bannister undertook the business, and I inclose you two letters he wrote me, containing...
8From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 14 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letter was written to you on our coming to anchor. Since that my time has been divided between travelling and the society of my friends, and I avail myself of the first vacant interval to give you the news of the country to which therefore I shall proceed without further prelude. Marriages. Ben. Harrison of Brandon to a daughter of Mrs. Byrd. Doctor Currie to a widow Ingles, daughter...
9From Thomas Jefferson to John Dunbar, 15 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Having a small matter of business with the estate of the late Mr. Bannister the younger, and being informed that no person has as yet qualified to administer on his estate, but that in the mean time you are so kind as to attend to it, I take the liberty of addressing myself to you, hoping, if I have been misinformed, you will be so good as to put my letter into the proper hands. When Mr....
10From Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 15 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received at this place the honour of your letters of Oct. 13 and Nov. 30. and am truly flattered by your nomination of me to the very dignified office of Secretary of state: for which permit me here to return you my humble thanks. Could any circumstance seduce me to overlook the disproportion between it’s duties and my talents it would be the encouragement of your choice. But when I...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Francis Eppes, 17 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I enclose you the letter to Mr. Wythe. We arrived here safely last night in eight hours and a half from your house, having been obliged by the lateness of our departure to come rather brisker than we would have chosen. However the horses were perfectly well after it. We had got everything over the river before day light shut in. The girls are well except as to their colds which are much the...
12From Thomas Jefferson to George Wythe, 17 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
My friend Mr. Eppes is informed that his son’s situation at the college, by subjecting him to attendance on certain courses of lectures, withdraws him from the pursuit of what you might recommend preferably. But his first wish being that his son should follow implicitly what you would be so good as to recommend, he does not hesitate to decide on his quitting the college, and boarding in such a...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Skipwith, 26 December 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Our voyage from Hoors du monde was pretty easy. I determined at Mrs. Carr’s to divide the remaining part equally into two days by coming to the Byrd ordinary. A wretched place indeed we found it: but we could not have got up by any other division without the danger of lying in the woods. From there we came with your horses 15. miles to the stone quarry where my waggon horses met us, and...
14II. Memoranda Concerning Distribution, Cost, and Makers of Medals, [ca. February 1789] (Jefferson Papers)
S. C. S. C. S C 1 1. Denmark. 1 Spire 1. Norway 1 Hungary. 1. 1. Sweden. 1 1
15III. Jefferson’s Description of the Medals, [ca. February 1789] (Jefferson Papers)
Type. His head. Legend. Georgio Washington, supremo duci exercituum, adsertori libertatis, Comitia Americana . Reverse. The evacuation of Boston. The American army advancing in order towards the city seen at a distance. The enemy retires with precipitation to their vessels. On the foreground General Washington appears on horseback, in a groupe of officers, to whom he remarks the retreat of the...
16IV. Jefferson’s Notes on the History of the Medals, [ca. 8 July 1792] (Jefferson Papers)
Congress voted medals to several officers and directed Rob. Morris their minister of finance to have them made. He authorized Colo. Humphreys to have this done in Europe. Colo. Humphreys had contracted for some of them, had made some paiments, and left the whole business to be finished by me. I made contracts for the rest, and the whole of those named in Mr. Morris’s list , were compleated and...
17From Thomas Jefferson to James Brown, 3 January 17[90] (Jefferson Papers)
I received duly your favor of Dec. 21. and with it the several articles noted to be sent therewith, except No. 1. a box of wine. I had observed in my memorandum that there were two No. 1s. and had desired both to be sent; and both are so marked in your letter: but the waggoners concurring in their declarations that one only was delivered, I am in hopes it was omitted by error, and that it may...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Nicholas B. Seabrook, 3 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
In answer to your favor on the subject of the tobacco I owed to the late Mr. Marsden, I am to inform you that on my leaving the state I left my affairs in the hands of Colo. Nicholas Lewis, with a list of my debts among which this was then noted, as transferred to Mr. Coleman by an assignment of my note; and that on speaking now to Colo. Lewis he produces to me a voucher of the paiment of £90....
19From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Blair, 6 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Having never heard the name of the person who presented to me when last in Richmond an account for things brought from Williamsburg, for which I referred him to you to know if it was on public account, I can now only inform you that looking into the papers of account between Wyley and myself, I find his charge of £390. and £120. in two articles for ‘cash paid to Mr. Ramsbotham for bringing up...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Anderson Bryan, 6 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my return home I learn that the survey under my order of council adjoining Edgehill has been curtailed by a younger entry and survey of Mr. James Marks now assigned to Colo. Harvie. You remember my notifying my order of council to you on your first coming into office, my pressing you perpetually to survey it, our frequent searches for the old lines by which it was to be bounded, and...
21From Thomas Jefferson to John Paradise, 6 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
On my arrival in Williamsburgh I had a meeting with Colo. Burwell and Mr. Wilkinson on your affairs. The state of them here, as given us by Mr. Wilkinson is as follows. Crop of tobacco of the growth of 1788. This being 28. hogsheads has been sent you by the Planter. You have none here of an earlier growth as you had supposed. Crop of the growth of 1789. There will be 18. hogsheads of tobacco...
22From Thomas Jefferson to the Rev. Matthew Maury, 8 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
On my return to Virginia I found that my sister Carr had seen it necessary to take her son Dabney from the Prince Edward college. Having heard that you had opened school, she could not doubt what would be most advantageous to him and agreeable to me. She had accordingly decided to send him to you, and being to take his bed &c. from Prince Edward she concluded it more convenient to bring it to...
23From Thomas Jefferson to William Hay, 9 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
When I had the pleasure of seeing you in Richmond you were so kind as to undertake to sound whether Mr. Mayo would be willing to exchange, according to value, some of his ground which I pointed out to you for a lot of mine near his ferry. I now send you a description of my lot that the proposition may be made more specifically. A weekly post between Richmond and Charlottesville affords...
24From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 9 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote the inclosed letter to you a little before I left Paris, and having no occasion to send it, I brought it with me. I mentioned it to you when I had the happiness of possessing you at Monticello, but still forgot to give it to you. After so long lying by me, and further turning the subject in my mind, I find no occasion to alter my mind. I hazard it therefore to your consideration. I...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Randolph Lewis, 10 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I am much obliged to you for your kind offer of the bed; and would avail myself of it as freely if I had occasion, but the goodness of my neighbors with some little provision of our own has placed us at our ease as to that article. I accept with due sensibility your friendly congratulations on my return, and it would be the wish of my heart that it were to remain here, where all my affections...
26From Thomas Jefferson to John Harvie, Jr., 11 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
In the year 1773. I obtained an order of council in these words. ‘At a council held March 11. 1773. On the petition of Thomas Jefferson, leave is given him to survey and sue out a patent for 1000. as. of land on the Southwest mountains in Albemarle between the lines of Thomas Mann Randolph, James Hickman, the said Petitioner, Martin Key, and William Watson. Copy. John Blair Cl. Conc.’...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Walker, 18 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The principal object of the settlement of the administration of my father’s estate being to make a final settlement between my brother and myself, to know what debts remain due from the estate and by whom they are to be paid, what monies are due to it and by whom they are to be received, I have proceeded with that view to consider the papers which yourself and Mr. Nicholas were so kind as to...
28From Thomas Jefferson to John Nicholas, Sr., 20 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I received duly your favor by your son, together with the accounts and other papers accompanying them. Our sole object being to obtain a final settlement between ourselves (that is to say between my brother and me) I looked into them with that view. But certain points immediately occurred, as necessary to be determined by yourself and Doctr. Walker for us, before our account can be stated. I...
29From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Walker, 25 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My brother and myself having had a final settlement of our affairs with Mr. Nicholas on behalf of the estate, it may be satisfactory to you to know on what principles it was done.—I proposed to Mr. Nicholas at once, and without making any question of it, that I would take on myself one half of the maintenance of my sisters from my fathers death. The result was as follows: £ s d Balance of my...
30From Thomas Jefferson to the Rev. Charles Clay, 27 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I had hoped that during my stay here I could have had the pleasure of seeing you in Bedford, but I find it will be too short for that. Besides views of business in that county I had wished again to visit that greatest of our curiosities the Natural bridge, and did not know but you might have the same desire.—I do not know yet how I am to be disposed of, whether kept at New York or sent back to...