To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas T. Davis, 28 January 1804
From Thomas T. Davis
Danville Jany. 28th 1804
Dr Sir
By Major Barbee I send you a lump of Salt broken from the Salt mountain on the Arkinsas River1 by Mr. Choto a French Gentleman at St. Louisa; it was of at least 4. lb weight when given me but many peices have broken off. The other p[. . .] sent you is what I suppose to be Plaister of Paris & is in immense quantities on the Missouri. Major Barbee is a man of Great respectability.
I am respectfully Your Obt Sevt.
Tho. T Davis
RC (DLC); torn at seal; addressed: “The Honble Tho: Jefferson City of Washington” with notation: “Hond. by Major J. Barbee”; endorsed by TJ as received 6 Mch. and so recorded in SJL.
major barbee: probably Joshua Barbee of Danville, a major and brigade inspector in the Kentucky militia (Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, 28 [1930], 4; Thomas Speed, The Political Club, Danville, Kentucky, 1786-1790 [Louisville, Ky., 1894], 83-4).
mr. choto: either Auguste or Pierre Chouteau (see Davis to TJ, 5 Oct. 1803).
1. Preceding four words interlined.