To Thomas Jefferson from George Jefferson, 8 January 1799
From George Jefferson
Richmond 8th. Janr. 1799.
Dear Sir
I was informed by Mr. Joseph Roberts in a letter of the 14th. ultimo that he had shipped on board the rising sun Capt. Adderson 120 bundles of nail-rod on your account.—I was informed some days ago upon enquiring after her, that there was a report she was lost, her hands having all deserted her—this report the norfolk paper by last post confirmed, as you will find from the inclosed. I have to day seen one of the owners, who says he understands the Capt. is within 15 or 20 miles of this place & has been for several days; he is much surprised at his not having yet arrived.
I suppose the Capt. will proceed on immediately after coming up, to claim the property—of which however I will advice you as soon as I hear from him.
I am Dr. Sir Your Mt. humble: servt.
Geo. Jefferson
RC (MHi); with newspaper clippings pasted on verso; at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson esqr.”; endorsed by TJ as received 15 Jan. 1799 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) Notice, undated, by Benjamin Luther, captain of the sloop Lark, advising that he had taken up a wreck at sea with no persons or papers on board, but with “Sloop Rising Sun of Richmond” painted on her stern and a message written in chalk, “Blown of the coast of Philadelphia, December 13, 1798, bound to Richmond,” and he had towed the vessel to the Pasquotank River in the customs district of Camden, North Carolina. (2) Charles Grice, of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to Charles Willett and James O’Connor, editors of the Norfolk Herald, dated 31 Dec. 1798, reporting that Captain Luther had deposited the cargo of the Rising Sun with the customs collector at Camden (both in Norfolk Herald, 3 Jan. 1799; , 2:1126–7).