1From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 15 February 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter, my dear Maria, of the 2d. inst. came to hand on the 8th. I should have answered it instantly according to our arrangement, but that I thought, by waiting till the 11th. I might possibly be able to communicate something on the subject of the election. however, after 4. days of balloting, they are exactly where they were on the first. there is a strong expectation in some that they...
2From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 4 January 180[1] (Jefferson Papers)
Washington Jan. 4. 1800. [i.e., 1801] Your letter, my dear Maria, of Dec. 28. is just now recieved, and shall be instantly answered, as shall all others recieved from yourself or mr Eppes. this will keep our accounts even, and shew by the comparative promptness of reply which is most anxious to hear from the other. I wrote to mr Eppes Dec. 23. but directed it to Petersburg. hereafter it shall...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 4 July 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
We have heard not a word of you since the moment you left us. I hope you had a safe & pleasant journey. the rains which began to fall here the next day gave me uneasiness lest they should have overtaken you also. Dr. and mrs Bache have been with us till the day before yesterday. mrs Monroe is now in our neighborhood to continue during the sickly months. our Forte-piano arrived a day or two...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 6 April 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
I have at length, my ever dear Maria, recieved by mr Eppes’s letter of Mar. 24. the welcome news of your recovery. welcome indeed to me, who have past a long season of inexpressible anxiety for you: and the more so as written accounts can hardly give one an exact idea of the situation of a sick person. I wish I were able now to leave this place & join you. but we do not count on rising till...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 12 February 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Eppes’s letter of Jan. 17 . had filled me with anxiety for your little one, & that of the 25th. announced what I had feared. how deeply I feel it in all it’s bearings, I shall not say, nor attempt consolation where I know that time & silence are the only medecines. I shall only observe as a source of hope to us all that you are young and will not fail to possess enough of these dear...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 17 January 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved at Monticello two letters from you , & meant to have answered them a little before my departure for this place; but business so crouded on me at that moment that it was not in my power. I left home on the 21st. & arrived here on the 28th. of Dec. after a pleasant journey of fine weather and good roads, & without having experienced any inconvenience. the Senate had not yet entered...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 13 April 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter, my dear Maria, of Mar. 13. came safely to hand and gave us the information, always the subject of anxiety, & therefore always welcome, that yourself and mr Eppes were well. it would yet have been better that we could all have been well together, as the health we enjoy separately would be more enjoyed together. whether we can visit you is still uncertain, my presence here is so...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 8 March 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
I am this moment arrived here, and the post being about to depart, I set down to inform you of it. your sister came over with me from Belmont where we left all well. the family will move over the day after tomorrow. they give up the house there about a week hence. we want nothing now to fill up our happiness but to have you & mr Eppes here. scarcely a stroke has been done towards covering the...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 7 February 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter, my dear Maria, of Jan. 21. was recieved two days ago. it was, as Ossian says, or would say, like the bright beams of the moon on the desolate heath. environed here in scenes of constant torment, malice & obloquy, worn down in a station where no effort to render service can avail any thing, I feel not that existence is a blessing but when something recalls my mind to my family or...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 1 January 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
I left Monticello the 18th. of Dec. and arrived here to breakfast on the 25th. having experienced no accident or inconvenience except a slight cold, which brought back the inflammation of my eyes and still continues it, though so far mended as to give hopes of it’s going off soon. I took my place in Senate before a single bill was brought in or other act of business done, except the Address...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 8 December 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to mr Eppes three weeks ago. immediately after the date of that letter Lucy increased her family. she is doing well except as to her breasts. the one so much out of order when you went away, still continues in the same state, and the other threatens to rise also, which would entirely prevent her giving suck. she could not be moved in their present condition. I expect to set out for...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 14 July 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here, my dear Maria, on the 3d. inst. and was in the daily hope of recieving you, when mr Eppes’s letter of June 30. by the post of day before yesterday, gave us the first notice of your being sick. some preceding letter we infer had explained the nature of your indisposition, but it has never come to hand. we are therefore still uninformed of it. your sister & myself wrote yesterday...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 13 July 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here on the 3d. inst. expecting to have found you here and we have been ever since imagining that every sound we heard was that of the carriage which was once more to bring us together. it was not till yesterday I learnt by the reciept of mr Eppes’s letter of June 30th. that you had been sick, and were only on the recovery at that date. a preceding letter of his, referred to in that...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, [6 June 1798] (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you last on the 18th. of May since which [I have recieved mr Eppes’s] letter of May 20. and yours of May 27. I have deter[mined to set out from] this place on the 20th. inst. and shall, in my letters of tomorrow, [order my horses] to meet me at Fredericksburg on the 24th. and may therefore be at home on the 26th. or 27th. where I shall hope to have the happiness of meeting you. I can...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 18 May 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
It is very long since I have heard from Eppington. the last letter I [recieved?] was from mr Eppes dated Apr. 4. so long without hearing from you, I cannot be without uneasiness for your health. I have been constantly in the hope that we were within 3. or 4. weeks of rising, but so often disappointed I begin to lose my faith as to any period of adjournment; and some begin now openly to avow...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 1 April 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of Mar. 20. came to hand yesterday. you are not aware of the consequences of writing me a letter in so fair a hand, and one so easily read. it puts you in great danger of the office of private secretary at Monticello, which would sometimes be a laborious one. your letter was 11. days coming here, and mr Eppes’s of Feb. 8. was 19. days on it’s way. this shews that there is something wrong...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 7 March 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I have recieved yours, my dear Maria, of Feb. 1. and with that extreme gratification with which I recieve all the marks of your affection. my impatience to get from hence is urged by the double motives of escaping from irksome scenes here, and meeting yourself and others dear to us both. no time is yet spoken of for our adjournment; yet as there is likely to arise nothing which might keep...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 7 January 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I acknowleged, my dear Maria, the reciept of yours in a letter I wrote to mr Eppes. it gave me the welcome news that your sprain was well. but you are not to suppose it entirely so. the joint will remain weak for a considerable time, & give you occasional pains much longer. the state of things at Chesnut grove is truly distressing. mr B.’s habitual intoxication will destroy himself, his...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson Eppes, 2 December 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
You will be surprised at receiving a letter from me dated here at this time. But a series of bad weather having suspended our works many days, has caused my detention. I have for some time had my trunk packed and issued my last orders, and been only waiting for it to cease raining. But it still rains. I have a bad prospect of rivers and roads before me. Your sister removed to Belmont about...