James Monroe to Thomas Jefferson, 9 August 1812
From James Monroe
Albemarle augt. 9. 1812.
Dear Sir
It was our intention to have passed a day with you & your family while I was in the county, but many interesting concerns and duties which require my constant attention will unavoidably prevent it. The arrangments which I have to make with my brothers family who arriv’d yesterday, will also take some portion of the short term allotted to my private affairs while here. As soon as our grandchild recovers her health Mrs Monroe will have the pleasure to wait on Mrs Randolph, and on my return here, we shall I hope have leisure to be more together—. Should you have any commands for Washington at this time or hereafter, or for Europe, in which I may serve you, I beg you always to afford me that sincere satisfaction.
Jas Monroe
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 9 Aug. 1812 and so recorded in SJL.
A dispute over the management of the household at Highland had erupted between Monroe’s daughter Eliza Monroe Hay and his brother Joseph Jones Monroe.The latter soon departed in a rage, leaving his own daughters behind. Monroe, who had been called on repeatedly to settle his brother’s debts in Albemarle County and elsewhere, sought to keep his brothers family together but claimed that he could not invite his nieces to join his household. He recommended that they all settle in Natchez as a family or live elsewhere with other extended family (James Monroe to George Hay, 17 July 1812, and to Emily Monroe, 26 July 1812 [NN: Monroe Papers]; , 291–2). Monroe’s grandchild Hortensia Hay, not quite three years old, was the only child of Eliza Monroe Hay and George Hay (, 279).
Index Entries
- Hay, Eliza Monroe (George Hay’s wife) search
- Hay, George; family of search
- Hay, Hortensia search
- Highland (J. Monroe’s Albemarle Co. estate); family dispute over search
- Monroe, Elizabeth Kortright (James Monroe’s wife) search
- Monroe, James; family of search
- Monroe, James; letters from search
- Monroe, James; visit to Monticello canceled search
- Monroe, Joseph Jones; family of search