From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 13 May 1799
To James Monroe
Monday May 13. 99.
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to Colo. Monroe, & his sincere congratulations to him & mrs Monroe on the interesting addition to their family. he wishes to know how mrs Monroe & the youngster do; and would be made very happy if he could offer any thing grateful to [mrs] Monroe. rice, pearl barley &c sometimes useful to the sick, she probably has: if not, they are here at her service.
he sends a paper which the neighbors around Charlottesville & Milton are desirous to join in, to try if they can prevent the depredns under which they suffer. if Colo. Monroe desires to sign it, he will do so, & then let it go on by the bearer to mr Divers. others are gone in other directions, & it is proposed to set them up in the two towns in 2. or 3. days.
RC (DLC: Monroe Papers); damaged; addressed: “Colo. Monroe”; endorsed by Monroe. Not recorded in SJL.
Interesting addition: James and Elizabeth Kortright Monroe’s newborn son, James Spence Monroe. He became ill in the summer of 1800 following complications from teething and a bout with whooping cough, and died on 28 Sep. of that year (, 185, 188, 611n; , 17:399, 415; Monroe to TJ, 22 Sep. 1800).
George Divers lived at Farmington, four miles northwest of Charlottesville (, 1:299n). According to SJL Divers wrote TJ a letter of 26 Mch. 1794 received the same day and letters of unspecified date received on 11 Dec. 1798 and 12 Sep. 1800. TJ wrote Divers on 9 Oct. 1794, 19 Nov. 1797, 30 Apr. 1799, and 11 Sep. 1800, none of which has been found.