181From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 29 November 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 18th. has been recieved. I recieved a letter lately from mr Bankhead informing me he & Anne were well and agreeing to come and live with us until the population of the hive shall force a swarm or the concourse of clients call for & afford a separate establishment. I am happy that they think of settling ultimately at Poplar forest. it is a fine establishment & good neighborhood. I...
182From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 December 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter from Jefferson which I presume will inform you he is well, and I send you one from Dr. Wistar which will give you satisfaction. be so good as to return it. I had one from Anne 2. or 3. days ago, when all were well. she says they will be with us early in March. I sent you the last week by the post rider your watch, watch key & ring, which I hope got safe to hand. I forgot...
183From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 10 January 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday your letter of the 5th. & mr Randolph’s of the 6th. and I have this morning sent an extract of the latter to mr Nicholas. I sincerely wish it success, but I am afraid mr Carr has been misinformed of mr Patterson’s views, or, which is as likely, that mr Patterson has changed them. he has certainly concluded to settle on a tract of 5. or 600. acres which he gets from mr...
184From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 14 February 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
In the instant of the departure of the post Genl. Dearborne calls on me to know the name of a person for whom I applied to be made a Cadet; and I have forgotten the name, & cannot find it on a review of your letters, altho’ I know it was through you that the application came. pray let me know it by return of post; and I will keep the place open a few days. Genl. Dearborne leaves us in a few...
185From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 February 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letters of the 17th. and 24th. are both recieved. Beverly T. Randolph called at the hour at which I had rode out, & left your letter of the 17th. Taking for granted he was to stay a day as you mentioned, I wrote an invitation to him the next morning to come and dine with me. but he had already gone on. he called in like manner on his namesake Beverley here, who being out did not see him....
186Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 17 February 1811 (Jefferson Papers)
Our post to Milton is but once a week, and I missed the opportunity of sending my letter to Lynchburg the last week. I performed my journey to this place with as little fatigue and by the same stages as in my chair. and by losing myself the first day I made it 40. miles to mr Scott’s . I have sold my tob o here for 7. Dollars: but my wheat is in an embarrassing situation. the dam of the mill...
187Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 February 1811 (Jefferson Papers)
When I wrote you this day week, I thought I should have been with you as soon as my letter . so I think with respect to the present one. my whole crop of wheat had been put compleatly out of my own power, and the miller who had rec e ived it has, by twice losing his dam, become insolvent and has delivered over his mill to a person more able to carry it on, but who will need time to repair it....
188Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 May 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
We arrived here, my dear Martha , well & without accident, favored on the road by the weather. the caravan also came well, except overpassing their stage the 2 d day, sleeping in the woods all night, without cover, and overwhelmed by a rain, in the center of which they were, while it did not extend 5 miles in any direction from them. the spinning Jenny is at work, well while with washed...
189Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 June 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
I have for some time been sensible I should be detained here longer than I had expected, but could not till now judge how long. Chisolm will finish his work in about 10. days, and it is very essential that I should see the walls covered with their plates, that they may be in a state of preservation. this will keep me 3. or 4. days longer, so that I expect to be here still about a fortnight...
190Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 13 August 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
The letter you forwarded , my dear Martha, desiring me to attend the Buckingham court of this month, requires an impossibility because that is tomorrow. I Know also that the trial of the question cannot be at the Same court at which the two wills are presented. Time must be given to Summon witnesses, and I Suppose I shall be Served with a Summons notifying the day I must appear.— We have had a...
191Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 31 August 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
We all arrived here without accident, myself the day after I left home , having performed the journey in two days, reaching Noah Flood ’s the 1 st day . the story of the neighborhood immediately was that I had brought a croud of workmen to get ready my house in a hurry for Bonaparte . were there such people only as the believers in this, patriotism would be a ridiculous passion. we are...
192Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 4 November 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
We arrived here on the third day of our journey, without any accident; but I suffered very much both mornings by cold. I must therefore pray you to send my wolf-skin pelisse and fur-boots by Moses ’s Billy , when he comes to bring the two mules to move the Carpenters back. he is to be here on the 27 th by my directions to mr Bacon .
193Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 10 November 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
We are all well here, my dear Martha , and thinking of our return home which will be about the 30 th or perhaps a day or two sooner. it is necessary therefore that the boys, Johnny & Randall shoul with the mules should set off from Monticello on the 19 th or 20 th to take the cart and baggage. I must pray you to desire mr Bacon
194Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 3 December 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
We have been, my ever dearest Martha , now weather bound at this place since Sunday was sennight. we were then to have set off on our return home, but it began to rain that day, and we have had three regular N.E. rains successively, with intermissions of a single day between each. during the first intermission, mr Flower left us for Monticello , but by the way of the Natural bridge . by him I...
195Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 18 August 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose the within, to you, my dearest daughter & friend, because it is of great consequence, to be put into the post office at Charlottesville from which place it will go safer to Staunton than from hence. Ellen writes to you and of course will give the news of this place if she can muster up any. the history of our expedition to the Natural bridge she will write you of course. the sun,...
196Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 31 August 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Ellen tells me that a request is communicated thro’ M r Randolph & yourself from the Freemason societies of Charlottesville to be permitted to lay the first brick of the Central college . I do not know that I have authority to say either yea or nay to this proposition; but as far as I may be authorised, I consent to it freely. the inhabitants of Charlottesville deserve too well of that...
197Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 22 November 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here, my dear daughter after a disagreeable journey, one day shut up at Warren by steady rain, the next travelling thro a good deal of drizzle & rain, and the last excessive cold, the road being full of ice. but all well in the end. Johnny Hemings had made great progress in his work. his calculation is that he may possibly finish by this day fortnight, but possibly & almost probably...
198Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 29 November 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
The calculation in my former letter of the time when Johnny Hemings would be done, was made on a guess of his own. by what he has since done I can estimate the time it will take him more exactly, and I find the cart need not leave Monticello till Thursday the 11 th of December, on which day therefore I wish it to be dispatched. I have been two days engaged from sunrise to sunset with a...
199Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 4 August 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
All our members, except 3 who came not at all arrived on Saturday morning so that we got to work by 10. aclock, and finished yesterday evening. we are detained till this morning for fair copies of our report. Staunton had 2. votes, Lexington 3. the Central college 16. I have never seen business done with so much order, & harmony, nor an abler nor pleasanter society. we have been well served...
200Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 7 August 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have heard that D r Cooper has come on to Richmond , which however I doubt. if so he may possibly have come to Monticello . under this uncertainty where a letter may find him, I inclose one to you for him , with a request to forward it to him by mail wherever he is. I have left it open as it may enable you to judge what to do with it in every case. I left Judge Stuart ’s yesterday after...
201Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 14 August 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you by our last mail of the 8 th having been now here a week & continued to bathe 3 times a day, a quarter of an hour at a time, I continue well, as I was when I came. having no symptom to judge by at what time I may presume the seeds of my rheumatism eradicated, and desirous to prevent the necessity of ever coming here a 2 d time, I believe I shall yeild to the general advice of a...
202Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 21 August 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you this day week and this day fortnight . we have been here in a continued state of fluctuation between the numbers of 40. & 60. a greater proportion of ladies than formerly: but all invalids, and perfectly recluse in their cabins. mr Glendy joined us to-day and will stay till Sunday. we had been many days without venison till the day before yesterday, in the course of which 8....
203Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 28 July [1819] (Jefferson Papers)
I have just learned from the Enquirer the death of my old & valuable friend Cathalan of Marseilles , an important loss to me, & at this time particularly requiring attention, as my orders are now on the way to him for the supplies of the year, & the money to pay for them. but I can do nothing without his papers which I request you to send me. in my Cabinet, & in the window on the right of my...
204Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 August 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
It is our purpose to set out from this place for Monticello on Monday the 13 th or perhaps on Sunday the 12 th of next month. As Henry , his mule and little cart will be necessary to carry our baggage, I would wish him to leave Monticello on Sunday morning the 5 th making stages at Tooler ’s on this side the river at
205From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 2 July 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
A death-bed Adieu. Life’s visions are vanished, it’s dreams are no more. Dear friends of my bosom, why bathed in tears? I go to my fathers; I welcome the shore, which crowns all my hopes, or which buries my cares. Then farewell my dear, my lov’d daughter, Adieu! The last pang of life is in parting from you! Two Seraphs await me, long shrouded in death: I will bear them your love on my last...