Thomas Jefferson Papers
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John Daingerfield to Thomas Jefferson, 5 June 1812

From John Daingerfield

June 5th 1812

Dr Sir.

I am very sorry to learn from my mother you refused to pay the full year’s hire for her man Edmund; as the principle has been long since settled; and juries never hesitate, when the subject is brought before them to decide against a deduction and certainly this must be right, for unless some such thing was implied the owner of a slave never would hire him a year for 70 dollars when he could get 3 shillings per day—I beg Sir, you will reconsider the case and determine to pay the ballance and save to me the pain of adopting such steps as my duty as her agent will compell me to resort to I am at a loss to determine how you distinguish between the cases of a slave’s absconding from yr service and remaining absent, thereby depriving you of his labour & the same effect being produced by the hand of providence—since your only plea I presume, must be the absence of a quid pro quo. In your letter of the 3d of Novr last address to Mr Nathaniel Hoe you say1 you have forwarded to the bank of Fredericksburg $57 which was receivd on the 17th of Apl last which leaves a ballance due for Interest at least on that sum—you will oblidge by an answer to this immeadiately addressed to me at Greenfield near Tappawith very great Respect I am your most obt & fellow Citizen

Jno Daingerfield

PS. The A/C ought to stand thus—

1810 Jay 1st to hire of Edmund $70
Interest till 17th Apl 1812   5 , 42
75 42
1812 17 April   By Cash 57    
Ballance Due M D. 18 42
with Interest till paid—

RC (MHi); dateline beneath signature; endorsed by TJ as received 8 July 1812 from “Greenfield near Tappahanc” and so recorded in SJL; notation by TJ at foot of text: “July 10. 12. desired mr Gibson to remit 20.D. to bk of Fredsbg for mrs Dangerfield & notify her of it.”

The hand of providence alludes to the death of Edmund, a slave belonging to Mary Daingerfield (m d.).

1Preceding two words interlined.

Index Entries

  • Daingerfield, John; letters from search
  • Daingerfield, John; TJ hires slaves from search
  • Daingerfield, Mary Willis; death of slave of search
  • Daingerfield, Mary Willis; TJ hires slaves from search
  • Edmund (M. Daingerfield’s slave); death of search
  • Gibson, Patrick; payments made for TJ search
  • Gibson & Jefferson (Richmond firm); and slave rental by TJ search
  • Hooe, Nathaniel Harris; mentioned search