John H. Cocke to Thomas Jefferson, 27 August 1814
From John H. Cocke
Bremo Aug: 27. 1814
Dear sir,
I recd your letter dated the 5 Aug: two posts past, and owe you an apology for not acknowledging it sooner.—The last eight days every moment of my time has been employ’d in placing my affairs in the best posture I can for my absence in the public service—The call upon me was entirely unexpected and found me unprepared.—
I am sorry that you deem’d it necessary to trouble yourself upon the subject of payment for the Horse—the understanding between us & the course of events prevented my expecting the money at this time—and be assured Sir, that I wish you to consult your convenience entirely about it in future.—Accept the assurance of my highest
Jno H. Cocke
RC (CSmH: JF); endorsed by TJ as received 30 Aug. 1814 but recorded in SJL as received the following day. RC (MHi); address cover only; on verso of PoC of TJ to Richard Randolph, 27 Sept. 1814; addressed: “Mr Jefferson Monticello”; stamped; postmarked Columbia, Va., 28 Aug.
Cocke was a brigadier general in the Virginia militia. He was preparing for absence in the public service after the organization of his brigade at Camp Fairfield in August 1814 (Stuart L. Butler, “Gen. John Hartwell Cocke in the War of 1812,” 65 [2007]: 19–43, esp. 28–9).
Index Entries
- Bremo (TJ’s horse); purchased from J. H. Cocke search
- Camp Fairfield (Henrico Co.); Va. miltia at search
- Cocke, John Hartwell; letters from search
- Cocke, John Hartwell; militia service of search
- Cocke, John Hartwell; TJ purchases horse from search
- horses; TJ purchases search
- militia; organization of search