Joseph Dougherty to Thomas Jefferson, 5 December 1809
From Joseph Dougherty
City Washington Decr 5th–09
Sir
yours of the 30 Nov. I recd the 3rd of this month and delivered the inclosed, to Mr Barry.
Sir I expect that you have so many applications for the breed of your shepherds dog, that it is no use for me to say any thing to you about them,
however, if you should have any to spare, I would be verry thankful to you for one.
before this reaches you, you perhaps may have heard of a duel that took place yesterday,1 betwen John. G. Jackson, and Mr Pearson of N. Carolina, in which Mr Jackson was mortally wounded, I am now recovering from a bilious fever which confined me to my bed 7 weeks, the fever was constant and high during that time, I am still willing to sarve you2 in any way that comes within my power.
Joseph Dougherty.
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “Thos Jefferson Esqr”; endorsed by TJ as received 10 Dec. 1809 and so recorded in SJL.
TJ’s letter to Dougherty of 30 nov. 1809 is not recorded in SJL and has not been found. The duel between two members of the United States House of Representatives, Virginia Republican John G. jackson and North Carolina Federalist Joseph pearson, resulted from comments made in the heat of political debate. Jackson was seriously wounded, but he recovered the following spring (Richmond Virginia Gazette and General Advertiser, 8 Dec. 1809; , 130).
1. Word interlined.
2. Manuscript: “yo.”
Index Entries
- Congress, U.S.; duel between members of search
- dogs; requested from TJ search
- Dougherty, Joseph; and shepherd dogs search
- Dougherty, Joseph; letters from search
- Dougherty, Joseph; letters to accounted for search
- fevers search
- health; fever search
- House of Representatives, U.S.; honor disputes in search
- Jackson, John G.; duel with J. Pearson search
- Pearson, Joseph; duel with J. G. Jackson search