Thomas Jefferson to William Wirt, 12 October 1817
To William Wirt
Monticello Oct. 12. 17.
Dear Sir
I recieved, on my return to this place, your favor of Sep. 9. with a load of other letters which have occupied me till now. late as my answer is, I can give it no value from it’s matter. altho’ my aversion to the writing table has become almost insurmountable, I would yet sit down to it to aid the magazine of mr Rice, were I possessed of any thing either on paper or in memory which could be useful to him. but whatever works published by Virginians I may have ever possessed, they are all gone out of my hands to Washington. their titles indeed may be seen in the printed copy of my catalogue which I gave to the Governor & council: & as to memory it’s decline has long since commenced & keeps full pace with that of the body. it retains not much, & even that not to be trusted. I have nothing therefore to offer but regret for my inutility,1 and always assurances to yourself personally of my affectte esteem & respect.
Th Jefferson
PoC (DLC); on verso of a reused address cover from A. F. De Laage to TJ; mutilated at seal, with three words rewritten by TJ; at foot of text: “Mr Wirt”; endorsed by TJ. Tr (MdHi: Wirt Papers).
1. Tr: “inability.”
Index Entries
- Catalogue of the Library of the United States (G. Watterston) search
- health; memory loss search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; catalogue of search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; fatiguing to search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Health; memory loss search
- Library of Congress; Catalogue of the Library of the United States. To Which is Annexed, A Copious Index, Alphabetically Arranged (G. Watterston) search
- Library of Congress; TJ sells personal library to search
- Rice, John Holt; as editor ofVirginia Evangelical and Literary Magazine search
- Virginia; literature of search
- Virginia Evangelical and Literary Magazine search
- Watterston, George; Catalogue of the Library of the United States search
- Wirt, William; and J. H. Rice search
- Wirt, William; letters to search