To James Madison from Samuel Kercheval, 7 February 1810
From Samuel Kercheval
Stephensburg Fredk. Cy Va. Feby 7th. 1810
Sir
I have taken the liberty of encloseing to your care, a subscription for the purpose of raising money to enable the Trustees at this place to proceed with the buildings already began.1
I am aware Sir, that you are probably too frequently applied to on subjects of this nature, and that such multitudes of applications are disagreeable and even irksome to you. I however flatter my self, that you will pardon the trouble this may give you; when I assure you, that nothing but my ardent wish for the success of the institution could induce me to take the liberty of applying to you on a subject of this kind.
If you should deem it proper to patronize the institution, any contributions from either yourself or your friends, will be gratefully received by the Trustees. I have the honor to be Sir Your Most Obt. Sert.
Saml Kercheval2
Secy to the Trustees
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM. Enclosure not found.
1. Kercheval had also solicited funds from Jefferson for an academy at Stephensburg (now Stephens City) in Frederick County. He sent a “blank subscription paper” to the former president, who declined to contribute (Kercheval to Jefferson, 28 Sept. 1809, Jefferson to Kercheval, 15 Jan. 1810 [DLC: Jefferson Papers]).
2. Samuel Kercheval (1786–1845) ran for Congress in 1824 and represented Hampshire County in the Virginia House of Delegates, 1828–30 (Samuel Kercheval, A History of the Valley of Virginia [4th ed.; Strasburg, Va., 1925], p. 5).