Eleuthère I. du Pont de Nemours to Thomas Jefferson, 16 June 1812
From Eleuthère I. du Pont de Nemours
Wilmington June 16th 1812.
Sir
it is with the deepest regret I find that a letter you have done me the honor to write to me Some time Since has remained1 unanswered, it was received only yesterday2 on my return from a long Journey, also a letter of Mr Barnes of Georgetown inclosing $50. I am truly3 infortunate indeed in not receiving or not geting in time the orders you have the goodness to honor me with. your letter of november last never came to my hand, this misfortune is rendered more Sensible to me as it may have been attributed to4 neglect by a person to whom I have devoted the most high respect and veneration.
Capt Caleb Hand of the Sloop Unity, who is to leave newcastle on monday next,5 will take charge of a Small box6 containing 1 keg of Powder for blowing rocks and Six pds of Eagle7 in cannisters, also a Small piece of the first8 blue cloth we have been able to make at our factory and which my brother and I beg you will be so kind as to accept as an homage of our first work of that kind.9 our manufactory is enterely calculated for the use of fine Merino wool and we will with great pleasure manufacture the fleeces of your full blooded Sheep, for your own account, if you desire it.
you will See by the memorandum10 inclosed that the fifty Dollars Sent by Mr Barnes is more than the amount of the powder ordered. we hope you will furnish11 us some way of paying the balance, or that you will honor us [with]12 new commands which we will be very happy to execute, and I trust that13 the delay I have so much to regret will never take place again.
I have the honor to be with very great respect.
E. I. duPont.
RC (MHi); addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqre Monticello”; franked; postmarked Wilmington, 19 June; endorsed by TJ as received 24 June 1812 and so recorded in SJL. Dft (DeGH: Eleuthère I. du Pont Papers, Winterthur Manuscripts); lacks postscript.
eagle: sporting powder packed in canisters (advertisement for “Du Pont’s Gunpowder” in Baltimore Patriot & Mercantile Advertiser, 31 May 1824). fg powder: coarse gunpowder, as opposed to finer types labeled FFG and FFFG.
1. Preceding two words interlined in Dft in place of “is yet.”
2. Word interlined in Dft in place of “now.”
3. Word not in Dft.
4. Reworked in Dft from “I may have been suspected of.”
5. Preceding eight words interlined in Dft.
6. In Dft “directed to Mess. Gibson & Jefferson” is interlined here.
7. Dft adds “Pr” (powder) at this point.
8. Preceding two words interlined in Dft.
9. Preceding three words interlined in Dft.
10. Dft: “note.”
11. Word interlined in Dft in place of “give.”
12. Word supplied from Dft. RC: “we.”
13. Preceding three words interlined in Dft in place of “hope.”
14. Remainder of text on verso of address leaf.
Index Entries
- Barnes, John; as TJ’s agent search
- du Pont, Victor Marie; and cloth manufacture search
- du Pont de Nemours, Eleuthère Irénée; and cloth manufacture search
- du Pont de Nemours, Eleuthère Irénée; gunpowder of search
- du Pont de Nemours, Eleuthère Irénée; letters from search
- Gibson & Jefferson (Richmond firm); and gunpowder acquired by TJ search
- gunpowder; TJ orders search
- Hand, Caleb (captain of Unity) search
- merino sheep; wool of search
- textiles; wool search