Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to Jeremiah A. Goodman, 10 December 1814

To Jeremiah A. Goodman

Monticello Dec. 10. 14.

Dear Sir

I now send James with a small cart and 2. mules for the salt, which I am in hopes you have had packed in strong barrels, or such as can be well strengthened. I do not think he can bring more than 10. bushels, which with their barrels will weigh 700.℔. the rest of the salt (5. bushels) and the butter must come by the waggon at Christmas. 2. men & a boy from here will pay a visit to their friends at Poplar forest at Christmas & assist in bringing the hogs & beef. I send a plough by James, and shall send more of the same kind by the waggon. I promised Rachael’s Cate she might come at Christmas to see her mother. let her now come by the cart and she will return with the waggon, which will give a few days more for her visit. James brings 22. blankets to be given according to the written directions I left. he also brings some trees Etc which please to have planted immediately in the Nursery behind the stable 12. Inches apart. the three boxes he brings may be set away in one of the rooms of the house. I am satisfied there will be peace this winter. hasten therefore the getting the tobacco ready & sending it off to Richmond with all possible speed, never losing a moment when it can be handled. the great prices will be for that at market the moment peace opens the bay. the wheat should also be got to the mill & the flour forwarded to Richmond as fast as you can. I inclose you a statement of the cash and orders not entered on our last account, as they stand in my book. I am not certain whether the order for 50.D. in favor of mr Darnell should be charged to you, not knowing whether that money past thro’ your hands or not. I delivered the order to mr Darnell himself and it was drawn payable to himself.—I shall be glad to know if he is returned and how you go on with the road. send me also the accounts I wrote for in my letter from Flood’s the day I left you. it will be well for you to accompany James to Lynchburg & see the salt put on board. he may rest a day at Poplar Forest.

Dec. 11. the snow of yesterday prevented James’s setting off till to-day. Accept best wishes

Th: Jefferson

RC (CtY: Franklin Collection); addressed from “Th: Jefferson” to “MrJeremiah A. GoodmanPoplar ForestBedfordby James and Billy.”

Neither the written directions TJ left at Poplar Forest concerning the distribution of blankets to his slaves nor the enclosed statement of cash and orders have been found.

An undated letter from Goodman to TJ, not found, is recorded in SJL as received 3 Dec. 1814.

Index Entries

  • beds search
  • Billy (TJ’s slave; b.1799); delivers letter search
  • blankets; for slaves search
  • butter; sent to TJ search
  • Cate (TJ’s slave; b.1797); visits family at Christmas search
  • cattle; at Poplar Forest search
  • Chesapeake Bay; British blockade of search
  • Christmas; and slaves’ family visits search
  • Christmas; mentioned search
  • Darnil (Darnell; Darniel; Darnold), Nimrod; TJ pays search
  • Flood’s ordinary (Buckingham Co.; proprietor Henry Flood) search
  • flour; from Poplar Forest search
  • food; butter search
  • food; salt search
  • furniture; of slaves search
  • Goodman, Jeremiah Augustus; as Poplar Forest overseer search
  • Goodman, Jeremiah Augustus; letters from accounted for search
  • Goodman, Jeremiah Augustus; letters to search
  • Great Britain; peace with search
  • household articles; blankets search
  • James (TJ’s slave); and salt for TJ search
  • James (TJ’s slave); delivers letter search
  • James (TJ’s slave); transports items for TJ search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; peace with Great Britain search
  • livestock; draught animals search
  • Monticello (TJ’s estate); Visitors to; Cate (TJ’s slave; b.1797) search
  • mules; as draft animals search
  • overseers; send tobacco to Richmond search
  • overseers; TJ’s instructions to search
  • pigs; at Poplar Forest search
  • plows; mentioned search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); beds and blankets for slaves at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); cattle at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); flour from search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); hogs at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); main house at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); Overseers at; send tobacco to Richmond search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); Overseers at; TJ’s instructions to search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); plant nursery at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); roads search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); stables at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); tobacco grown at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); visitors to search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); wheat grown at search
  • Rachael (TJ’s slave; b.1773); mentioned search
  • Richmond, Va.; flour shipped to search
  • Richmond, Va.; tobacco prices at search
  • Richmond, Va.; tobacco shipped to search
  • roads; at Poplar Forest search
  • salt; TJ acquires search
  • slaves; blankets and beds for search
  • slaves; Christmas travels permitted search
  • tobacco; grown at Poplar Forest search
  • tobacco; price of in Richmond search
  • tobacco; transported to Richmond search
  • trees; TJ sends search
  • War of1812; British blockade search
  • weather; snow search
  • wheat; at Poplar Forest search