1From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 28 February 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
By yesterday’s mail I learn that it would be the desire of many of the good citizens of our county to meet me on the road on my return home, as a manifestation of their good will. but it is quite impossible for me to ascertain the day on which I shall leave this. the accumulated business at the close of a session will prevent my making any preparation for my departure till after the 4th. of...
2From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 7 February 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I thought Congress had taken their ground firmly for continuing their embargo till June, & then war. but a sudden & unaccountable revolution of opinion took place the last week, chiefly among the N. England & N. York members, & in a kind of panic they voted the 4th. of March for removing the embargo, & by such a majority as gave all reason to believe they would not agree either to war or...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 31 January 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved in due time your kind letter of the 20th. certainly I shall be much pleased to recieve your aid & counsel in the management of my farms, which will become so essential. my whole life has been past in occupations which kept me from any minute attention to them, and finds me now with only very general ideas of the theory of agriculture, without actual experience: at a time of life too...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 17 January 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Immediately on the reciept of your letter I communicated to mr Nicholas so much of it as related to Varina. he & mr Patterson dined with me two days ago. mr Patterson, it seems, never meant to purchase more land than a mere seat, and small farm for it’s support. with this mr Nicholas has supplied him near Warren, & he begins to build in the spring. in the choice of a situation, his first...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 2 January 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
The general mind of Congress seems now to be rallying to a certain course of proceeding. a bill will be brought in tomorrow for convening Congress about the middle of May. it will be of course that in the debate members will declare the intention to be then to take off the embargo & if the belligerent edicts be not repealed, to issue letters of marque & reprisal. this will let Europe see that...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 13 December 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Jefferson wrote to me a few days ago to know whether he had ever had the small pox, & added that till he could learn that fact he kept himself from the Anatomical dissections by advice of Dr. Wistar. I wrote him that I thought I recollected that he & Anne were inoculated in Richmond under your eye, but that I was not quite certain. will you be so good as to give the answer by return of post...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 22 November 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose a letter from Jefferson to Ellen which I presume will inform the family of his health. I sent for your perusal last week a letter from Dr. Wistar strongly urging his attendance on the chemical lectures. we had supposed, you know, that it would be best for him to confine himself, while at Philadelphia, to those branches of science for which that place has peculiar advantages, that is...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 11 October 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 7th. has been recieved, & the papers it covered, but I must trouble you again to send me, by return of post , the whole of the papers which were in that cartoon, all of which were of the same character ‘to be answered or acted on’ immediately on my arrival here. I specified the particular parcels you sent me merely to ascertain the right bundle. I think your idea of shifting the...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 4 October 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have left a bundle of papers at home the want of which distresses me infinitely, and the more so as the forgetfulness which produced the omission, leaves me unable certainly to say where it will be found. but I think it must be in one of the cartoons in the Cabinet window near which I usually sit to write, that is to say near the red turning chair. the cartoon has a label with these words...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 28 June 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a Mercantile Advertiser for the sake of the extraordinary fabrication in it’s Postscript by an arrival from Cork with London dates to the 9th. of May. the arrival of the Osage in England (which had been detained in France by Armstrong himself) furnishes the occasion of amusing that nation with the forgeries of fact which I have included in an inked line in the margin, within...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 29 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter to Ellen will explain why I must be brief. a negociation between France & England is I believe certainly begun under the mediation of Austria. the Moniteur (a government paper) says France will not require from England to renounce her maritime principles. nothing need be said about them in the treaty, and each will retain their own. this stumbling block being removed, I suspect they...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 15 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
You will see in the public papers an account of proceedings of the legislature at Lancaster, which you will not understand without explanation. the members in Caucus have named electors of President & V. President without saying whom they are to vote for. the fact is this. the Democrats had more at heart the election of Snyder for Governor than any thing else. the Feds named Ross. the Quids...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 26 February 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Hening informs me that 6. cases in the court of Appeals depend on an Act of 1691. c. 9. entitled ‘an act for a free trade with Indians’ and that the judges, not liking to decide on a single M.S. copy which he possessed, had given till their next term (commencing Mar. 1) to procure another copy from my collection. I cannot procure this for him but by throwing it on you. if I possess the...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 23 February 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclosed a packet to you for Tarlton Webb yesterday by the mail stage, because no printed papers can go by the horse mail which leaves this a day later with letters only. I recieved a letter from mr Bacon last night which obliges me to ask you to take a ride to Monticello to advise him in his operations on the garden. he has done 250. feet. should he go on in the same level we assumed at...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 22 February 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a midshipman’s warrant for young Webb, but I wish there may not be a misnomer in it. Patsy named him to me as Tarlton Webb, but through another channel an application came to the Navy office for a Thomas T. Webb. is it the same person? if not, be so good as to return the inclosed to me because it is intended for Tarlton Webb. if right, you can forward it to him. The papers give...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 6 February 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter from the Secretary of the Navy on the subject of Tarleton Webb. at the next appointment of midshipmen he can probably come in; but mr Smith cannot say when that may take place. Martha informs me that your own affairs are so arranged as to permit you to direct the repairs of my mill dam. this will indeed be rendering me a great service. Bacon is so little acquainted with...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 26 January 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
A caucus was held on Saturday by the members of Congress at which 89. attended. Mr. Madison had 83. votes, Clinton 3. Monroe 3. as president, & Clinton had 79. as V. President. but one member from N. York attended, and but 1. federalist, J. Q. Adams who voted for mr Madison. of the Virginia members in town J. Randolph, Garnett, Gray, Trigg & Bassett declined attending, the last because...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 22 December 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I have this moment signed the bill for a general embargo on all American vessels. it passed by 82. against 44. the latter were one half Federalists, ¼ of the little band, the other fourth of republicans happening to take up mistaken views of the subject. my love to all our dear family & affectionate salutations to yourself. DLC : Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
19From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 30 November 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Lest you should fail in getting Smith’s paper I inclose you a paragraph prepared for that, & which is authentic. mr Erskine has recieved Canning’s letter & Monroe’s reply & shewed them to us in confidence. the letter is in it’s aspect & style, unfriendly, proud & harsh, and looks little like proposing much more as to the Chesapeake than the disavowal of having ordered the act. it manifests...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 16 November 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose a watchkey of Martha’s and an ear-ring of Anne’s returned by mrs Madison. we are now in a remarkable cold-spell of weather for the season. the thermometer the last three mornings has been at 22. 19. 22½, and very dry. the destruction of wheat by the Hessian fly is general through the states. the news detailed by Capt. Doane & the Star, which you will find in the papers now...
21From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 26 October 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Every thing from Europe for some time past being interesting, I have sent you some of the Public Advertisers, which at times seems to be the best paper we have for foreign intelligence as well as sound domestic discussions. at present we have nothing from Europe. the two houses have assembled earlier than usual. there was a quorum of the H. of R. here on Saturday. Macon is sick and absent....
22From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 4 October 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here yesterday morning according to expectation. when at Songster’s the overnight, I learnt that Skinner, who lives at the cross roads near Fairfax C.H. had found your dirk. I called on him and asked to see it. both John & myself recognised it. but as he did not express a desire to give it up, I told him I would write to you & if you had lost yours thereabouts (a fact I had not heard...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 20 July 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Our advices from Lynhaven (where we keep a person as a Look-out to inform us daily what passes) down to the 16th. are that two of the vessels of war were out of the capes on a cruise, and two others (two deckers) at anchor in Lynhaven bay. they had been in the habit of landing freely, and of getting water, &, as is believed, fresh provisions from secret customers. some negroes had gone off to...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 13 July 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I had been in expectation of leaving this for Monticello this day sennight: but the present posture of things at Norfolk seems to forbid our separation until that is changed. should the British squadron leave their station in Hampton road, we might then retire from this place, which will soon begin to experience the diseases of the season. the retirement of the squadron from James river would...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 5 July 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
You have long ago heard of the insult on the Chesapeake, and been overwhelmed with reports & fables, some printed & some oral, as we have been, till we find that nothing can be believed that comes through any body belonging to any kind of vessel. yesterday the lie of the day was that the Vice President had had 35. shot fired at him by the Men of war’s boats as he passed out of the Capes, &...
26From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 24 May 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here this day sennight without any accident other than travelling on the second day through light drizzle & occasionally small showers, not sufficient to wet me. I found the road good enough till I got into the froggy country near Ewell’s mill where it was very bad. mr Coles joined me from Philadelphia last night. he says Governor Lewis will be on about the first of July. he is...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 3 April 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Th:J. incloses to mr Randolph a check on the bank of the US. which however is dated tomorrow & cannot be drawn till then, because it is only on the 4th. that a deposit is made in the bank for him by the Treasury. he prays him not to consider it as a loan at all, being always desirous to do any thing for him which his own circumstances place in his power. DLC : Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
28From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 28 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Joseph informs me your fever still continues. I certainly would not urge any thing that would be strongly repugnent to your feelings, but I wish, my dear Sir, you could consent to return to your former room here. you would be so much more comfortable there, and could be so much better furnished with what would be proper & agreeable to you, that it would aid in shaking off your fever; &...
29From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 19 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of yesterday convinces me I have been guilty of an error, for which I take just blame to myself. really loving you as I would a son (for I protest I know no difference) I took it too much for granted you were as sensible of it as myself. conscious of my feelings towards you, I supposed you had the same consciousness, & therefore have been less attentive to the expressions of it....
30From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 18 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter recieved this morning has given me a pang under which I am overwhelmed. I take up my pen to express some of my thoughts, but thousands will remain which are inexpressible. I had for some days percieved in you a gloom which gave me uneasiness. I knew there was a difference between mr Eppes & yourself, but had no idea it was as deep seated as your letter shews it to be. I never knew...