Thomas Jefferson Papers
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John B. Benson to Thomas Jefferson, [received 24 December 1819]

From John B. Benson

[received 24 Dec. 1819]

Dear Sir

Be pleased to accept my thanks for Your Kind present, of the two Guinea Fowls—this, is the first opportunity I have met with, to acknowledge the receipt of them

I send you by the Bearer a few Fredericksburg Oysters—tho the quantity is small I trust the quality is Great.

I have sent You Sir half of what I received, I wish I had more to present you with—

May You enjoy, uninterupted Happiness, is my fervent prayer

J B Benson

RC (MHi); undated; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esquire Monticello”; endorsed by TJ as received 24 Dec. 1819.

John B. Benson (d. 1832), merchant, was the son of the Fredericksburg tavern keeper John Benson. The younger Benson was living by 1820 in Charlottesville, where he operated a store and boardinghouse. At his death he owned ten slaves (MACH description begins Magazine of Albemarle County History, 1940–  (title varies; issued until 1951 as Papers of the Albemarle County Historical Society) description ends 58 [2000]: 71–2; DNA: RG 29, CS, Albemarle Co., 1820, 1830; MB description begins James A. Bear Jr. and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, 1997, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 2:1360; Charlottesville Central Gazette, 6 July 1821; Charlottesville Virginia Advocate, 10 Sept. 1830; Albemarle Co. Will Book, 11:67–70; Fredericksburg Virginia Herald, 7 Mar. 1832).

A missing letter of 23 Nov. 1819 from Benson to TJ is recorded in SJL as received that day from Charlottesville, with the parenthetical notation: “by Dr McPherson.”

Index Entries

  • Benson, John B.; and food for TJ search
  • Benson, John B.; identified search
  • Benson, John B.; letter from accounted for search
  • Benson, John B.; letters from search
  • food; oysters search
  • Fredericksburg, Va.; oysters from search
  • guinea fowl; TJ sends search
  • McPherson, Dr.; delivers letter search
  • oysters search