1From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 23 December 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I received duly your favor of Octob. 22. and should have answered it by the gentleman who delivered it, but that he left town before I knew of it. That it is really important to provide a constitution for our state cannot be doubted: as little can it be doubted that the ordinance called by that name has important defects. But before we attempt it, we should endeavor to be as certain as is...
2From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 9 September 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you a long letter from Philadelphia early in the summer , which would not now have been worth recurring to, but that I therein asked the favor of you to sound Mr. Henry on the subject you had written to me on, to wit, the amendment of our constitution, and to find whether he would not approve of the specific amendments therein mentioned, in which case the business would be easy. If you...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 31 March 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The bearer hereof Mr. John Nancarrow comes to Staunton on some view respecting a mine, in which line of business he has been brought up. He has been engaged in Philadelphia in that of making steel. He is a sensible, scientific and worthy man, and such as is rarely found in the walk of the arts, or even of the sciences. I take the liberty of recommending him to your notice and especially to...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 31 March 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have written you a line this day by Mr. John Nancarrow to recommend him to you as a man of worth and science. What I say therein of him is religiously true, and I recommended him sincerely as a man I esteem. But lest you should be off your guard I mention in this, which goes by post, that I have understood his circumstances here to be bad, so that you must not be led into any money matters...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 24 November 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
When I had the pleasure of seeing you at Monticello you mentioned to me that sheep could be procured at or about Staunton, good and cheap, and were kind enough to offer your aid in procuring them. Reflecting on this subject, I find it will be much better to buy and drive them now, before they have young ones, and before the snows set in, than to wait till the spring. I therefore take the...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 26 January 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 22d. has been duly received, and, in consequence of it, my manager Mr. Biddle now sets out for the sheep, as the approach of the yeaning season leaves no time to spare as to them. I could have wished to have made one trip serve for them and the potatoes: but I am advised that the latter would be in danger of freezing on the road. I must therefore, as to them wait for milder...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 30 October 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved some time ago your favor on the subject of Mr. Dowthwaite, and soon after that he called on me himself. I should have been glad to have served him for the double motive of wishing well to his enterprize, and for the interest you take in his success. But it seemed that he wished me to address the assembly either directly or indirectly on his behalf. This I could not do. A total...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 2 December 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
I now place in the hands of Colo. Bell in Charlottesville fifty dollars to be forwarded to you, and have to ask the favor of you to purchase me sheep to that amount. The moment you notify me that they are ready, I will send off for them, so as to receive them from the seller, and not give you so much trouble with them as you had with the last purchase. Perhaps I may at the same time send a...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 10 January 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
I received your favor of the 26th. Dec. only two days ago, and tomorrow the bearer Mr. Petit , my overseer, will set out for them. The weather for two days past would not admit of his moving, or they should not have remained an unnecessary hour on your hands, as the trouble of buying them is more than enough on you. You make me happy by the prospect of seeing you here soon. I hope it will be...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 19 February 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 17th. is duly received, with the turneps and rape. There is quite enough of both to answer my purpose; and indeed of the latter I have obtained an additional supply. I concur readily in your proposition respecting the Spanish sheep, and have this day written to Mr. Morris to know if any circumstance has occurred which might disappoint us of getting them. I may expect his...
11Enclosure: Notes on Potash and Pearl Ash, 19 February 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
Notes on Pot and Pearlash. a man will cut and burn 2 ½ cords of wood a day. a cord of wood yeilds 2. bushels of ashes. [neither pine nor chesnut will do] a bushel of ashes sells for 9. cents. it will make 6. ℔ of brown salts, which make 3 ℔ to 5 ℔ pearl ash in the common way and 5. ℔ of pearlash in Hopkins’s way . for a small work, 2 kettles suffice to boil the lie into brown salts and 1. to...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 18 April 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
I did not recieve your favor of the 7th. till the 17th. inst. Consequently you had then passed on to New London. I could not learn that your brother was in the neighborhood. I inclose you a copy of an advertisement I had thought some time ago of putting in the public papers, but did not do it. You will see by that the books I have to dispose of. The last two or three lines of it are not for...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 17 May 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
The bearer hereof is Mr. Strickland, an English gentleman who is passing through our country to make himself acquainted with it. As he means to take Staunton in his way from the Natural bridge to Winchester, he may have occasion there for information as to his route, the accomodations of it &c. I therefore take the liberty of introducing him to you, and the rather as his great worth,...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 23 May 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 3d. inst. has been recieved and I have this day packed all the books which were at home in 2. boxes and lodged them with Colo. Bell to be forwarded by the first careful waggon to Staunton. Those not now sent had been lent to my nephew Dabney Carr in Louisa, and I have to send a small cart for them, which shall be done soon, and they shall be packed and lodged with Colo. Bell...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 11 June 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
By a letter of yours, communicated to me by Colo. Bell, I am apprehensive mine of May 23d. did not get to you. I do not recollect whether I sent it by post or with the books. I now send a copy on the preceding page. Within a week from this time I think I shall be able to send for the other books, and they shall be immediately deposited with Colo. Bell. I take the liberty of inclosing some nail...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 30 June 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
It was not till lately I could send a cart into Louisa for the books I had lent my nephew Dabney Carr. I have now recieved them, and tomorrow shall lodge with Colo. Bell a box for you containing Fitzherbert’s N.B. Atkyns 3. vols. Burrows 3. vols. P. Williams 3. v. Ld. Raymond 2. v. Salkeld 2 v. in one. Strange 2. vols. Vernon 2. vols. This completes the list except Kelynge not yet recovered. I...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 14 July 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
Having lately had an opportunity of examining our tax law in the new volume of laws lately published, I find lands whereof the taxes have not been paid for three years are liable to have a warrant located on them by any person whatever, without notice to the owner. I am therefore become really uneasy about my Natural bridge tract, and the more so as I have no information from the Commissioner...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 20 July 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
I have recieved your favor of the 9th. It happened fortunately that I had preserved the original rough paper on which I had estimated the books separately which I had to dispose of. On that I find that the Modern entries, Burrows, Peere Williams, Salkeld and Strange were estimated at fifty dollars and twenty two cents. The same books cost me in England £18–5. sterling which is 81.D. 11c....
19From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 26 July 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
I am very thankful to you for your kind attention to our lost infant. The person you sent arrived here safely with James and their charge, and will be properly rewarded . Knowing the disposition of James, I readily conceive his conduct, and would have wished that to have been properly rewarded too, were it not that it would have added new pain to the parents of the child. I write this line by...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 3 January 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
I troubled you once before on the subject of my nails, and must trouble you once more, but hope my present plan will protect you from all further embarrasment with it. I sat out with refusing to retail, expecting the merchants of my neighborhood and the upper country would have given a preference to my supplies, because delivered here at the Richmond whole sale prices, and at hand to be called...
21From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 22 February 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter of Jan. 3. was still in my hands, when the reciept of considerable orders for nails, immediately wanting, prevented my commencing a supply for Staunton. I therefore thought it better to hold up my letter till I could begin on a stock for Staunton. We are now at work on them, and in about 10. days shall have ready a supply of VIs. VIIIs. Xs. XIIs. XVIs. XXs. and of XVI. penny brads ....
22From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 5 April 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
I am doomed to be a very troublesome acquaintance to you. I am now in want of a stone mason, one with whom I had agreed to begin my house within 3. weeks from this time having yesterday notified me that he cannot come. Mr. Cocke of this county tells me of a Mr. Felty Millar of your town a good workman and suitable on every account for my purposes. The object of this letter is to get you to...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 26 May 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
Two or three days before the reciept of your favor of the 20th. I had recieved a letter from Mr. John Stuart of Greenbriar, accompanied with a leg bone and two joints of the toe of the animal mentioned in your letter. They are of a species not yet known most certainly, and the animal must have been as preeminent over the lion, as the big buffalo was over the elephant. The bones are too...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 21 June 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
The bearer hereof is Mr. Volney the celebrated traveller and author of several works highly esteemed in Europe. His name will also have been known to you among the worthies of the first National assembly of France. As he takes Staunton in his rout Westward I take the liberty of committing him to your good offices while there. He wishes to supply himself there with a cheap horse, just...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 29 June 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
The very contracted state of my acquaintance in my own country after so long an absence, and the general interest which prompts us to present strangers of distinction passing through it to the best men of our country, render me troublesome to you. The bearer hereof is the Duke de Liancourt of one of the most distinguished families of France, and of the wealthiest, till the events of his...
26From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 4 January 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
In answer to your favor of Dec. 31. and to the question whether adviseable to address the President on the subject of war against France, I shall speak explicitly, because I know I may do it safely to you. Such is the popularity of the President that the people will support him in whatever he will do, or will not do, without appealing to their own reason or to any thing but their feelings...