Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-15-02-0567

Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Hepburn, 20 May 1820

To Alexander Hepburn

Monticello May 20. 20.

Sir

On the 12th inst. I inclosed to mr Yancey for you a draught on mr Gibson of Richmond for 50.D. mr Robinson has usually been so kind as to give the cash for my draughts which I hope h[as] been done for this. the delay of this remittance has been very mortifying to me, but the difficulties of others have produced difficulties with me, as one ninepin knocks down another.

In my letter to mr Yancey I left to your own convenience to come here immediately, or await my visit to Bedford, but the time of tha[t]1 visit is become so uncertain, and the pressure for my work so great [th]at I must pray you to come on immediately, the want of my sawmil[l,]2 the approach of harvest for the threshing machine, and another business more urgent than either render every day’s delay of3 commencement so distressing that I must pray you not to lose a day, and to drop me a line immediately as to the day I may expect you. every thing is ready for you. I salute you with great esteem:

Th: Jefferson

PoC (MHi); on verso of portion of reused address cover of Ferdinand R. Hassler to TJ, 10 Dec. 1819; two words faint; at foot of text: “Mr Alexr Hepburn”; endorsed by TJ.

mr robinson: Archibald Robertson. The business more urgent was the need to repair the sinking floors at Shadwell mills (Joseph Gilmore to TJ, [ca. 14 June 1820]; 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 , 2:1365).

1Edge trimmed.

2Edge trimmed.

3Preceding two words interlined.

Index Entries

  • agriculture; threshing machines search
  • games; ninepins search
  • Gibson, Patrick; and payments made for TJ search
  • Hepburn, Alexander; as millwright search
  • Hepburn, Alexander; letters to search
  • Hepburn, Alexander; TJ pays search
  • machines; threshing search
  • Monticello (TJ’s Albemarle Co. estate); sawmill at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); TJ plans visits to search
  • Robertson, Archibald; and payments for TJ search
  • sawmills; work done for TJ at search
  • Shadwell mills; repairs to search
  • threshing machines search
  • Yancey, Joel (d.1833); as superintendent of Poplar Forest search