To Thomas Jefferson from Benjamin H. Latrobe, 26 February 1804
From Benjamin H. Latrobe
Sunday Feby 26 1804
Dear Sir,
I have received Your note of this morning, and am very happy imperfect as it is, that the Polygraph is not useless to you. I wrote to Mr Peale two or three days ago giving him the necessary directions & particularly describing the manner of making two drawers, one on each side instead of one. If Mr. Foxall makes the plate, he should also polish or scour it. I have another idea however on this subject which will produce a much lighter machine, & which I will explain to you tomorrow morning.—I wrote to you a note enclosing my report of Aprl. 4h. 1804 yesterday evening & sent it by a Clerk. If you will be pleased to excuse the liberty I take, I will wait on you at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning, in order to obtain the advantage of a longer conversation on the public buildings with You. I am with true respect Yours faithfully
B H Latrobe
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 26 Feb. and so recorded in SJL.
Latrobe had a low opinion of the workmanship of Henry foxall and did not believe TJ’s idea of having Foxall forge an iron plate to secure the moving parts would work, as it would only “increase the evil of cumbrosity” (, 61-2).
i wrote to you a note: a letter from Latrobe of 25 Feb. has not been found and was not recorded in SJL. Latrobe likely enclosed a copy of his report of the previous year, as no report of that date for 1804 has been found (see Vol. 40:127-37).