To Thomas Jefferson from Joseph Habersham, 24 January 1801
From Joseph Habersham
Washington 24th. Jany 1801
Sir/
The delay of a week in receiving the Northern Mails at the Post. Offices on the route from Fredericksburg to Charlottesville was occasioned by making them up at this office, which is the distributing office for the State of Virginia, on Saturday instead of Friday—the Mails for those offices are now made up on Friday and I am in hopes will be received in future without any delay
I have reason to think that the Post Master of Fredericksburg has in no instance detained the Mails from interested Motives.
As soon as the obstacle to the regular conveyance of the Mails for that route was known it was removed, and I have only to regret that it existed so long I have the Honor to be with great respect.
Sir Yr mo. obedt. svt
Jos Habersham
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “The Honble Thomas Jefferson esqr Vice President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received 25 Jan. and so recorded in SJL. FC (Lb in DNA: RG 28, LPG).
Virginia congressman John Dawson had already informed the postmaster general of the obstacle with the Virginia mail. On 22 Jan., Habersham wrote him that the mails for Fredericksburg would leave Washington on Friday to make the connection with the Charlottesville rider (FC in Lb in DNA: RG 28, LPG).