1. The contents of this letter indicate that it was written no earlier than 4 December and no later than 10 December, and more likely at the close of that time span than at its beginning. The “Sunday last,” mentioned in the first paragraph, could have been only 1 or 8 December. On the day immediately following one or the other of these dates, Jefferson set out for Monticello from Ampthill, where he had been quarantined (Jefferson to JM, 26 November 1782, and n. 4). He was at Monticello at least by 15 December and began his journey to Philadelphia four days later (Virginia Gazette description begins Virginia Gazette, or, the American Advertiser (Richmond, James Hayes, 1781–86). description ends , 28 December 1782 and 4 January 1783; Boyd, Papers of Jefferson description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (17 vols. to date; Princeton, N.J., 1950——). description ends , VI, 211).

Jameson could not have written his letter before 4 December, since he noted in his third paragraph a measure of the Virginia General Assembly which was not enacted until that day. See n. 9. Although he probably would have known that the resignation of Randolph as a delegate to Congress and the outcome of the Arthur Lee—Mann Page affair—both a part of the proceedings of the House of Delegates on 11 December—would be of much interest to JM, he omitted mention of them in the paragraph devoted to legislative affairs (Randolph to JM, 5 October, and n. 4; 29 November, and n. 7; 13 December 1782, and nn. 4, 13). This silence suggests that Jameson’s letter was written before that date. See also n. 5. On the other hand, by the same token, if 10 December is the correct date, he surprisingly neglected to inform JM that the General Assembly had repealed its ratification of the impost amendment on 7 December (Pendleton to JM, 9 December 1782, n. 12).

2. David Jameson was a member of the Virginia Senate from the district including Yorktown, where he lived. See Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , I, 217, n. 2.

3. Jameson probably first heard of Jefferson’s appointment about 24 November upon the receipt by Randolph in Richmond of JM’s second letter of 12 November (q.v.; also Jefferson to JM, 26 November 1782).

4. For Martha and Maria Jefferson, see Randolph to JM, 20 September, and n. 5; 29 November 1782, and n. 3. Dr. James Currie (1745–1807) was an eminent Richmond physician and a long-time friend of Jefferson. Born in Scotland, Currie was graduated by the University of Edinburgh and arrived in Virginia about 1770. Thanks to his skill, he soon enjoyed a large practice. “Strict in collecting his fees,” he profited also by investments in Richmond real estate. His interest in all aspects of natural science is reflected in the frequent correspondence between him and Jefferson during the latter’s residence in France (Wyndham B. Blanton, Medicine in Virginia in the Eighteenth Century, pp. 27, 38, 92, 116, 263, 335–36; Boyd, Papers of Jefferson description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (17 vols. to date; Princeton, N.J., 1950——). description ends , Vols. VII–XII, passim).

5. See n. 1. Jameson’s statement in this sentence is another clue to the approximate date of his letter. If it was written about 10 December, JM probably would have received it shortly before Christmas. Jefferson reached Philadelphia on 27 December (JM to Randolph, 2 December 1782, n. 4). See also Jefferson to JM, 26 November 1782.

6. See n. 2. For Jameson’s loss of property resulting from the British occupation of Yorktown in 1781, see Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , III, 215.

7. For this law of 3 December 1782, see Queries and Answers, 3 December 1782–8 February 1783, n. 4.

8. The statute which abolished these offices was not formally enacted until 24 December (Randolph to JM, 22 November, n. 8; Pendleton to JM, 25 November 1782, and n. 6). The House of Delegates adopted the bill on 27 November, but the date of its passage by the Senate is unknown, except that it was before 13 December 1782 (Journal of the House of Delegates description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Begun and Held at the Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg. Beginning in 1780, the portion after the semicolon reads, Begun and Held in the Town of Richmond. In the County of Henrico. The journal for each session has its own title page and is individually paginated. The edition used is the one in which the journals for 1777–1786 are brought together in two volumes, with each journal published in Richmond in 1827 or 1828, and often called the “Thomas W. White reprint.” description ends , October 1782, p. 39; McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 400). Through the courtesy of the Honorable George R. Rich, Clerk of the House of Delegates and Keeper of the Rolls, General Assembly of Virginia, the editors were enabled to determine that the engrossed bill is undated.

9. See Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , I, 226, n. 5; III, 27, n. 16; 229–30. In his message of 21 October to the House of Delegates, Governor Harrison requested the Assembly to decide “as soon as possible” whether “the Interest of the State” required that General Alexander Spotswood’s legions should be continued (McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 351–52). Although “An act concerning the two legions raised by this state” was adopted by the House of Delegates on 3 December and by the Senate the next day, it did not become a law until 24 December 1782 (Journal of the House of Delegates description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Begun and Held at the Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg. Beginning in 1780, the portion after the semicolon reads, Begun and Held in the Town of Richmond. In the County of Henrico. The journal for each session has its own title page and is individually paginated. The edition used is the one in which the journals for 1777–1786 are brought together in two volumes, with each journal published in Richmond in 1827 or 1828, and often called the “Thomas W. White reprint.” description ends , October 1782, pp. 49, 53, 79). The law “permitted” the troops released from these legions “to enlist in this states quota of continental troops,” but they would thereby forfeit “all claim to any bounty, pay, or emolument accruing to them under the” acts creating the two legions (Hening, Statutes description begins William Waller Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia, from the First Session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619 (13 vols.; Richmond and Philadelphia, 1819–23). description ends , XI, 135–36).

10. For “An act concerning the certificates issued to the officers and soldiers of the Virginia line,” which had become law on 3 December 1782, see Randolph to JM, 16 November 1782, n. 16.

11. The Virginia General Assembly adjourned on 28 December 1782 (Journal of the House of Delegates description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Begun and Held at the Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg. Beginning in 1780, the portion after the semicolon reads, Begun and Held in the Town of Richmond. In the County of Henrico. The journal for each session has its own title page and is individually paginated. The edition used is the one in which the journals for 1777–1786 are brought together in two volumes, with each journal published in Richmond in 1827 or 1828, and often called the “Thomas W. White reprint.” description ends , October 1782, p. 91).

12. Probably a letter for Colonel John Jameson. See Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , II, 201, n. 1; Ambler to JM, 18 October 1782, and n. 5.