To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 10 June 1795
From Joseph Jones
Frid.1 June 10th—95
Dr. Sir—
After my return from the General Court where I shall go next Monday I shall take the circuit from Dumfries Alexandria & through Loudoun onwards to Charlotte [s]ville by which means I shall effectuelly I think dissipate the effluvia which may have attached to me from those in the smallpox2—indeed I do not think anything I shall take with me can endanger any one as I have none of it in the house & shall take care every thing shall be well cleaned before I depart for fear of mischief to any one. Should you be at home I shall call if I am satisfied my presence will not alarm. I thank you for the pamphlet—I had seen it in the Aurora3 and think it an able support of the conduct of our Delegation. Adieu. Yrs
J. Jones
Printed copy (Frederic R. Kirkland, ed., Letters on the American Revolution [2 vols.; Philadelphia, 1941–52], 2:108). Kirkland described the letter as addressed and docketed.
1. Since the second Friday of June 1795 was the twelfth, Kirkland apparently mistranscribed “Fredg.,” Jones’s usual abbreviation of Fredericksburg.
2. On 22 May Fontaine Maury, recorder of the corporation of Fredericksburg, issued an announcement permitting smallpox inoculations until 31 May. Approximately one thousand persons were inoculated (Va. Herald, and Fredericksburg Advertiser, 26 and 29 May 1795).
3. On the reprinting of JM’s Political Observations in the Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, see John Beckley to JM, 25 May 1795, n. 2.