1Joseph McCoy to Thomas Jefferson, 3 July 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
A Youth, who is fond of making Verses, takes the liberty of sending you one of his little Poems, to which he has ventured to affix your name. Perhaps, if adopted, the Expedient would prove a very silly one. Little qualified to decide on this point, I have pleased myself with the thought of some good effects it might produce, without knowing what bad ones they would bring along with them, or...
2Enclosure: Joseph McCoy’s Poem, “The Expedient,” [ca. 3 July 1809] (Jefferson Papers)
The Expedient; Addressed to M r Jefferson MS ( CSmH : JF-BA ); undated; entirely in McCoy’s hand. maros : the reference is to the Roman poet Virgil ( Publius Vergilius Maro ). Manuscript: “chace.” Manuscript: “Britian’s.”
3Thomas Jefferson to Joseph McCoy, 6 September 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to mr M c Coy & his thanks for the poem he was so kind as to send him some time past the reciept of which he has not been able sooner to acknolege. too old now to catch the glow of poetry, he is illy qualified to become a judge of it’s merits, other than that of sentiment. in this respect there is much to commend in mr M c Coy’s little poem. the...