Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Horatio G. Spafford to Thomas Jefferson, 28 February 1822

From Horatio G. Spafford

Ballston Spa, N.Y., 2 Mo. 28, 1822.

Thomas Jefferson, Respected Friend:—

Permit me again to recall thy recollection to the poor old literary drudge, who has constantly experienced the kindness of thy regard, & no small share of the ‘Calamities of Authors.’1

After devoting 3 years to my new Lands in the Western part of Pennsylvania, expending as many thousand dollars, raising their value from 50 cents to 3 dollars an acre, an unfortunate difficulty about the title, compelled me to resort to the Laws for redress: & this, with a paralysis of the right leg, compelled me to abandon my Settlement until the validity of title should be tested. I returned hither, am using these Waters, & have experienced some relief. A cripple, poor, far advanced in a premature old age, (at the age of 44,) I have returned to my ‘first love,’ from necessity, and am again ardently & zealously engaged in literary labors. I am, to use the figurative style of our Aborigines, an old horse, turned out, in December, to graze the common!

My first object, is a second edition of my Gazetteer, the copy for which requires a good deal of labor, & will probably be ready for the press by May next. A 3 dollar 8vo., & I think I shall make something by it.

The next, an abridgement of this Work, for a School Book, to succeed it within a year.

The third, a Work on which I want thy opinion, the chief object of this Letter. It is now pretty well advanced, & will be ready for the press by the time the others are published. I copy, on the other side, its title-page, & beg of thee to favor me with thy views. Canst thou suggest any improvement? I hope I shall be able to have thy examination of a printed copy. Until it is published, I do not want a knowledge of it to get out.2

 

The

Apprentices’ Spelling Book;—

containing,

besides the usual Exercises in the Rudiments of English Literature,

all the Tables in Arithmetic,

that ought early in life to be engraven on the Memory,—

a brief Epitome of the Arts & Sciences,

and of the

chief branches of knowledge that come into the every-day business of life,

with Collections of Words, & Phrases, of common occurrence,

from the Greek, Latin, French, &c.

correctly accented & translated:—

Designed for the use of Apprentices in the Mechanic Arts,

Farmers’ Sons,

and all those who have not an acquaintance

with the learned Languages & the higher branches of Learning.

By Horatio Gates Spafford, LL.D.


The title will acquaint thee with all my object. I need not say anything about the want of such a work; for though thou hast never known the want of such an one thyself, thou hast seen the many thousands who have.

I should be exceedingly glad of thy opinion of the usefulness & propriety of such a Work, suppose it to be well executed. The weight of thy opinion, with the public, makes me very anxious to have it.

If I outlive thee, I still propose a Biography of Thomas Jefferson, for a School Book, in a sort of American Plutarch.

My History of this State, 2 8vo. Vols., A Nat. & Civil History, advances slowly, & I look forward to the completion of our 2 great Canals as the era for its appearance. Dr. Williams’s Vermont, is my model. He was my Precæptor. I am afraid I have trespassed too long on thy time. With profound regard, thy friend,

H. G. Spafford.

RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 14 Mar. 1822 and so recorded in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with Dft of TJ to Peter P. F. Degrand, 24 June 1824, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, Va.”; franked; postmarked Ballston Spa, 1 Mar.

calamities of authors alludes to Isaac D’Israeli’s work of that name published in London in 1812. Spafford appears to have published neither his apprentices’ spelling book, nor a biography of TJ, nor a nat. & civil history of New York, although he did produce A Pocket Guide for the Tourist and Traveller, along the line of the Canals, and the Interior Commerce of the State of New-York (New York, 1824). Spafford’s model was Samuel Williams, The Natural and Civil History of Vermont (Walpole, N.H., 1794; Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 457).

1Omitted closing quotation mark editorially supplied.

2Recto ends here.

Index Entries

  • A Gazetteer of the State of New-York (H. G. Spafford) search
  • A Pocket Guide for the Tourist and Traveller, along the line of the Canals, and the Interior Commerce of the State of New-York (H. G. Spafford) search
  • books; biographical on TJ search
  • books; on history search
  • books; on N.Y. search
  • books; on spelling search
  • books; on Vt. search
  • Calamities of Authors (I. D’Israeli) search
  • D’Israeli, Isaac; Calamities of Authors search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Descriptions of; biographies of search
  • New York (state); works on search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; A Gazetteer of the State of New-York search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; A Pocket Guide for the Tourist and Traveller, along the line of the Canals, and the Interior Commerce of the State of New-York search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; health of search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; letters from search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; moves to Pa. search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; proposed biography of TJ by search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; proposed history of N.Y. by search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; proposed spelling book by search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; The school boy’s introduction to the geography and statistics of the state of New-York: designed for the use of common schools, under the patronage of the Legislature search
  • Spafford, Horatio Gates; visits springs search
  • springs; therapeutic search
  • The Natural and Civil History of Vermont (S. Williams) search
  • The school boy’s introduction to the geography and statistics of the state of New-York: designed for the use of common schools, under the patronage of the Legislature (H. G. Spafford) search
  • Vermont; history of search
  • Williams, Samuel (1743–1817); The Natural and Civil History of Vermont search