To Thomas Jefferson from William Thomson, 30 January 1804
From William Thomson
Manchester 30th Jany 1804.
I take the Liberty, Sir, of presenting you with a copy of the letters of Curtius, written by John Thomson of Petersburg. Perhaps the affection of a brother, may render him blind to the imperfections of this little work, yet he flatters himself, you will esteem it worthy the small space it shall occupy in your Library—The present edition contains a concise account of the life of the Author, written by his friend Mr. Hay. It contains but few incidents which can interest, for he had scarcely placed his foot on the threshold, when the door was closed forever on him. In soliciting your acceptance of this copy, I feel myself justified, under the belief that the works of genius are always acceptable to you, but more especially, those which are the productions of our own country. I am, Sir, with great respect, yours,
William Thomson
RC (MoSHi); endorsed by TJ as received 3 Feb. and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: Letters of Curtius, Written by the Late John Thomson of Petersburg (Richmond, 1804; No. 3526).
At this time, William Thomson, a lawyer, was selling his property in Manchester, Virginia, and settling the estates of his father and brother in preparation for a move out of the state. Instead, he ended up in Abingdon, where he lived for about three years. Following in his brother’s footsteps, he published a series of highly critical letters addressed to John Marshall, substituting the pseudonym “Lucius” for his brother’s “Curtius.” Sometime after sending TJ his work A Compendious View of the Trial of Aaron Burr in 1807, Thomson moved to the Mississippi Territory, where he curried favor among Republican leaders in the area. William C. C. Claiborne reported naming him attorney general for Orleans Territory in August 1808, but although he remained on a list of Claiborne’s appointments as of 21 Apr. 1809, it is unclear if Thomson, apparently offended by a perceived snub from Claiborne, ever assumed the duties of the office (Richmond Virginia Argus, 12 Feb. 1803, 4 Jan. 1804, 10 June 1807; Aurora, 21 Nov. and 1 Dec. 1807; , 5:629; 9:798, 837; , 4:239-41; Thomson to TJ, 7 Oct. 1807).
TJ was well familiar with the letters of curtius, having requested a copy of the first edition in 1799 (Vol. 31:14-15n).