To Thomas Jefferson from John Barnes, 21 August 1804
From John Barnes
George Town 21 Augst. 1804
Sir
I was Yesterday honored with your favr. 13th. and duly Notice the particulars: instead of something less than $406.63. (the presumed surplus, for this Mo. on statemt. 22d July.)—the annexed a/c will shew the present state of your Bank, including the $250. transmitted by this Evenings Mail to Messrs. G & J. at Richmond—Viz—
| for amo: of surplus ⅌ the Presidts List 22d July | 406. | 63. | |||||
| By JB’s paymt. to the 19 Inst. there remained in Bank. | 253. | 67. | |||||
| differ. | 152.96. | ||||||
| Accounted for. from the following items. viz. | |||||||
| 22d July. | The President’s Bank. overdrawn | 1. | 73 | ||||
| 7 Augt. | To G & J. 800. for 700. | 100. | |||||
| LeMaire 300. for 250. | 50. | ||||||
| Hart. 30. for 25. | 5. | ||||||
| Dr. Baker. 406. for 400. | 6. | ||||||
| for Error in deducting from 3072.83 viz | 406.63 | ||||||
| say 2676.70 shd be | 396.13 | 10. | 50 | ||||
| Aug 14th | To Presidt. Order 2d. favr M Wanscher | 14. | 50 | ||||
| 15 | To T. Carpenter for a Moiety of his a/c | 150.46 | |||||
| Dyer & Smith & J Cox a/c $44.66 | 75. | 23 | |||||
| already charged the Prest: in July a/c | 152.96 | ||||||
| from this statemt. there remained in Bank 19th Inst. | 253. | 67. | |||||
| 21 Augt. | deduct Amt. transmitted Messrs. G & J | 250. | |||||
| leaves | $3.67 | ||||||
| Aug 21 | for Amot. of Bank balance. brot. forwd. | 3.67 | |||||
| Sepr. 4. | for Compensation. Augt. a/c | 2083. | 33. | ||||
| 6 | for yr Note of the 4th to be disctd: | 1000 | 989. | 50 | |||
| 3072. | 83 | ||||||
| from which deduct for | |||||||
| Your Note payble: 2/5 Sepr. @ B US. | 1000 | ||||||
| do. do. 8/11 do. B of C. | 1000 | 2000 | 1072.83 | ||||
| 1076.50 | |||||||
| " | wherewith to pay | Mr Lenox | 110. | ||||
| Sepr. a/c |  |
Mr Short | 500. | ||||
| Mr LeMaire | 300 | 910. | |||||
| would leave | $166. | ||||||
If than, in the interim, the President shd. be induced to protract either of the last three items for $910. in preference to any Other more Urgent demand (as I am inclined to think they are not immediately in real want) or if either of the two—for $110 & 300—should call on me, they shall be Accomodated. at all events, they will be comply’d wth. early in Oct—of this the President will be pleased to advise me—when the Bank a/c disctd. Notes & paymt. are perfectly adjusted, I purpose doing myself the Honor, Accepting your kind invitation—by way of Frederickg. via Orange Springs to Charloteville—is the rout I intended to prefer—(or rather to Milton) and to return by Richmond—as to leave Fredericksg either on Wednesday 12th—or Friday 14 Sepr. at farthest are the Days I count upon.
with greatest Respect, I am Sir, your most & very Obedt.
John Barnes.
RC (ViU: Edgehill-Randolph Papers); addressed: “Th: Jefferson, President U States, at Monticello, Virginia”; endorsed by TJ as received 25 Aug. and so recorded in SJL.
favr.: TJ’s letter of 13 Aug. has not been found (Appendix IV). See his letter of that day to George Jefferson. For a previous payment to Gibson & Jefferson (G & J), see TJ to Jefferson, 29 July.
On 2 Aug., TJ issued an order on Barnes for payment of $14.50 to Martin Wanscher (MS in CSmH; in TJ’s hand and signed by him; signed by Thomas Preston, acknowledging payment; endorsed by Barnes as paid 14 Aug.).
Dyer & Smith was the name of a Georgetown mercantile firm, and John Cox was also a Georgetown merchant (Washington Federalist, 10 June 1803; , 2:1159).
Note of the 4th to be disctd: in June, TJ had opened an account with the Washington branch of the Bank of the United States. Barnes’s accounting reflects TJ’s intensifying strategy of taking out loans from this bank and from the Bank of Columbia (B of C) to supplement his salary. In this case, TJ received $989.50 from each bank and was to repay $1,000, the difference being the discount, which was about a six percent annual interest rate (, 2:1128, 1138; Vol. 43:695-6).