Thomas Jefferson’s General Plea in Livingston v. Jefferson, [ca. 28 February 1811]
General Plea in Livingston v. Jefferson
[ca. 28 Feb. 1811]
| Jefferson |  |
| ads | Plea—“Not guilty.”1 |
| Livingston |
And the said Thomas, according to the Statute in such case made & provided, & by leave of the court, for further plea in this behalf saith; that he is not guilty of any of the several trespasses above laid to his charge, in manner & form as the said Edward hath above thereof complained against him; and of this he putteth himself upon the Country &c:
MS (Vi: USCC-LJ); partially in William Wirt’s hand; undated; endorsed (by unidentified hand): “1 Plea—Not Guilty” and (by Wirt): “Feby 28th <1810> 1811”; notation by clerk: “10 cts.” Enclosed in George Hay to TJ, 25 Jan. 1811, and TJ to Hay, 3 Mar. 1811.
A similar general plea was also filed in the United States Circuit Court for the Virginia District on 11 Dec. 1810, pending submission of the detailed set of defense motions printed below (note to Edward Livingston’s Bill of Complaint against TJ, enclosed in Hay to TJ, 20 July 1810; Vi: U.S. Circuit Court, Virginia District, Order Book, 8:269).
1. Text to this point in unidentified hand; remainder in Wirt’s hand.