1From Thomas Jefferson to William Short and George W. Erving, 16 July 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Extract from the letters written to mr Short & mr Erving. ‘mr Duane is employed this year to make the importation, partly from Paris, partly from London, & to execute the details. but as I am anxious to have it established that the public money must be laid out with as rigorous economy as that of an individual, the proceedings of mr Duane’s correspondent are made subject, by my agreement with...
2From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 13 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved last night yours of the 10th. the idea of your going so early as by the vessel which sails on Sunday has been given up. consequently it will not be till the next which will go in 6. weeks, unless an earlier passage were to occur by some other vessel, which as it might excite less notice would be more desirable. we have ceased to annex Secretaries of legation to our foreign missions,...
3From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 7 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I now inclose you a draught of the bank of the US. of this place on that of Philadelphia for five hundred dollars. I am extremely uneasy at the unfortunate fate of my envois of seeds to Madame de Tessé. I fear she will think me a very inattentive friend. fall was twelvemonth, I prepared, as you know, a box of seeds, well assorted, well packed, sound & fresh, and sent it by a ship from...
4From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 17 March 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter will be handed you by mr Dawson, an antient acquaintance & fellow collegian of yours, who goes as the bearer of the ratification of our late convention with France. this ratification being on conditions which will occasion some of the ground of the preceding negociations to be recurred to & trodden over again, messrs. Elsworth & Murray will be called to Paris again for that...
5From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 5 January 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
In my note of Oct. 13. I inclosed you a draught of the United States bank here on that at Philadelphia for 1000. Dollars. I have been a little anxious to know that it got safely to hand; altho the safety of that kind of remittance is such as to leave one in little concern but for considerable sums. instead of remitting a similar sum at this time, I am obliged to avail myself of the...
6From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 18 October 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his friendly salutations to mr Short sends him by his servant the bundle of papers relative to his affairs which Th:J. had kept with him at the seat of government, because they have been written or recieved there. this with the bundle communicated to him at Monticello contains every thing relative to mr Short’s affairs which are in the hands of Th:J. in this bundle...
7From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 23 January 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 17th. is duly recieved; and consoles me under the chagrin of the necessity which had come upon me, contrary to my calculation but it will not lessen the devotion of my efforts to the main object. I had just before the reciept of your letter fallen on a bundle of papers which I had brought with me from Monticello to put into your hands. but they escaped my recollection &...
8From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 3 March 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
As you talked of coming on here in the month of February I have been expecting you, without writing. I am in hopes however the inclosed letter from mr Lilly will reach you at New York. there is not in the world a lighter or more unprincipled talker than Henderson: and as to any offer from him he is entirely bankrupt. still I have no doubt that eight dollars could be got for your whole tract,...
9From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 19 July 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of April 3. came to hand June 13. my last to you was of Apr. 19. when I wrote so fully in answer to your several favors, that I should not have had occasion to write now but by way of supplement as to the particular article of the purchase of stock for you, not then finished. as soon as the peace had produced the whole of it’s effect on our stock by depressing it, and it was percieved...
10From James Madison to William Short, 21 October 1802 (Madison Papers)
The Secretary of state presents his compliments to Mr. Short, and informs him, in answer to his note of the 19th. Inst. that the vouchers to which he alludes are already at the Auditors Office, and that this Department will cheerfully do all that is in its power, towards the putting of Mr. Shorts accounts into a train of settlement. Letterbook copy ( DNA : RG 59, DL , vol. 14). Letter not...
11From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 10 November 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 5th. has been duly recieved; & I am very thankful to you as well as to your good friend for the attention you have paid to the commission respecting the Cahusac: and if it’s quality is unchanged, it is a wine which will please here. it will come safely through our Consul at Bordeaux, & the more so as that harbour is not included in the English blockade. the party division...
12From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 7 March 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Feb. 26. has been duly recieved. I think I mentioned in a former letter that experience had shewn me that I could not pay more than 1000. D. a quarter without sensible distress. sometimes & indeed generally, I find it most convenient to pay it in moieties; sometimes the whole sum at once. the latter has been the case for the present quarter. I now accordingly inclose you a...
13From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 27 January 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 28th. was recieved on the 24th. although mr Skipwith’s error in fact (that the Comptroller’s place was vacant) might supercede the necessity of saying any thing on the subject, yet a desire that he may not refuse what has been offered him, under delusive expectations, induces me to go into explanations with you, in hopes you may find opportunities of rectifying his ideas,...
14From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 15 April 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 2d. was recd on the 7th. & that of the 12th. last night. as you had informed mr Barnes not to write to you to New York after the 4th. and me, that you would notify me of your arrival in Philadelphia, I was awaiting that to answer your letter. I now do it at hazard & shall address it to you at Philadelphia to be kept in the post office till called for. I have not time at this...
15From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 19 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letters of the 7th. & 10th. were recieved on the 15th., communicated to mr Madison & recieved back from him yesterday. we relinquish the idea of a direct passage to St. Petersburg, and adopt that of a general communication to the government of France through which you will pass. mr Madison will be here within a few days in order that we may arrange and finally expedite whatever is...
16From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 19 April 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
The present occasion by mr Dupont is so favorable, that tho constantly immersed in business or society, without a moment’s intermission, Congress being in session, I cannot omit to drop you a line; whether it will be long or short will depend on the interruptions. my last to you were of the 17th. of March and 3d. of Oct. of the last year: since which I have to acknolege the reciept of yours of...
17From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 20 September 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
According to the desire in your letter of July 19. & that to mr Price , I have settled the rents of Indian Camp to the end of 1783. either from a defect of my instructions to mr Lilly or his understanding them, he had proceeded in the collection of the rents for that year and made considerable progress before I knew & stopped him. I some time last autumn sent you a supplement to our accounts...
18From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 4 May 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of Apr. 24. came to hand some days since, and I now return you the calculation of interest & paiments therein inclosed. the principles of this are understood & approved, and altho my occupations have not permitted me to investigate the calculations in detail, yet I have no doubt of their correctness. I have therefore inclosed you an acknolegement of the balance due Feb. 12. with a...
19From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 2 December 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved last night the inclosed letter, which tho’ not signed I know to be from John Bartram . you will percieve by it that he has prepared the plants seeds &c which I ordered for M. de Liancourt at your request. I write to Bartram to day to deliver them to you and that you will pay him for them. while in Philadelphia you will readily get a hack to carry you to his gardens, about a mile on...
20From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 8 February 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I am now able to resume my paiments , which have been interrupted by the great expences of the season: and which indeed experience has proved to be unavoidable at times, by an accumulation of calls beyond ordinary expectation. I inclose you a draught of the bk US. here on that at Philadelphia for 500. D. we had been in hopes that the ceremony of the impeachment now going on at this place would...
21From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 31 January 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 27th. was recieved last night. those of Nov. 25. & Dec. 29. had been recieved in due time. the pressure of business had prevented my acknoleging them. I shall be happy to see you here, and repeat my hope of your taking your daily soup with us when not otherwise engaged. I have just recieved information that Russia has interdicted to her subjects all intercourse with England,...
22From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 16 July 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress have appropriated a sum of money to the procuring books for their use. about one half of it was laid out the last year, but at prices which could not be approved. mr Duane is employed this year to make the importation, partly from Paris, partly from London, and to execute the details. but, as I am anxious to shew that the public money must be laid out with as rigorous economy as that...
23From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 12 January 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Lilly having lately sent me the materials for the account of your rents for the year 1802. recieved by him in 1803. I am now enabled to send you an exact account of them from 1796. to 1802. inclusive; those subsequent to 1802. will be recieved by mr Price. the inequalities in those rents are to be explained. when the lands were purchased the tenants were on a fixed annual rent, & could run...
24From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 18 August 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
In hopes of seeing you before this in Virginia I had [rese]rved the inclosed out of funds in Richmond, where I had supposed it might not be inconvenient for you to recieve it, and where it was more convenient to me, my funds in Washington being otherwise called for. hearing nothing of your being in motion this way, I now inclose it to the care of mr Taylor who I presume will know where you...
25From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 5 May 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Apr. 28. came safe to hand with the watch chain and seal, which are entirely to my mind, and I now inclose you an order of the bank of the US. of this place on that at Philadelphia for 20. D. the amount of the two articles. I am now in all the hurry & bustle of preparation for departure this evening if I can be ready, or tomorrow morning at farthest, and having not a word of news...
26From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 12 December 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 2d. inst. has been duly recieved; but I have not had it in my power to make you the inclosed remittance of 500. Dollars till this day. it can only reach you on the evening of the 14th. which I hope may be in time to answer your purpose. Mr. Eppes happened fortunately to have left here the two books he had purchased from mr Barnes. he has returned to him the Atlas to Reynal’s work,...
27From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 29 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 7th. & 10th. inst. were acknoleged in mine of the 19th. Mr. Madison is now with me and is preparing instructions for you. we now very much wish we had asked you to take a trip here. it is impossible to give on paper so intimate an expression of our views as in conversation, and more difficult in this case than in others because in addition to the general objects of cultivating...
28From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 14 June 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of May 15. was recieved in due time. you will now recieve inclosed a draught of the US. bank here on that at Philadelphia for 500. D. if I rightly estimate the calls which will come on me the beginning of July I am afraid they will disable me from making the remittance for that month. an unexpected one from Albemarle has deranged the calculations I had made for that epoch. after...
29From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
What I now write you must be as secret as the grave. there is at length an unanimity of opinion as to a mission to Petersbg. but some difference as to the time, whether now or not till the meeting of the Senate. but the latter opinion will I think give way to the importance of the mission being so secret that it shall be suspected by no mortal until it is arrived in Petersburg. I write you...
30From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 14 June 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 11th. was recieved last night. in the mean time mine of the 12th. had crossed it on the road, and I hope conveyed safely to your hands the order for 750. D. by the statement inclosed in yours the balance of the 22d. of May was 1537.D78 to which adding 6.15 for interest to the 15th. (by which day the order will be in your hands) and deducting the 750. D. amount of the order,...
31From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 11 March 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of Feb. 14. & 26. are now before me, and answering first to the former, I inclose you a copy of the cypher as well as of the cyphered letter therein referred to. I have examined the two statements of our account. the first is perfectly intelligible, & right in principle. I have not attempted to examine the calculations, being on the point of departure for Monticello, & not doubting...
32From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 15 November 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of the 6th. has been duly recieved. on the subject of your location for the winter, it is impossible, in my view of it, to doubt on the preference which should be given to this place. under any circumstances it could not be but satisfactory to you to acquire an intimate knolege of our political machine, not merely of it’s organisation, but the individuals & characters composing it,...
33From James Madison to William Short, 8 September 1808 (Madison Papers)
The President having thought it expedient for the interest of the United States that a Minister Plenipoy. should be sent to the Emperor of Russia, he is desirous of availing them of your services on the occasion. You will accordingly herewith receive a Commission and a Letter of Credence to the Emperor. You will see in the latter, a copy of which is furnished, the general purpose of your...
34From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 12 October 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
On my arrival here I found your letter of Sep. 27. with an accumulation of business which has prevented my answering till now. the paper it inclosed I have destroyed as you desired. it’s contents shall now be answered with that frankness which has always existed between us, and an entire confidence that the whole subject will remain confined to ourselves alone. the two facts on which the paper...
35From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 9 July 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Barnes & myself have been long sensible that the passing my pecuniary affairs through his hands gave him a great deal of trouble, and at the same time increased mine. it sometimes too occasioned delays, he being very far from the US. bank here, and I close by it. we have at length therefore ceased that circuity and I have opened a direct intercourse with the bank. I consequently this day...
36From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 2 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
On the reciept of your letter of July 23. I wrote to mr Madison expressing my ideas on the several points it presented, and recieved his in return which I now inclose you as containing our joint opinions on them. that which respects the direct voyage will, I am afraid, not be so agreeable to yourself, yet I believe it is indispensible. secrecy is essential, that obstacles may not be prepared...
37From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 8 July 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you an order of the bank of the US. at this place on that at Philadelphia for five hundred Dollars on the usual account. I shall leave this place about the latter part of the month for Monticello & after a few days rest there proceed to Bedford from which place however I shall be returned to Monticello by the middle of August. this will be before the time by which you expected to...
38From Alexander Hamilton to William Short, [3 July 1804] (Hamilton Papers)
General Hamilton waited on Mr. Short to pay his respects & to request the pleasure of his Company at a Family Dinner in the Country on Saturday next three oClock. ALS , Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Short, who had been Thomas Jefferson’s secretary when Jefferson was Minister to France during the Confederation period, became chargé d’affaires at Paris in 1789. In 1792 he was...
39From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 13 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter, written the day before yours of the 10th. will in some degree have anticipated your enquiries in that, but to be more particular, I shall leave this about the 21st. of July for Monticello, shall proceed about the 1st. of Aug. to Bedford, & after a few days there return to Monticello for the residue of that and the month of September. here, there & every where I shall be always glad...
40From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I avail myself of the last moment allowed by the departure of the post to acknolege the reciept of your letters of the 27th. & 31st. ult. and to say, in answer to the last, that any one of the three persons you there propose, would be approved as to their politics, for in appointments to office the government refuses to know any difference between descriptions of republicans, all of whom are...
41From James Madison to William Short, 9 September 1808 (Madison Papers)
I have just closed for Mr. Graham the papers which will be forwarded to you in due form from the office of State; and reach you, I hope on the evening of the 14th. I have suggested to him the addition of such printed documents as occured to me, and desired him to add any others which may occur to him. It wd. have given me pleasure to have seen you before your departure, and particularly to...
42From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 23 March 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of the 10th. came to hand two days ago only. I will carry with me to Washington the whole bundle of your papers, so as to be able to put into your hands any particulars of them. I informed you in my last that in the first week of this month 500. D. would be left in mr Barnes’s hands for you, and the same sum monthly until the whole of my balance should be paid up. I am disabled from...
43From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 30 August 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 23d. was recieved by the last post, and I sincerely regret that we are not likely to have the pleasure of seeing you here: and still more the cause. yet I am inclined to believe that the cause ought to have brought instead of detaining you. the only remedy I believe which can be relied on for relieving an obstinate diarrhea, or weak bowels, is long journies on a hard trotting...
44From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 20 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have put off writing to you to the last moment, and must therefore be short as I am just setting out for Monticello. yours of the 15th. is recieved. we fix your departure by the next vessel we send which will be in about 6. weeks. it will not be necessary for you to visit this place as mr Madison leaves it on Saturday. we highly approve the idea of calling your secretary our messenger & your...
45From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 19 May 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I returned to this place three days ago, which being later than I had expected, has retarded my sending the inclosed order of the bank of the US. here on that at Philadelphia for 500. D. my crop of tobo. falls considerably short of it’s usual amount, so that altho’ I have not lost hope entirely that it may enable me to pay the whole of my balance the next month, yet I doubt it. in any event I...
46From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 April 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I now inclose you a draught of the US. bank here on that of Philadelphia for 500. D. and early in the ensuing month shall make a similar remittance. I had before observed that in the months of April & May, when my tobacco of the last year would be coming to market, the balance remaining due to you would be within the reach of that, after taking from it 1000. D. particularly engaged, and I had...
47From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 8 [i.e. 9] October 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of the 5th. came to hand yesterday evening after the departure of the post. this can go only this afternoon, & tomorrow is Sunday . I sincerely regret it is not in my power to furnish any thing in aid of your brother till the epoch I had mentioned to you. the close of the year calls for the paiment of all hired laborers, of my workmen, the year’s provision of corn & this during the...
48From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 9 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I observed to you in a former letter that I had found from experience that I could not pay you more than 1000. D. a quarter without recurring to extraordinary measures which your indulgence had dispensed with. this has been done by remittances of 500. D. two months in the quarter, or of 1000. D. in one month. according to this I should now have sent 1000. D. and have intermitted the next...
49From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 22 July 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I am just winding up for my departure and therefore have only time to inform you that I have left with mr Barnes the means and the instructions to make you the usual remittances in the forepart of the months of August & September, during which I shall be absent, and that we shall not be altogether without the hope of seeing you at Monticello. Accept my affectionate salutations and assurances...
50From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 November 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of Oct. 25. from Prestwood came to my hands last night. it is the first knolege of your motions I have had since you set out for Kentucky: and having long expected you were on the road back, I knew not how to write to you. this has been the cause of my keeping a letter recieved for you from France a considerable time ago: & I do not send it now lest you should have left Richmond, where...