1From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 29 July 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I have to acknolege the reciept of your favors of June 29. & July 25. to congratulate you on the prospect you have of obtaining a compleat skeleton of the great incognitum, and the world on there being a person at the critical moment of the discovery who has zeal enough to devote himself to the recovery of these great animal monuments. Mr. Smith the Secretary of the Navy will give orders...
2From Thomas Jefferson to John Vaughan and Charles Willson Peale, 13 January 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I have to acknolege the reciept of your favor of the 1st. inst. informing me that the American Philosophical society had again elected me President of the society for the ensuing year. for this mark of their continued favor, I pray you to present them a renewal of my thanks and of my profound respect. I have still to lament that my distance & other occupations leave me nothing but expressions...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 16 January 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved last night your favor of the 12th. instant. no person on earth can entertain a higher idea than I do of the value of your collection nor give you more credit for the unwearied perseverance & skill with which you have prosecuted it. and I very much wish it could be made public property. but as to the question whether I think that the US. would encourage or provide for the...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 5 May 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I am this moment setting out on a short visit to Monticello, but a thought coming into my head which may be useful to your son who is carrying the Mammoth to Europe , I take time to hint it to you. my knolege of the scene he will be on enables me to suggest what might not occur to him a stranger. when in a great city, he will find persons of every degree of wealth. to jumble these all into a...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 3 November 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Immediately on the reciept of your favor of Oct. 28. I wrote to a friend of mine, mr Michael Bowyer who owns & resides at the Sweet springs , on the subject of the bones you mention as lately found in a cave of Greenbriar county, and which are probably of the Megalonyx. I observed to him that I had learned that the finder was preparing to send them to you; that if that was done, it was all...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 23 January 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I thank you for mr Rembrandt Peale’s pamphlet on the Mammoth, and feeling a strong interest in his succesful exhibition of the Skeleton, shall be very happy to hear he has the great run of visitants which I expect he will have. I was struck with the notice in the papers of mr Hawkins’s physiognotrace, of the work of which you send me some specimens, which I percieve must have been taken from...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 27 February 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Latrobe promised a few days ago to write to you to have me furnished with a polygraph of two pens, and that his experience would enable him to give some directions about it which would be useful. he was to desire particularly that there should be a drawer in each end, without any partitions in the drawers, because I would have them made here to suit my own convenience. I should also prefer...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 1 March 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved last night your favor of the 26th. and thank you for the pen accompanying it, which seems to perform well. I had written to you on the 27th. Ult. on the subject of the Polygraph. the reduction of the size which you propose for a future trial would certainly be a great improvement; it’s present bulk being disagreeable. I observe too that after one has adjusted the pens by the gage,...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 9 March 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his salutations to mr Peale. he recieved last night his favor of the 5th. he will leave this place for Monticello a fortnight hence, and will be absent 5. or 6. weeks, which he mentions now because as the Polygraphs will arrive after his departure his acknolegement of their reception and his return of Brunelle’s cannot be till his return to this place in May. RC ( TxU )....
10From Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 30 March 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Tomorrow I set out for Monticello, and very fortunately I recieved last night the two polygraphs. this morning I tried them. I was charmed with the ingenuity and beautiful workmanship of Brunel’s, and proportionably mortified on trial to find I could not produce a copy of a single letter distinct, altho’ I perfectly understood the action of all it’s parts, and saw that there was nothing...